Help with converting Photos

[Chris Linetty]

I've seen on this website how some have the ability to take an image (photo) of a car, motorcycle or person and use a program to covert it to plasma cut. Can anyone out there share with me the process or program used? I'm currently using inkscape as design software. Thanks.

[motoguy]

Coreldraw has a trace function. Programs like Vextractor or Vector Magic can be used to trace images. I think Inkscape has a trace function, as well.

Ultimately, I think you'll find the automatic/program trace functionality to be very basic and limited. For anything of any complexity (ie, much more than a sharp black and white image), a hand trace seems to yield the best results. The really excellent traces (such as Ben DeLappe) are hand-traced.

You can google the above program names (with the word trace) go get some videos and tutorials on tracing with each program.

Here is a black and white drawing:

Here is that drawing, after running through Vector Magic:

factorystock.svg

(92.3 KiB) Downloaded 87 times

At first glance, it looks like a good output. Upon further examination, though, you'll find tons of open lines, jagged edges, details that are "mushed" together, etc. Of course, in addition, this file would have a TON of drop outs. As a matter of fact, everything inside the perimeter outline would drop out. This file would need a lot of clean-up work to be cut ready. By the time all the clean up work is done, would you be better off just starting from a hand-trace, to highlight the details you want, and drop the details you don't? To plan out your lines to get rid of drops, plan cuts, etc?

Maybe. Maybe not. I guess it depends on your attention to detail, and desired outcome. I'm OCD enough that a many of these details in the trace would drive me crazy. I think I'd rather just take the time to trace it by hand. Which is why, even though I just created this SVG, I won't take the time to make it cut worthy.

The pros, like Ben, may have a happy medium. They may create a rough foundation like this with a tool, then clean it up by hand. I don't know. With my meager skills, I think I'd just be time ahead to start out by hand.

[motoguy]

As a matter of fact, here's a recent thread highlighting exactly what I'm talking about:

http://www.plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=21082

[Chris Linetty]

Thanks for the information. When you say hand trace are you referring to using a stylus or something to trace off a printed image? Sorry, still pretty green on this design work.

Thanks again.

[tnbndr]

I "hand trace" with my mouse using lines, arcs, circles , etc in my CAD program by importing the pic or photo and tracing over the top of it.

[muzza]

A stylus performs basically the same task as the mouse, you just need to use the matching pad also with the stylus so the plot point is relevant to the stylus position. Whether you are using a stylus or mouse it is all down to software and operator. I use both to manually trace over an image which I find far quicker than any autotrace program I have used to trace and correct for all but the cleanest 2 color images.
Murray