Step by step for photos

[btburn]

Could someone with more experience in Corel walk me through the steps you take to basically convert a photos to a high contrast image that is easier to trace? Or what you do to convert a photo to a dxf. I've been doing everything by hand but I would like to get more depth and detail than I am currently getting. When I convert images to black and white I get really bad traces.
The images included are just an example, I don't need them but thought it would be a fair image to use.
I currently have X7 if that makes a difference.
Thank you

[CNCCAJUN]

I am a long way off from the knowledgeable one, but I can offer what I have learned.

The theory of the magic program that will trace a picture for you is just that.

What I have gathered from some of the people that seem to have the cleanest "traces" are those that actually trace.

I don't mean attempt to follow lines with your mouse like a kid traces out of a coloring book.

Use CorelDraw, AutoCAD, Draftsight, Inkscape & the list goes on & on . . .

Bring the picture in & use the TOOLS within the program to create lines as if you were tracing.

Use the Bezier Curve Tool around contours. Different programs have different tool names but they all do the same things.

Steve

[btburn]

I am a long way off from the knowledgeable one, but I can offer what I have learned.

The theory of the magic program that will trace a picture for you is just that.

What I have gathered from some of the people that seem to have the cleanest "traces" are those that actually trace.

I don't mean attempt to follow lines with your mouse like a kid traces out of a coloring book.

Use CorelDraw, AutoCAD, Draftsight, Inkscape & the list goes on & on . . .

Bring the picture in & use the TOOLS withing the program to create lines as if you were tracing.

Use the Bezier Curve Tool around contours. Different programs have different tool names but they all do the same things.

Steve

I don't expect a cut ready trace by any means but would like to learn a better way than using the bezier tool for everything.

[CNCCAJUN]

That is pretty much how it is done . . .

I have watched videos until I can't sit anymore.

Everyone always takes you back to the tools within the program to do a TRACE . . .

If you find a better way, please share . . . because I am very slow at the process . . .

Some of these posted DXFs you see have 4 to 6 hours in them . . .

Steve

[beefy]

I know it's a kick in the goolies but I'm in agreement with Steve.

Do a search on this forum and any other related forums and if you can find anyone who has been able to use auto tracing to get cut ready vector files from bitmap images, show us the thread. It's a very old question and anyone experienced in this game gives the same answer:

Learn to manually trace.

Software hasn't got a clue about where is the ideal place for a plasma cut line. It simply looks at variations in colour and attempts to work out where there is a definite separation between two colours, then it puts a line there. Unless the bitmap is already high contrast and that contrast is where you want the cut lines, you'll more often than not get results far from what you'd like.

The answer to this question always seems to add that you'll spend more time fixing up an auto trace than the time you'd spent just drawing it from scratch. You often end up with squiggly lines and all sorts of garbage that is just a time sapping pain if you attempt to fix it up. With manual tracing you end up with clean lines and curves, exactly where you want them, first time. You also have very few nodes whereas an auto trace can easily go into 4 figures.

Youtube, Google, paid courses, and putting the time into learning them are your best attack. People do things in their preferred way but I use the bezier tool to put nodes/lines where I want them, then use the shape tool to convert to curves, modify the nodes, shape the curves, etc. Can't really be shown in forum posts. I learnt from videos and Youtube has quite a few.

Good luck.

[muzza]

Pretty much as above but I never use the Bezier tool, mostly the Polyline and sometimes the Freehand tools if using the mouse and mostly Freehand tool if using the tablet.

I do adjust the image brightness and contrast a bit as well as tint and saturation in the image adjustment lab and do the trace on a second layer.
Murray

[btburn]

[quote="muzza"

I do adjust the image brightness and contrast a bit as well as tint and saturation in the image adjustment lab and do the trace on a second layer.
Murray[/quote]

This is what I need. How to I adjust the image so that it is pretty much black and white like how people make pumpkin patterns for jack-o-lanterns. I don't mind the bezier and don't expect auto trace to work. If I could adjust the image it would be easier the trace. I've played around with the gray scale, black and white and duo tone adjustments with little luck.

[littlefatbuddy]

I use X6 and do all the things listed above. I will usually convert the picture to a higher resolution bitmap, then pull the original color photo to the side to have for a quick reference. Then I manually trace on the bitmap. It seems to work the best for me.

[btburn]

I use X6 and do all the things listed above. I will usually convert the picture to a higher resolution bitmap, then pull the original color photo to the side to have for a quick reference. Then I manually trace on the bitmap. It seems to work the best for me.

Thanks, muzza and littlefatbuddy. I'll try that next time i have a while to fill around with corel

[CNCCAJUN]

After asking the same question as the original poster several times, I too came to the realization that a form of trace was the only method available that produces the desired results.

It surely is not what we want to hear.

But it is the only way . . . Cleanup of auto traces for the most part is more time consuming than a manual trace.

The best videos on line that I have found were produced by the guys @ Arclight & Steve Goode the Scrollsaw Guy . . .

Run (2) monitors, tutorial video on one side your Corel on the other and follow along. It does work.

Also do not forget Draftsight . . . one of the forum members that uses it for trace produces the most accurate traces on the forum, "hands down" . . . he does a lot of vehicles . . .

Steve

P.S. Hopefully someone will prove me wrong and give me the name of the MAGIC software we are all seeking . . .

[muzza]

[quote="muzza"

I do adjust the image brightness and contrast a bit as well as tint and saturation in the image adjustment lab and do the trace on a second layer.
Murray

This is what I need. How to I adjust the image so that it is pretty much black and white like how people make pumpkin patterns for jack-o-lanterns. I don't mind the bezier and don't expect auto trace to work. If I could adjust the image it would be easier the trace. I've played around with the gray scale, black and white and duo tone adjustments with little luck.[/quote]


I have traced over 400 cars often doing about 6 to 10 cars a week and what I find works best for me is in CorelDraw X5 go to "Bitmaps" and then "Image Adjsutment LAb" you can manually adjust the image to make the lines either more or less defined, normally more. It depends a bit on the image but what I generally do is
Not worry about temperature (unless it's way off like an old slide conversion)
adjust the tint down a bit
adjust the saturation up a bit
brightness down a bit
contrast up a bit
highlights, shaddows and midtones I usually don't alter
And then I select a new layer to do the actually trace on and I usually select either red or blue for the line so it contrasts. Being on a separate layer you can keep hiding the photo layer (poke it in the eye) so you can see how your going.
Not necessarily the right or only way but the way it works for me, just like my preference for the Polyline tool. I find it quicker and easier to just plot some node points, select all nodes, convert to curves and then manipulate lines to where I want them.
Have a play with the sliders and see what they do and find out what works best for you.
Murray

[btburn]

[quote="muzza"

I do adjust the image brightness and contrast a bit as well as tint and saturation in the image adjustment lab and do the trace on a second layer.
Murray

This is what I need. How to I adjust the image so that it is pretty much black and white like how people make pumpkin patterns for jack-o-lanterns. I don't mind the bezier and don't expect auto trace to work. If I could adjust the image it would be easier the trace. I've played around with the gray scale, black and white and duo tone adjustments with little luck.

I have traced over 400 cars often doing about 6 to 10 cars a week and what I find works best for me is in CorelDraw X5 go to "Bitmaps" and then "Image Adjsutment LAb" you can manually adjust the image to make the lines either more or less defined, normally more. It depends a bit on the image but what I generally do is
Not worry about temperature (unless it's way off like an old slide conversion)
adjust the tint down a bit
adjust the saturation up a bit
brightness down a bit
contrast up a bit
highlights, shaddows and midtones I usually don't alter
And then I select a new layer to do the actually trace on and I usually select either red or blue for the line so it contrasts. Being on a separate layer you can keep hiding the photo layer (poke it in the eye) so you can see how your going.
Not necessarily the right or only way but the way it works for me, just like my preference for the Polyline tool. I find it quicker and easier to just plot some node points, select all nodes, convert to curves and then manipulate lines to where I want them.
Have a play with the sliders and see what they do and find out what works best for you.
Murray[/quote]

Just tried it for a few minutes and that works a lot better than the Duotone scale cube thing. That will work better for me.
Thanks again everyone.

[WyoGreen]

For the second time on here today I've learned something new. What a great forum.

Thanks guys, Steve