OK. I'm on a MacMiniPPC with 1G RAM (OSX 10.5/InkScape .48). & 1st off! Inkscape, hands down, traces, the greatest, that ever lived! Wow! OK I'm trying to get the file size down and make it a little more easily interactive. I found good subjectmatter @ http://tavmjong.free.fr/blog/?p=79 & http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php ... avidhewitt & was wondering if this new tool would reduce the nodes, and thereby reduce file size and allow a better workflow, artwise, or was there already a feature in Inkscape, possibly. As far as stripping ID labels, XML prolog, and reducing precision, and not using any indentation, I am not too saavy. Is it possible to expound on that? (Maybe specify to a Mac user where and how to access those functions). & Is there a technique, whereby, I can trace, and then, trace that, at optimized settings, look to see how I like the result, and keep repeating until the image looks suitable with a reduced number of nodes? or is that already possible? Just reduce path tolerance? Thank you very much! Cheers!) Jason


PS My picture came out so nice compared to Ai and VectorMagic combined! Literally!

OK, enable ID stripping, strip XML prolog, set precision, and indentation is all found in the optimize svg save dialog! LOL & Try setting the tolerence up! Hello! A higher tolerence to paths means less nodes! LOL OK. I answered my own questions. Time to go experiment. Thank you very much! LOL Jason

Self. Thank you self. You were more than helpful. I'm sure I'll be asking a lot more of you as I test the limits of machine and man! LOL K. Cheers!) Jaso

OK. Now my questions are, what should the other requirements in the save as optimized SVG dialog be? I'm showing simplify colors, style to XML, group collapsing, embed rasters, keep editor data, & enable viewboxing. The latter 2 being deselected by default. I'm sure those defaults are checked/unchecked probably for good reason. Leave these settings as they are? And is there a way to keep the path tolerence low, or in the default range, but be able to reduce nodes strategerly? I'm leaning towards going in and manually removing/editing them. (even though I've never done that before in my life and already forsee that task, with my particular picture, as being a ginanymous chore). Is there a way to open a color pallete of all the colors in the image, select the color, and Inkscape correspondingly select all the paths/nodes associated with that color? Jaso


PS Will Inkscape ever want to port an Amiga OS version, make it a commercial version, reap the profits, and even rename the whole package Commodore (since they went under, IDK if that name is available, but it would be cool if it could be resurrected) with pictures on the box of a highly stylized Phoenix playing basket ball with the red and white logo ball and on the back of the box a picture of the phoenix blowing fire on the opponent's ball as it was making 2 points, and maybe even joining forces with Blender who may want to jump on the bandwagon helping facilitate the animation end?

Hi Jaso,
If I haven't already, I wanted to say Welcome to InkscapeForum!

It sounds like you're way ahead of me on this topic. But I wanted to make a couple of comments, and maybe a question or 2.
Although I can't seem to find the system requirements for Inkscape, in my experience, 1 gig RAM is really on the low end. Personally I would find it very hard to use Inkscape with that much RAM, unless all you do is like small icons and simple logos. But I think you wouldn't be looking to reduce file size, if that were the case. Any chance of adding some more RAM?

Beyond what's mentioned on the Help tab of the optimized SVG dialog, I don't know which settings would be best. So hopefully someone else can chime in on that.

There are a couple of more tools that you might experiment with though. And I would do this after the trace (ala Trace Bitmap) and before optimizing. First, Path menu > Simplify reduces the number of nodes. You MIGHT be able to get by using it ONCE. More than one click, and your paths will probably be deformed in an unacceptable way. One click might even be unacceptable, which is why I said "MIGHT" before, so get ready and stand by the Undo button! But it might work, depending on the image

Next, File menu > Vacuum Defs, and again, after the trace, before optimizing. Normally this removes unneeded data from the file, thereby reducing the size. However, I'm not sure if a freshly traced image would contain any unneeded data. But there's certainly no risk in trying it. It can't be undone, however, it only removes unused data, so no risk.

Is there a way to open a color pallete of all the colors in the image, select the color, and Inkscape correspondingly select all the paths/nodes associated with that color?

There is NOT a way to open a palette of only the colors used in the image. But you could create one. However, you can select everything using a certain color, and change it all at once, using Extensions menu > Color > Replace Color. And you don't need a palette for that. You just have to get the color code from the Fill and Stroke dialog, or the bottom left corner of the window, or maybe even using the color eyedropper tool ( ).

And is there a way to keep the path tolerence low, or in the default range, but be able to reduce nodes strategerly?

I don't know what you mean by "path tolerance". Would you please explain?

PS Will Inkscape ever want to port an Amiga OS version, make it a commercial version, reap the profits, and even rename the whole package Commodore (since they went under, IDK if that name is available, but it would be cool if it could be resurrected) with pictures on the box of a highly stylized Phoenix playing basket ball with the red and white logo ball and on the back of the box a picture of the phoenix blowing fire on the opponent's ball as it was making 2 points, and maybe even joining forces with Blender who may want to jump on the bandwagon helping facilitate the animation end?

This I'm guessing "no". But it sounds like a nice inspiration for a really cool image. Maybe this is your chance to jump right in there, and learn how to draw with Inkscape??

And finally, I just wanted to mention another tracing engine: http://www.roitsystems.com/cgi-bin/autotrace/tracer.pl I know you said you're happy with Inkscape's native tracer (Trace Bitmap), but this one does the tracing differently, and might work better on some images, than Inkscape. BOTH are excellent tools!! And also, this one has a centerline trace, which Inkscape does not. So just FYI

So hopefully I've answered some of your questions, and some of my suggestions will help. And also hopefully someone else can help on the optimizing dialog??
All best

Thank you very much!) You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman!

Yes. I am coming to grips with having to install more RAM. My best guesstimate would entail my purchasing an up to date MacMini with Intel inside, which comes already with 2 Gigs of RAM and is upgradable to 4 (if I'm not mistaken).

Oh? I didn't realize the HelpMenu contained documents pertaining to the optimize SVG dialog. I think since my Mac is in my room and not connected to the internet, that when I looked there once before and found it went straight to Safari, which was offline, that that was the reason I had to download (on my mom's PC which is connected) the Inkscape manual & transfer it to my machine via one flashdrive. I will check the manual again. It probably was there the whole time. If not, I'll try out this fresh download of .48 I got for my mom's PC (which is online) and see. (Her machine only has 760 MB's of RAM. Isn't that an oddball amount? LOL)

Yes, PathMenu>Simplify post-trace pre optimize, correct. I'll try that.

Wow! Vacuum Defs. I gotta follow up on that!

Oh? Okaay! ExtensionsMenu>Color>ReplaceColor with the eyedropper. I can figure that one out. But, does that allow one to select the paths of that color? Or does InkScape even assign traced paths to colors?

Path Tolerance. Yes. I was simply refering to the Optimize paths Tolerance setting under the Options tab of the Trace Bitmap dialog. I'm pretty sure the higher the setting, the lower the nodes. I'll be experimenting with that too and let you know if necessary.

Yes. I programmed my C64 to make the smiley face and even used the "KoalaPad" back in the 80's, not to mention DeluxePaint III & IV on the Amiga in the 90's. So, I think I should be able to adapt to the more advanced features InkScape provideth. LOL It's so intuative a child can do it and so advanced, I think it (in conjunction with the Gimp) will be able to produce commercial results surpassing expensive software on the market now.

Whoa! A new and better tracing option! This should be interesting. Thank you.

OK! Thank you for the Basics, Tutorials, and ExternalLinks. I will be sponging those as well. And thank you for helping me out. I was wondering who was going to be able answer some of these tough questions. I can't wait to check out all these wizardries and gadgetries and perhaps begin a dialog with SUV.

K. Thanks again Brynn. Keep keepin it real. I'll be here plugging away. Cheers!)

Jaso

K. PathMenu>Simplify produced some anomalies.

Vacuum Defs must not have pertained to any spare information therin.

And the Optimize settings (I found online @ http://tavmjong.free.fr/blog/?p=79) created a fingerpaint looking figure.

I am simply going to stick with the large file size & get busy working with my nodes now. Laters. Jaso