Hi all,

So I am very new to all of this, and undertaking a project for my school.

I used the trace bitmap feature to vectorise my png image and it came out great! What I wished I had done was set the background to be removed and then went about repeating my steps, however my results were completely different, the lines were really thick and nowhere near as nice as the original trace. I used the original PNG to trace, but because I had closed Inkscape all of the trace bitmap settings had reverted to factory.
I have tried to read about this but keep coming up with nothing, so if anyone could help me that would be fab as I have to have the project completed by Monday

I have attached 3 images; the png, the first trace that I did, and the results from when I tried to replicate the trace.
I also included the setting that i used on the latest trace.


I hope I make sense and thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Could you upload your svg file so we can examine the differences?

Hi thanks for the quick reply, I was busy editing!
I'll try to post up the svg file tomorrow.

Any help on posting up the svg file would be helpful too

Thanks

Switch to 'Full editor and Preview' below the reply field. There's an Attachment option at the bottom then.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mqfg1jlz4hjk1 ... s.svg?dl=0


I hope that links ok! I'm not great at finding a svg image hoster so used dropbox

The image in the middle, that you've indicated is your first trace, is not a trace result. It's a PNG image.

I may have exported that one out, but it's what I got from the first time I did the trace. Because it was exported as a PNG and I want to remove the background, it is where I am stumped, as now I cannot get it as good as the first time

If you look at the status bar, it will tell you what kind of object is selected. When I select the image on the left and again when I select the image in the middle, it says "Image......". When I select the image on the right, it says "Group of....".

The image in the middle is a PNG image, and not a trace result. If you had used Edit menu > Make a Bitmap Copy, on the trace result, that would create a PNG, but the trace result would still be underneath. And I don't see anything underneath.

However, if I select the trace result on the right, and do Make a Bitmap Copy, the result is very similar to the middle image. So if there ever was a trace result for the middle image, it likely was very similar to the trace result on the right.

I can get slightly better results by using only 40 scans, instead of 256, also by checking Remove Background and unchecking Smooth. (Although I'm only guessing what you consider "better" by comparing to the PNG that you like.) Might get even better with even fewer scans, since there aren't very many colors in the image. With only 10 scans, the result is very similar to 40 scans, except the pink in the mouth is lost. Maybe try 20??

The problem with Remove Background is that it removes everything that's white. So the white part of the eyes gets removed too. You could fix that by just putting a small white rectangle behind the Group of 90 (and group them together). Although that's a kind of sloppy solution, and not knowing what your goal is for this drawing, I'm not sure if that would be appropriate. What will you be doing with the vector version, when you get it how you want?

Or you could use a raster graphics editor and change the color of the eyes first. Then after the trace, with background removed, change the eyes back to white.

I've never tried this, but I've heard that trace results can be improved by using a very large original. So if you have any larger version (or higher resolution), that might help.

Btw., your image makes me think of these: http://lpc.opengameart.org/static/lpc-s ... ssets.html , @harleyquinn.

@Brynn Hi, thanks that's really useful stuff, so yeah I did the first trace and then exported it as a PNG, without saving it as a svg file first, because imma idiot!

I think I've used a work around, as they are going to be superheros to symbolise my schools 9 learning goals, to make them easier for the children to remember. So I have taken the PNG files that I had exported out (without saving the svg file) and draw the costumes that the children designed over the top and they look pretty good, except there is not a transparent background for the 'base' body. I only have until Monday to get these all finished as we are rollign these out across the whole school then! Not too much pressure on top of my normal teacher duties eh! :/

But if we can put them on white backgrounds first i can always fiddle around with them later

So if I saved these out as a bitmap copy would they be a little tidier and neater, like the middle image?

@Moini yeah they are quite similar! I planned my design process around making really really really big sprites that i could 'dress up' later.

Thanks so much for your help!

So if I saved these out as a bitmap copy would they be a little tidier and neater, like the middle image?

Yes, it smooths them out a little.