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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Lightbulb An awesome "trick for tracing

    Actually, I have 1.7 "tricks" (revelations, actually) I'd like to share here:

    1. OMO, Xara Designer's auto-tracer is not as good as Vector Magix, either in precision, or unnecessary control points. Not Xara's fault; the experiment guys at Vector Magic have onhe, and only one product to improve upon and finesse.

    1.7 . Inkscape (I can't imagine no one on this forum has heard of it), is just about program or util out there that can trace almost as well as Vecxtor Magic; we're talking about a $300+ difference for what I feel is a negligible difference.

    What I'm really jazzed about, here, is that you don't need to save an svg file from Inkscape to get it into Xara. SVG is Inkscape's default and only file format for saving. Try copying from Inkscape, open a new document in Xara and press Ctrl+P for Paste. You'll get a confirmation box that asked you to paste as what?

    Choose Enhanced Metafile, end of story. I've traditionall HATED MS's metafile format because it doesn't negotiate curves...at all. You wind up with a pasted an object with as many control points as our National Deficit because the curve is made up of eensy tiny straight line paths to simulate a curve.

    Not so, evidently, with Win 10 and Enhanced Metafile. Here's a fair example of a target bitmap, and the pasted Inkscape guy.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Cool? Or What?!

    My Best,

    Gary

    Name:  cartoon-lightning.jpg
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    Yes, there are some superfluous control point but acceptably few IMO. And Inkscape has evaluated corners better than most utils in vector drawing programs.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    Gare, you didn't mention the Inskscape resultant path with Color quantization and Invert image allow for fantastic manipulations when added back into Xara.

    If Xara would only adopt potrace (http://potrace.sourceforge.net/) as a replacement for the moribund Bitmap tracer.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  3. #3
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    I'm moving this thread to Dear Xara.

    I am lucky enough to have over 20 years ago written a review of Vector Magic and got a free desktop app. Xara's bitmap tracer is virtually useless and takes up space.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
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    England
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    Inkscape also has a neat trick for quickly reducing the number of nodes - 'Simplify' found under the path menu.

    I realise Xara has it's node 'Smoothing' feature with its slider control, but you can only use it on one line at a time, where as Inkscape's works on multiple lines.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    So...

    Dear Xara (in addition to any requests above) can you please enhance the node smoothing feature so it can be applied to multiple lines at the same time and also add a one-click automatic (best shot) option similar to Inkscape's 'Simplify' feature.
    Jon (Jono) Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 19.0.0.64329 DL x64 May 19 2022

  5. #5
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    I have an idea that most all bitmap tracers use the same core engine, or whatever the code is called.

    Some are better, some or worse, custom tweaking perhaps, but I got jazzed over Inkscape's capability not only to pull a lean render, but that the clipboard works in-between.

    Not many programs can do that.

    Cheers,

    Gary

  6. #6
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    Quote Originally Posted by gwpriester View Post
    I'm moving this thread to Dear Xara.

    I am lucky enough to have over 20 years ago written a review of Vector Magic and got a free desktop app. Xara's bitmap tracer is virtually useless and takes up space.
    Then nice to be YOU!

  7. #7
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    Quote Originally Posted by gwpriester View Post
    I'm moving this thread to Dear Xara.

    I am lucky enough to have over 20 years ago written a review of Vector Magic and got a free desktop app. Xara's bitmap tracer is virtually useless and takes up space.

    All true. I didn't intend to ask TPTB to make a better tracer, tho'. This copying across programs a vectors is a very welcome capability.

    I see that there was a unique set of engineers who made the bitmap tracer module.

    Which does indeed lend itself to a dialog here!

    I went to one of those free clipart places that are driving people like us out of business, got a JPG Inkscape traced it, and then into Xara...

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Saved me some time, although it was do able by hand.

    My Best,

    Gary

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    Great find Gary. So quick and far simpler and faster & easy to use. Thanks for sharing
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Egg

    Intel i7 - 4790K Quad Core + 16 GB Ram + NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1660 Graphics Card + MSI Optix Mag321 Curv monitor
    + Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB SSD + 232 GB SSD + 250 GB SSD portable drive + ISP = BT + Web Hosting = TSO Host

  9. #9
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    Default Re: An awesome "trick for tracing

    That looks terrfic, Eric!

    Glad my finding resulted in spreading a little joy!

    Okay, I'm going to continue populating my Xara Gallery, rather than post to Dear Xara.

    One last thing about Inkscape, tho': I created a vector sunset—largely inspired by Eric's Union Jack—and feel free to download it

    here in my Xara Gallery

    Click image for larger version. 

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    and a TGIF to all,

    Name:  yogabot.gif
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    -g

 

 

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