How do you Vectorise an image?

[Skykid]

I've noticed some game scans (like arcade POP etc) is often referred to as 'vectorised' so that the resolution can be increased massively.

I would love to know which program I need to convert standard images into vectorised versions without altering the original look too much, and how difficult a process this is?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[Ed Oscuro]

Arcade POP?

I imagine you'd try (and assume you mean) tracing over a bitmapped image in Adobe Illustrator or something similar. It's tough and imprecise (especially when there's more than a few solid colors), so you really shouldn't bother.

[subcons]

I'm not quite sure what you're referring to (Arcade POP?). I use Illustrator a lot and it's not like an automatic process properly vectorizing something. You can somewhat automate things in conjunction with Photoshop and Live Trace in Illustrator, but that never looks as good as going over it by hand. Once you have something vectorized though, it can be blown up as big as you want because your image is being drawn with equations instead of pixels.

Is there something specific you have in mind that you want vectorized?

EDIT: Okay, is this what you're referring to: pop | arcade? And I'd imagine they're websites they build like this one: New Super Mario Bros.?

Those graphics aren't just automatically converted. A rather talented vector artist goes in and makes those graphics, either in Illustrator or, more likely, in Flash. At least that's the impression I get from looking at it.

[Ozymandiaz1260]

I'm not quite sure what you're referring to (Arcade POP?).

A big-ass cardboard marquee.

[subcons]

A big-ass cardboard marquee.

Oh. Well, same thing applies if that's the case. It's being drawn by someone in an app like Illustrator by hand if it's any good.

[moonblood]

I do this quite a bit where I work, we use a combination of Corel draw, illustrator and photoshop... Corel is really nice and fast to draw in

[Skykid]

I see, thanks for the information.

So Corel draw draws in vectors?

It's difficult to explain, there's a possibility I've mis-understood slighty in regards to the 'vectorising' of images.

We've established its not an 'automated' process, which is a shame (but wishful thinking I'm sure!)

For instance, here is a page containing vectorised art for original Arcade marquees.

http://www.localarcade.com/arcade_art/c ... p?cat_id=4

What interests me is how accurate the images are to the originals - they appear almost identical, despite that they've been vectorised so they can be printed at full resolutions.

This is why I thought there might be some automation (especially as this site has Cabinet side-art: if you look at the rolling thunder (or download it) it's actually full size, with no loss of quality!

So did someone actually trace these in illustrator, by hand?!

[it290]

Yep, Corel Draw (not Paint) is a vector app. Others include Illustrator, Freehand (sadly no longer with us), Xara, and Inkscape.

In many cases, yes, things are hand traced, although Live Trace and other raster->vector tools have actually gotten a lot better over the years. If you have something with relatively simple shapes it works pretty well, it just fails badly on highly detailed/photographic images. The main thing to keep in mind is that you need a pretty hi res file to start with, or else the results will be crap.

As far as hand tracing goes, it really doesn't take long to do a hand trace of fairly simple graphic artwork like the art in most of the marquees you've posted; it's actually more time-consuming by far to ensure the accuracy of geometric shapes like letterforms.

[captain ahar]

it would be pretty effective to do a combination of both as well (only experience is with illustrator ). particularly with very defined art like the marquees. you could set your parameters well enough that you get a base that you can adjust later on, cut some of the brunt force work out of it.

[Skykid]

Thanks guys, some interesting programs there and you've helped me understand how those graphics have been done. I still think some of the tracing on the cab art is stunning (particularly the Rolling Thunder) and despite being very experienced I'm not sure I'm up to that.

I was actually interested in vectorising some of my own ink illustrations, so I can colour them and then blow them up ad-infinitum.

I'll take a look into some of the programs though - thanks again!

[captain ahar]

one time i did a really decent vector drawing of a bee (in between DDP sessions in class ). lost the file by now though.

[ROBOTRON]

I used Ulead products. Ulead Cool 3D has a vectorizing function that I used recently for someone here to help clean up an image. I forgot what shmup it was for though.

[it290]

I was actually interested in vectorising some of my own ink illustrations, so I can colour them and then blow them up ad-infinitum.

Ink illustrations are actually one of the things that vectorize really well, although you could always do a hi-res scan of it and just use that for coloring.. unless you're going gigantic 1200dpi should be more than enough for anything (depending on the size of the original art). Might be more convenient that way because you will probably want to do the coloring in Photoshop anyway (although you can do it in Illustrator w/gradient meshes, it's much more complicated).

If you want a free command-line tool to play with, check out Autotrace. I actually prefer it to Live Trace in some situations because it allows more control over the output (for instance, you can tell it to output all shapes as triangles, which is a cool effect).

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Here is a great service.

http://vectormagic.com/

Basically vectors are not shapes. The art programs that call them such are wrong and piss me off. Vectors are a magnitude and a direction. From these magnitudes and directions we get polygons. These polygons are vector based shapes. They can be scaled and manipulated without any loss in detail. That said they cannot have the detail that a bitmaped image has. When you "vectorize" a bitmapped image the computer simply takes blotches of color and makes polygons that fit somewhat. Since the points that define polygons have no width or length scaling them doesn't affect the polygons in a vector image. So you are just taking a bitmapped image and letting the computer try to make some rough polygons that sort of fit your initial image. These polygons may lack detail, but they can now be scaled cleanly at any level.

Hope I have helped a bit.

[it290]

A bitmap image is just a bunch of tiny little square polygons.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

A bitmap image is just a bunch of tiny little square polygons.

Well not compleatly. More like a position and a color mapped to that position. Our displays have square pixels so they take on square looking apparences. In theroy you could have bitmaps on a display with say hexagonal elements.

[Ed Oscuro]

And on a silkscreen print you have another setup entirely (halftone) for laying down colors.

If you just wanted to trace the logo (like the words Alcon, Doh, or Rolling Thunder) that shouldn't give much trouble. If you have Illustrator it might be worth it to use that program's automated process to try converting it; doesn't take too long and would be a good way to get started.

[Ex-Cyber]

A bitmap image is just a bunch of tiny little square polygons.

That's one way to render or model them. Pixels are essentially samples of an image; they don't represent tiny square polygons any more than a .WAV file represents tiny quantized musical notes.

[Skykid]

Ink illustrations are actually one of the things that vectorize really well, although you could always do a hi-res scan of it and just use that for coloring..

I've always gone the way of scanning in the past and colouring directly in Photoshop, but I'd like to vectorise the image so I can play with the sizing more afterwards, and get some bolder, more solid lines than those of the original ink pen (which look a little weedy for what I'm trying to accomplish.)

For instance, Tokyotoys.com have that monkey mascot - I'm sure the illustrations of him are done with Vectors - that kind of clean look is what I'm going for.

[Lordstar]

The way a vector works (or so im told) is it is measurments and caluclations rather than build up of pixles. Sign writers use them as do I with my tee shirts. Since we often need an image many times larger than what a meer jpg can do. I use them so i can break them down in to lines (or the bones of the graphic) so My plotter cutter can read them for making tees. We have a chick in china who does it for us. Theres a tutorial on how to do it in Corel X3. I should learn but im too busy to really stop and do it

REALLY THOUGH! my best advise would be to check out the vectorizing guide in corel X3. its pricey but you can just buy the student package for about 60-80GBP or DL from various places

[subcons]

Start Googling words like “ink,” “drawing,” and “tutorial” along with the name of whatever program you choose to use. There is a wealth of information out there that can better explain the process than we can convey to you here on the boards.

Good luck with it. If you already draw by hand, you'll probably take to it pretty well. It does take practice though.

[it290]

I've always gone the way of scanning in the past and colouring directly in Photoshop, but I'd like to vectorise the image so I can play with the sizing more afterwards, and get some bolder, more solid lines than those of the original ink pen (which look a little weedy for what I'm trying to accomplish.)

For instance, Tokyotoys.com have that monkey mascot - I'm sure the illustrations of him are done with Vectors - that kind of clean look is what I'm going for. Wink

Well, one thing you can play around with is Live Trace (in Illustrator) with the stroke option turned on-- that means everything will be rendered as lines and you can change the brush, etc. to give it a different appearance. However, that probably won't give you the quality of line you want and often looks a bit cheesy. A better option would be to use Live Trace in fill mode, turn on 'ignore white' and play with the sliders until you get a fairly good looking shape with a small number of points on the curve. One general rule of thumb with Bezier curves is that you want to use as few points/nodes as possible to produce the shape you're going for. This makes editing much easier and also reduces the chance of unsightly bumps or flat spots.

That's one way to render or model them. Pixels are essentially samples of an image; they don't represent tiny square polygons any more than a .WAV file represents tiny quantized musical notes.

Just a lame attempt at computer graphics humor.. I tend to tell people that since you can theoretically blow a bitmap up to any size 'without any loss in detail' as well, you'll just end up with a lot of really large squares.