How do I scan a image and convert to vectors in PW

[ed_lang]

I know I must be missing a simple set of instructions. I have a picture, black and white line drawing I want to convert to a set of vectors so I can cut the thing out. How do I get this from paper to Part Wizard and then to .sbp?

Thank you

[paco]

Hi Ed!

You'll need a "vectorizer" like TRACE from COREL or WinTopo to trace it "softwarly" or a CAD that enable you to trace it with your mouse like DRAW from COREL, RHINO, Insignia and PRO and probably many others... else than PW... maybe you can try this in Open Office (which is "FREE"; I'd suggest Oo2) DRAW... not sure if it's possible... but "FREE" to look at!

[danhamm]

I recall scanning signatures,on a umax scanner and scanning as lineart, importing them into corel as either eps or ia.files and carving a plaque.
I don't know if modern scanners will scan lineart or not,

[Brady Watson]

Ed & Group,
Here's a unpublished trick for digitizing with PW: You can buy a Graphire digitizing pad that interfaces directly with PartWizard to do exactly what you want to do for about $100. I bought mine at Best Buy.

You can digitize your signature, place a picture under the clear top pad and trace it's contour and lots of other little tricks. The one I bought does a 4X5" area which I found is pretty good for most things...you may want to step up to the 6X8" model if you feel you need it. The LARGE one, which is 12X15" I believe, is a bit cumbersome to really work with, I find.

What is also nice is that it works with AI, Corel, Insignia & Pro (2D & 3D!) & it's pressure sensitive pad gives you new options in design that you just cannot achive with a mouse.

-Brady

[ed_lang]

Remember I am new.
So, I can use TRACE a Corel product to do this, does it come with Corel Draw 12? I have Corel Draw 12 and am not using it.

Insignia PRO will do this? I think there is a copy of it at work and I can get time on the computer to use it. How do I find out how to do this in PRO?

The digitizing pad sound nice for other editing tasks as well. What model do you have and how do you like it?

Thanks everyone

[paco]

Ed,

I believe TRACE comes with every package of COREL "suite".

Insignia AND PRO have both (I believe PRO has it too; I have Insignia) this little program called ArtTRACE...

If you have COREL, you're in buisness... ArtTRACE is quite basic... but usefull if you don't have anything else...

You'll find that tracing "softwarly" is rarely giving a satisfying result; I much prefer mouse tracing... but tend to avoid any tacing if I can; too much work if you ask me... but sometime needed for specific project...

[jeff_rowley]

So, you would scan your picture in as either a TIF or a JPG. Then open that image file in Corel TRACE. There are several options for tracing your file, but 'Advanced Outline' seems to give the best results for cut files. There are several options at the top for adjusting sensitivity, complexity, minimum object size, etc. You'll want to turn complexity down and minimum object size up. You'll still end up with quite a few garbage vectors and a fair amount of cleanup.

It really depends on the complexity of the object you are trying to scan in. I've had really good luck scanning in black and white line art (such as a blueprint or template), trying to scan in a color photo or something will be almost useless.

I recently tried to scan in a topographic map that I wanted to cut in 3D. Trace made a mess of it. I eventually did exactly as Brady described, put it on tablet and traced it directly. Good luck!

[ed_lang]

Thanks!

I do have Corel Trace and am playing with it now. I looked at Best Buy online and see the Wacom tablet 4X5 and it looks nice but small. Do any of you have larger ones and also think the Best Buy one is too small or is it just me not knowing how large of a tablet I really need.

I keep finding things I want to do and not having the experience to do them. I will have to slow down and keep on working on them.

I have some black and white clip-art and line drawings I want to cut so that is where all of this is going at current.

My thinking about the tablet is I need one that size of my original so I can trace it. If I have a drawing on a 8X10 paper, that tablet gets high dollar fast.

[bill.young]

Hi Ed,

Generally people use the tablet to "trace" an image on their screen by importing the image into their drawing or CAD program and then drawing a line over the image on the screen, and not to trace a real paper drawing the way you're imagining. You certainly can trace a paper drawing, but as you've found out tablets that big get pretty pricey.

If you can get used to a tablet it makes tracing pretty easy, but drawing on the tablet while watching the line appear on the screen is an odd sensation that I never could get used to. Sort of like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time.

[ed_lang]

I am getting a better picture of how this all works. I think the tablet would be a route I will try when I can get one... now to find one.

Does PartWizard allow me to show a graphic and the tablet allow me to draw vectors over it?

Looks like I need to become friends with my Corel Draw 12 suite of software.

Take care,

[billp]

Ed,
Try EBAY, they usually have dozens of tablets available. Type in "Wacom tablets"and you'll have your choice.

[jsfrost]

Ed,
All the above advice for obtaining vector data is valid, but it does involve work. Every conversion method I have tried involves either tracing work or cleanup or both. Despite what salesmen promise, here's no magic converter at any price that produces near perfect vectors from a picture.
Cuting from a picture involves 3 separate processes. You need to convert the picture to a usable vector format, then toolpath the vector using PW or other software, and finally cut the project with the Bot. Unless you have already worked through toolpath and cut using known good vector art, I would start there. Once you are comfortable with toolpath and cut, then add the photo conversion to yout skill set. Trying to polish all three skills at one time, if that's really what you are doing, may confuse the learning process.

PW will not show the graphic, Corel will show and allow tracing of the graphic. In addition the Corel converters usually do a fair job. Corel trace on a black and white line drawing using the centerline mode will probably get you close.