Illustrator :: Use Layer Reference Without Altering It (tracing Woes)
Mar 9, 2013
I'm doing a LOT of tracing of raster files on illustrator. After using the image trace function to vectorize a raster file, I further edit the vector. I select the vector file, place the raster file I will trace from on top, and begin to erase sections of the vector that don't line up with the raster file. The problem I'm encountering is that I have to hide the raster layer (the one I'm tracing from) each time I want to add (paint) to the vector. Is there a way I can paint on the vector without hiding (or effecting) the topmost raster layer?
I'm working on a large infrastructure project with numerous of drawings. On quite a few layout drawings I need to have the same base set of references, however I need to change the layer settings (colors, lineweight etc.). This cannot be done in the base reference itself as it is used by others. As the layouts I work with includes other references as well, it is time consuming to filter and change layer settings on each base reference.
My concept is to have a master reference file to manage all layer settings and add/remove base references. When the master reference is referenced into the layout, all layer settings on the base references should stay as set in the master reference. In this way I can easily control all base references with one file and make sure all changes will be the same for all the layouts.
I have a composition made up of 3 layers. Two text layers and one vector shape as an AI file. I would like the shape to spin on the Y axis (which requires 3d to be selected) - but when I select the 3D checkbox on the shape layer, the entire composition (text included) rotates 90 on the X axis. So effectively selecting 3D makes the whole composition flat so the starting point is altered.
I am trying to do some pixel art. what i want to do is take my concept art which is pretty good size and make a video game sprite over the top of it. So i would need to have a background image which is large and a foreground that is WAY SMALLER but lines up with it.
I've imported a png of a simple black drawing on a man (Like you get on a toilet door) with a transparent background and tried to trace it to a vector but I can not get rid of the white background. i've tried it as a jpeg to see if the trace command would generate two layers one for the main drawing and one for the background that I could delete, but it di dnot. I tried setting the Trace fuction to just outline but that did nto work either.
how to get rid of the background when tracing a simple image or break apart the object to get at the background shape?
I have an assignment for school where I am suppose to trace an eagle onto another layer. However the image disappears while I am trying to trace it. Is this some sort of setting that I need to change?
I have created a path with multiple strokes, which differ in weight and color. I can save that as a profile but it's really tedious if I want to alter the different colors and stroke weights.
I can't seem to do record an action which will automatically alter those parameters (f.ex. raise each strokeweight by 10pt.). All I get is just an action that will recreate the altered state during recording (f.ex. stroke weights 20, 10 >--Action--> 15, 5). I cannot start the action and raise or lower my stroke weights at once based on the current parameters.
I've used image trace to trace the outline of a street grid and expanded the trace into paths. However, after doing so, I realized I wanted the streets a bit thicker, so I increased the stroke value.
Is there a way to adjust the old paths to match the new outline? I tried saving it as a .jpg and retracing but the quality was subpar. Any way to "redo" the trace in the original file, or somehow tell Illustrator to move the paths to match the increased stroke? I need them to coincide once more with the edges of the streets. URL...
In CS5 there was an option to use the Live Paint Bucket on a newly traced image and there were also gap options to close gaps when doing this. I do not see these options in CS6. Where are they?
I use Illustrator CC.I have made a custom Image Tracing Preset and want to use it on a folder containing a sequence of pictures I want all to vectorize automatically. Programming an Action isn't an option as the Action recorder doesn't record which tracing preset is used for image tracing. I found I can use the pre-installed Image Tracing Script [URL] in which I only need to specify the correct number of the Image Tracing Preset. And that became a big problem.
I have a pen sketch scanned with resolution ~ 7000x5000px 300DPI. When I'm trying to trace the whole image with Illustrator CS6 into b/w, I am losing details overall. Example is on the left side. It's just part of the image.
However, when I tried to isolate a couple small raster pictures from the big one and trace them separately, I got pretty good results comparing to tracing a whole picture. The isolated images are with resolution ~700x800px 300DPI.
The problem is that I can't isolate all elements in sketch then combine after tracing, it's hell lot of work. So my hope is that there is some technique of tracing big images.
i want to do some scanning of drawings of rubble masonry wall in section export it as a dwg file in autocad, and then work and modify in autocad. However when i use the live trace command, the trace is wrongly done. for example there is a straight line having thickness 2 mm.
illustrator traces it as a rectangle having a width 2 mm. what should i do so that a closed circle sketched on a paper scanned into illustrator is traced as a single circle by recognizing the centre of the sketched path rather than 2 concentric circles placed apart at a distance equal to the thickness of my real life graphite pencil .?
I have a JPG file with a colored design on a white background. I'd like to extract the design without the background and be able to use it as an .ai file. I tried tracing it and then expanding it, but when I copy the design and place it on a different background, the white background comes with it. How can I isolate just the design?
Here's the JPG with the design I want:
and I'd like to be able to isolate it so I can use it on different backgrounds -- such as:
I am working on a project, and I have finished tracing everything. I am now ready to color in the objects, but when I fill the shape with color, it does not work. My layer is not locked.
I would like to trace this image and I was wondering what the best way is to do that. As you can see I made a small start and not sure if that's the right way to go.
I placed and traced a PS doc (with transparent background) in AI..... then I saved it as an AI file, opened it in Photoshop, and the background was white. Result was the same whether I saved it flattened or with layers as objects. How do I do this and maintain transparency? It's probably something obvious....
I work on CS3 and have often the problem for the logos the Companies send me in .jpg to convert for their design as a vector file.
With vector magic it works always good to smooth with one click the curves full of pixels into a pixel free curve with clear boundary.
I had a look into the old discussion on this forum and found few things in the discussion "raster image .gif". I would like to get an addon that would be a 1 time buying and cheaper as a complete new investment into a whole soft like vector magic.
I use live trace quite a bit and have created several custom tracing options in CS4. How di I get them into CS6. When I open a scaned document in CS6, The custom field in the trace menu is greyed out so I don't know how I could recreate them from scratch.
Is the image trace feature any better at tracing scanned business cars and newsprint ads in order to extract a logo? Clients never seem to have clean copy to supply me with.
I have a 146 gig hard drive with 3 gigs of ram. Im currently using PS10 as part of CS3 to finish a job and will then be loading CS4 with the new Photoshop, which I have. I tried Vista Ultimate and after nearly cracking up, went back to XP Pro SP3. I had a Nec Multisynch CRT and decided to go for a new LCD monitora Lacie 320, which Im most unhappy with.
The problem is screen resolution. According to the Lacie specs, monitors should be set at 1600 x 1200. At that resolution, Photoshop as well as the rest of the CS, and the visuals that I create in PS, are all minuscule, and my three websites look stupid. I called Lacie tech support, and they said that I could go down to 1400 x 1050 but no further without distortion.
There are three problems: 1) Even with adjustments in XP, I still have to keep my nose to the screen at 1400 x 1050 to see PS menus, read PS help etc., and would like the resolution to be at 1024 x 768; 2) indeed, 48+ % of computer users have monitors set at 1024 x 768 or lower and will have the pleasure of seeing what I cannot see and would like to see; 3) 38 % of computer users have monitors set at 1920 x 1200 and will see my work as postage stamps,
The situation: Not long after CS3 came out I installed it on PC "A". About a year later I built PC "B" to replace PC "A". I installed CS3 on PC "B" with activation being successful. Eventually (totally forgetting about activation) I tore the innards out of PC "A" and rebuilt it from the new motherboard up, including the hard drives. I installed CS3 on PC "A" this morning only to be informed via dialog that there were too many activations and that I should purchase a new serial number. No phone number. No leads to a phone number that I could find.
I've had to submit a bunch of pics lately and they needed some work done. The files were jpgs and when I finished work on them I chose save as, I didn't want to effect the original file. So I selected save as and saved them as tiffs. When the files went to my desktop they were still labeled as jpegs but the files size had tripled. I tried to open them in PS shop but it said it was an unreadable jpeg. What's going on? Why can't I save a JPG as a tiff?
Also is there anyway to get PS to add the file tag? I use a mac and it doesn't put jpg or tiff at the end of the file name. I need it for my online printer.
I have run into an issue relating to the differences in the way Mudbox and Maya subdivide meshes. My workflow for creating blend shapes is as follows:
1. Create base head mesh in Maya 2. Import base head mesh into Mudbox and subdivide to level 2 3. Create a Mudbox layer on top of base head mesh to sculpt each blend shape (e.g., browsMidUp) 4. For each blend shape, export the level 0 mesh to Maya for use as a blend shape on the base head mesh
Here is where it all falls apart.
When I smooth the blend shape in Maya (either by choosing smooth preview or by selecting Mesh>Smooth), the smoothed mesh in Maya differs from that in Mudbox. In the case of browsMidUp, the blend shape created in Mudbox only modified the brows. However, in Maya when the blend shape is smoothed the mouth opens up (i.e., the lips smooth differently in Maya than Mudbox, causing the mouth to open).
This is incredibly frustrating because I did not discover this problem until after I created approximately 35 blend shapes in Mudbox!I believe I can work around my current error. However, I would like to know how others approach the creation of blend shapes.Do you use Mudbox? If so, how do prevent issues associated with smoothing differences?
I have a drawing that does not save the xref layer setting. I can change colors and thaw different layers but after saving and closing the drawing it reverts back to the original when opened again. I am sure this is a setting but can not find which setting.
