Hello all,
I am very new at this and have read alot of good things about this software. I am learning. I want to trace this item and others like it for vinyl cutting. I just want the outside traced. When I try trace bitmap it traces EVERYTHING. Once again, I just want the outline traced.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/warm_water_fishing/Walleye.gif

I tried to attach my actual .svg but do not think I can. Can I??

Thanks for any help!!
Russ

Well, in the trace bitmap options, modify the Brightness cutoff value to something really high (I would suggest 0.9 ... or even 0.99 ... just try not going over 0.996) What we want is to have the whole thing be black or "traced", use the Update preview button and if you see a totally black fish, then thats good and hit the OK button.

Now you should have a new black shape above the imported image, select it and give it an outline colour (shift + click one of the colours on the bottom pallette) and give it a white fill (or whatever your heart desires). And there you have it, an outline of that image.

If you want, you can also simplify the outline a little by selecting the shape and going to Path -> Simplify (or Ctrl + L), however it might distort the outline a little bit.

Thanks for the reply zials. It worked!! Now I have alot of playing around to do. This should be fun.

As for learning this program. I see the help menu seems good. Also this website is great!! What do some of you suggest is a good way for me to learn the program on my own. Inkscape seems like a program with endless possibilities. I am pretty green with this type of design and want to learn more.
Thanks again.

woooooow , i tried that trace technique it's awesome , that was the most freakin fast tracing operation i've ever made ,
and got a very good path after one simplify operation

i've tried it , it's good , but need some more features
i've submitted an issue to the site , there is some weird output when i run from terminal

Hello,
1 more thing. What is the easiest way or the best way to modfiy Text? Lets say I type something in text. How can I change the look of it like make it show or flow as a wave or as the shape of a U or things like this? I hope this makes sense. Mainly just dont want a straight word or statement.
Thanks

Mhmm, using the text-along-path feature would be best suited for that. Here's what y'have to do:

1. Create text with the text tool
2. Create a path with the bezier curve tool or the pencil tool.
3. Select both the text and the path (click on the text and then shift + click on the path)
4. Go to Text -> Put on Path
5. That should do it

If you want to, you can still edit the text (select the text tool and click on the text). You can also modify the path with the node editor tool, so have a blast!
As for learning the program more, try some tutorials (there's plenty of info on the Inkscape-Resources section of the forums)

Thanks alot!! I will give this a try!!!

Hello,
I have another question. As I insert a Bitmap (with text) I trace it. This becomes a path. I want to modify or move, etc only parts of this path. What I have tried is the "break apart" option. This works but my text gets screwed up. The letters with enclosed cirles inside(e, a, o, b, etc.) are filled in How can I prevent this from happening? Or should I be doing something differant??

Thanks for any help.
Russ

That's because some letters (those with holes inside them) are composed of 2 paths.

When you get the tracing and break it apart, select the letters together with their holes and do Path > Combine. You can do it for all the letters at once which will combine it into one path, or do it one hollow letter at the time so each letter will be an independent path.

You guys are GOOD
Thanks alot.

Russ