convert image into a vector

Chris106 · 11-26-2008, 01:10 AM

I work in a printing business so I know my way around a few graphic programs. Recently I've started to get to know the ones on my comp, Ubuntu. I have gotten quite familiar with Gimp but now I need to take it up to more of a professional level so I'm working with Inkscape also. It's crucial that I convert an image that I'm working on into a vector. I've looked on the net and found a bunch of progs that will do it on site but I need to know how to do this on my own quickly b/c of the rival at work b/w Windows, Mac and Linux.

Tks

almatic · 11-27-2008, 10:26 AM

inkscape contains a frontend for potrace.
path -> vectorize bitmap, or similar ...

pixellany · 11-27-2008, 10:29 AM

I cannot imagine how you would convert a pixel image into vector-based. In vector-based graphics, everything is described as shapes. To take a scene with all manner of complex shapes and subtle color changes and convert it to vector would take some pretty powerful SW. Do you have an example of something that appears to do what you are looking for?

almatic · 11-27-2008, 11:07 AM

Quote:

I cannot imagine how you would convert a pixel image into vector-based.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...rsion_software

salter · 11-27-2008, 11:06 PM

Tracing bitmaps to vector artwork will always be a painful experience. The more colors and shades the original bitmap (or rather pixmap) has, the worse the automated results are.

Apple had once a few designers in house just to provide vector artwork of upcoming computer models and peripherals - excellent work, but most of it was made/adjusted by hand. Took an awful lot of time. No one pays for work like that anymore.

propofol · 11-28-2008, 02:10 AM

How about this:

http://potrace.sourceforge.net/

Regards,
Stefan

Chris106 · 11-28-2008, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

I cannot imagine how you would convert a pixel image into vector-based. In vector-based graphics, everything is described as shapes. To take a scene with all manner of complex shapes and subtle color changes and convert it to vector would take some pretty powerful SW. Do you have an example of something that appears to do what you are looking for?

This is a site that I found that does what I want. http://vectormagic.com/.

This site is where I found that info and it lead me to some others. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=883779 The following site is one that I tried to follow but couldn't.
http://www.inkscape.org/doc/tracing/...l-tracing.html
This lead me to this one.
http://potrace.sourceforge.net/

Thank you for your help.

tredegar · 11-28-2008, 08:28 AM

potrace is awesome for B&W images -> SVG !
... and it was sitting in my kubuntu repositories all the time.
A little quote from the FAQ:

Quote:

Recent versions of Inkscape have a built-in Potrace engine that can handle color images via color quantization or multiple scanning, thanks to the great work of Bob Jamison and the Inkscape team.

Thanks for this thread

ErV · 11-28-2008, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

I cannot imagine how you would convert a pixel image into vector-based.

It is an old technology. "Tracing bitmaps" (conversion to vector) was possible even in Macromedia Flash 6. Inkscape can do that.

pixellany · 11-30-2008, 06:35 AM

Looks like I will have to eat some words here.....

Perhaps it would have been better to say that I could not imagine getting a decent vector-based image--with all of the same qualities-- from a pixel-based image. But I guess that's really not the point.

Out of curiosity, I'll try these things some day.