Just not getting how to trace bitmap - help please

[jancy]

you can trace any image. just follow the tutorials & you should be able to do it very easily. all you have to do is delete the portions you don't need--nodes--from what you trace.

[scrappingmad]

I have read the tutorials and read the posts in the forum several times but can't understand the procedure for tracing in Inkscape. Nothing I try seems to trace the image

[jancy]

I have read the tutorials and read the posts in the forum several times but can't understand the procedure for tracing in Inkscape. Nothing I try seems to trace the image

I just did it & timed it just to see how long it would take. took me less than 30 seconds after I had inkscape opened.

*open inkscape
*open image you want to trace
*go to: view: display mode: outline
*click on image
*go to: path: object to path
*go to: path: trace bitmap---a new window should open
*click the brightness circle: set threshold to 0.650: click preview: click ok: close trace bitmap window
*click on image. you should have the original image & the outline of your image. delete the original image
*click on the outline: click on the small arrow on the leftside toolbar with the small squares: many nodes (little squares) will appear. select & delete the ones you don't want to keep. you can highlight/click & drag a box around a large number of unwanted nodes & delete faster that way.

continue to delete until what remains is what you want to cut & then save as an svg, open in SCAL & go from there.

you can also move around the nodes to get a nicer looking image & better cuts.

[scrappingmad]

This is the image I get when I click on image and also where you have said to click on preview (I assume on the small window?) there is nowhere to click except the update button

screen print.JPG (102.71 KiB) Viewed 1884 times

[jancy]

keep going with the directions & it will still trace the image.

when you're finished tracing, just delet the red x.

if it confuses you too much, don't do the display mode: outline & leave it as is.

you can go to the outline mode after it's traced & then delete the original image.

[scrappingmad]

Thanks for very clear instructions - have just printed them off on other computer so that I can follow exactly.

[scrappingmad]

At last!! Not perfect but now I can at least practise with all my clip art. Thank you so much for all those instructions.

Sheila