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Author Topic: Easy fix for bad clip art
Don Coplen
Resident


Member # 127

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I stumbled across a way to clean up bad clip art today! we've all had to deal with clip art that used hundreds of nodes to make a simple straight line. here's a simple way to get rid of those extra nodes (keep in mind that i'm using a mac and on a pc it will be different, but the same idea should work for any platform).

1. export/convert the vector clip art into a bitmap. on a mac, using illustrator, i convert to a pict file, which is the quickest way to convert to bitmap.
2. open the converted bitmap into streamline ( or any vector conversion program)
3. i set the threshold in streamline to 50 and then convert the art to vectors.

it's that simple, this can reduce the node count by 1/4 or less!

hope this helps somebody

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Don Coplen aka GatorMac
Coplen Designs
St.Petersburg, FL dcoplen@mindspring.com


Posts: 4084 | From: ... | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
old paint
Visitor
Member # 549

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don ..iuse streamline all the time had version 3 now got 4..and i just scan it and convert....or ill scan it, save as a gif reprint from corel in a larger size then scan that one and convert...luv streamline...iam on a PC....and its the scan module for SIGN WIZARD.....
old paint
joe

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joe pribish-A SIGN MINT
6050 mobile hwy
pensacola, fl 32526
850-944-5060

[This message has been edited by old paint (edited February 12, 2000).]


Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Stephen Deveau
Visitor
Member # 1305

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Were does one get a copy of streamline is it a shareware program or for sale???

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Raven/2000
Airbrushed by Raven
Lower sackville N.S.
deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca


Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
JC Engraving and Signs
Visitor
Member # 180

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Hi
There's also a program called freehand that has a built in node reducer that is great, takes your .AI files (can't remember the rest of files it uses at this minute)straight in and all you do is choose the tool node reducer and it lets you reduce as many as you want. Real easy, fast clean up. It's a good program with many extras that are fast and easy to use. This isn't a plug for freehand just happen to like it's extra tools.

JC

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JC
Judy Congrove
JC Engraving and Signs
Ontario, OR

engrave@cmc.net


Posts: 67 | From: Ontario, OR 97914 US | Registered: Jan 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Tim Whitcher
Visitor
Member # 685

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In Casmate Inspire, you scan the image, click, and the image is automaticly vectorized using the minimum number of points necessary per line (and you can also select all corners to be squared, if you're dealing with a geometrical image). It's that easy. You can even vectorize by color, if your image is composed of various spot colors (although the results depend on the quality of the original art).

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Tim Whitcher
Quality Signs & Design
107 E Adrian St
Blissfield, MI 49228
qualitysigns@hotmail.com


Posts: 1546 | From: Adrian, MI | Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Bill Modzel
Resident


Member # 22

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It seems that your doing a bit of backstepping here. Vector to bitmap and back to vector? I have been using Streamline since 1990 and although its a great program, there is still a fair amount of editing you have to do to get a perfect image.
There is a new tool in the Illustrator 8 package that is THE tool for eliminating nodes. It is bundled with the pencil tool and looks like a pencil with barber pole stripes. Just stroke it over the segment you want to simplify and their gone. I use it exclusively to clean up images AFTER they've been Streamlined. Give it a try.

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Bill Modzel
Mod-Zel screen Printing
Traverse city, MI
modz@traverse.com


Posts: 1356 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dave Sherby
Resident


Member # 698

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There is also an Adobe Illustrator filter called Smart Remove Points that takes out most extra points with the click of the mouse. I tried to call the company but it looks like they are out of business. I believe I got it as freeware or a free bundle anyway so I could send it to anyone interested. Its for the Mac version of Illustrator.

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Dave Sherby
"Sandman"
SherWood Sign & Graphic Design
Crystal Falls, MI 49920
906-875-6201
ICQ: 21604027
sherwood@up.net


Posts: 5396 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Andy
Visitor
Member # 663

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For signlab users
its even easier

Under node edit
hold Ctrl key down & select a node (selects all nodes) Shift U (deselects every second node) then delete (instantly you have only half the nodes & you can do it as many times as you like)*Shift select to keep important nodes you dont want to lose

Andy
from Oz

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Posts: 33 | From: Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia | Registered: Mar 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Bob Darnell
Visitor
Member # 27

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I've used this technique for quite a while now, and it really comes in handy. Yes, it's going from vector to bitmap and back to vector again, but there is a purpose.

A lot of clip-art out there is full colour and was created with-out regard for cutable shapes. A lot of overlapping weird shapes underneath to fill in sections with coulour and so forth. I select all the colours and blends and turn the graphic into a black and white vector graphic. If you go into wireframe, you'll see tons of lines everywhere that you don't want and can be a real pain to eliminate. When you export it to a bitmap with a high resolution, Streamline does a fantasic job of tracing it. Unlike scanning a piece of clipart, there is no "noise" created from the scanner determining what is black and what is white. This makes it very clean when you trace it.

I've also used this technique on occasion when welding a ton of complicated shapes and the software doesn't like how many nodes are in the shape. Inner shapes drop out and disappear, or you get a message saying there are too many nodes in the shape. You undo, make sure the shapes are black and white just like how you want to see them when you cut, convert to high-res bitmap, trace and re-import. Viola.

I believe I learned of this techinique right here on this website from a post by Mike Jackson... I think.

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Bob Darnell
London, Ontario, Canada
_______________________
bob.darnell@home.com
Online Portfolio available at: www.members.home.net/bob.darnell



Posts: 595 | From: London, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Dec 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Sarah Clark
Deceased


Member # 413

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Ill second the post on Freehand. It has as good a trace as Streamline and you can reduce nodes any amount you want. Course it would be cheaper to buy Steamline than Freehand8. You might find Freehand 7 for very reasonable tho. You can also cut directly from Freehand.

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S. Clark
Clark Signs (retired)
Compton, Arkansas
sasc@alltel.net
http://members.xoom.com/sclark/


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Graham Hodge
Visitor
Member # 168

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Good one. I used to print the clipart and re-scan.vectorise. Signlab users can do it all within Signlab by importing clipart, converting to .bmp import back and vectorise.

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Gray Hodge camriver@southcom.com.au
Cam River Signs
Somerset, Tasmania,
Down Under


Posts: 441 | From: Somerset, Tasmania | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
MKinIN
Visitor
Member # 279

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Stephen,

Adobe Streamline Ver.4.0 $124.95.
Publishing Perfection 1-800-827-7621. You might beable to get it cheaper someplace else. This is just where I got it.

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Matt Koerner
K-designs

kdesigns@dmrtc.net


Posts: 84 | From: Washington, IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Badges2
Visitor
Member # 1128

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For really messy complex images (a lot of the WMF variety) the vector-bitmap-vector route is the way to go. Don' forget to delete the used bitmaps as they tend to chew up a lot of disk space.
I use Corel V7 trace and Draw and one very usefull tool that I use a lot where there is a lot of unnecessary nodes is in Draw under the node edit tool. Open out the menu and there is what they call "Auto reduce curve". Just select all the nodes that look too dense and click this tool. You can do it multiple time and watch the node count reducing on the status line. You will eventually reach a limit where it will not reduce any more. Keep an eye on the curve whilst doin this so that it does not do anything too radical.

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Badges2 is Bob Wright from Bundy Badges Screenprinting & Dad to Katie (Kookaburra) located in Bundaberg Queensland Australia
(The land of OZ)


Posts: 69 | From: Bundaberg, Qld. Australia | Registered: Oct 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

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