Please Help Me Find a Tutorial . . .

[dmurray407]

Hi all! I'm new to SCAL and this forum. I am fairly comfortable creating objects in Photoshop and would like to be able to use them in SCAL. I'm thinking of simple shapes like a 5 petal card to start. I'm sure that there is a tutorial here somewhere that can teach me how to convert an image to an .svg file. There is so much information here, I just thought it would be easier to ask. I did a search for "photoshop" and came up with lots of threads-am I correct in assuming that I need to use Inkscape to autotrace a shape created in photoshop? I've played around with Inkscape some (OK, I spent one evening with it so far . . .), but am far from proficient at using it.
Thank you-and thank you for your patience becauase I'm sure this question has been asked a zillion times before
Deb

[papasue]

You will need to download INKSCAPE, a free program, to do what you want which is to convert files like jpg's and png's to use in SCAL to cut.

I have some tutorials on my blog that will help you with photoshop to Inkscape to SCAL.

See

Start with Trace Bitmap http://papasuecreative.blogspot.com/sea ... e%20Bitmap

and then find

Breaking apart

Under tutorials for your first go.

Let me know if you are successful.

susan

[lkc]

Could check out http://www.svgfactory.com/ for converting files. Free utility to export SVG files from most drawing programs.


SVG Factory
The SVG Factory is a free utility that allows almost any Windows drawing or graphics program to export SVG and SVGZ files. It can also be used as a metafile (WMF) to SVG converter.

How It Works

In your favorite Windows graphics program, copy an image to the clipboard. Then, paste the image into the SVG Factory. Now you will be able to save the image as an SVG file. That's all there is to it!



Laura

[dmurray407]

Wow! That sounds really easy-I'll check it out!
Thanks!
Deb

[firstcut]

Laura,
I've used this in the past to convert old wmf clipart to svgs but that was vector art to begin with. Looking at the docs online it doesn't say anything about whether or not it is tracing the bmps it converts to svgs. Have you tried this because if it works this would be a great alternative for windows users, but I don't understand how it is tracing without any user input.

Deb,
What you need for SCAL is vectors, so when you are working in photohop try to use paths for exporting and you can skip the autotrace step in Inkscape. (You don't by any chance have illustrator, too, do you, because it can import PS paths and output SVGS). Copying paths to the clipboard might also work to get a vector svg out of svgfactory if just copying the bitmap image doesn't work.

[firstcut]

Another option for something simple like this would be to use a web app like aviary.com's raven that can save as svg. Nothing to load on your computer and a Photoshop pro should have a short learning curve on it.

[papasue]

Kay, won't you still need Inkscape to do clean up? Just having an .svg file may not make it cutable in SCAL or can you do the clean up and separating in that program? Just a bit of clarification.

[lkc]

I was thinking svg factory would work for her because she is creating objects...I can convert objects I make in Print Shop so figured it would be worth a shot for her application.

Laura

[firstcut]

laura,
That's good thinking but Objects she paints i photoshop will be bitmapped, unfortunately, unless she exports paths to illustrator or autotraces them.
What I found interesting, though, was that the svgfactory docs say that it can make svgs from bmp clipboard material, yet it never says anything about tracing. I am wondering if it converts bitmaps to vectors (a fairly sophisticated operation) or if it just embeds bitmaps in an svg (no big deal and you will get the red x).
What happens if you use a printshop image that is clearly a bitmap, like a photo and not clip art?

[lkc]

Ummm, nothing happens...it's just an empty shell in scal and when I saved a bmp image in svg factory that was not clipart (one I've taken into inkscape before and autotraced) inkscape line at bottom of page said "image with bad reference" and gave an empty screen . I've always taken pics into inkscape and traced there...so I'm guessing it's just the clipart designs saved in bmp format that it can trace? I'll have to look for some of my bmp clipart and see how it does...I love ease of inkscape...and as someone earlier asked it seems a lot of images need cleaned up in inkscape to eliminate extra and unnecessary nodes and smooth out.