Outputting vectorizer effects

Been following the posterous posts on vector file output from the Paint Synthesizer, and trying them out, but ran into a snag.

 

The EPS, SVG Write Option preference (under the PASeq preference tab) is set to "Open File After Write."  So...

I go to  Action: Generate EPS with vectorizer,  It passes it off to Preview, but the result is a blank page when it opens in Preview.

 

However, in outputting a vectorizer preset effect as an SVG vector file by running the "Action: Generate SVG: from Vectorizer" menu command, the file opens in AI (not Safari)  and can be saved in any  of the file formats listed in AI. 

 

The problem lies with the preview mode for EPS and opening an SVG in Safari.

How do I  setup Preview as the default EPS application file, and Safari as the default SVG application file should I wish to change it from the present set up which defaults to AI? and why is the result a blank (white or black) page when generating an EPS?

 

There is nothing in the 'preferences' in Preview in order to make changes/set parameters, nor anything in Safari to make it the default SVG.

 

Anyone have any ideas on how to correct this?

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  • You can change the default application for any file type in the mac finder. You go to a specific file, then select it and run command i to open the Get info dialog for the file. You will noitce in that dialog there's a popup option that lets you set the default applicaiton file for that file type. You can see from a screen shot below that i have Safari set to be my default 'Open With' application for SVG files.

    The reason why i did this (as opposed to using Adobe Illustrator), is because Illustrator has a tendency to crash when it tries to open really complex SVG files with a lot of vectors in them. It's fascinating, because Safari will render them fine, and in fact you can open them in Studio Artist with no problem as well. Studio Artist gives you the ability to generate a huge number of vectors very quickly when working with certain paint synthesizer vector painting settings. these complex vector images look great, it's a shame Illustrator can't deal with them properly.

    I did the same thing to setup Preview to be my default 'Open As' application for eps files. It's easy to save them as pdfs from Preview if you want to.

     2472633620?profile=original

    • Thanks for the tip--I was unaware of this feature, but have now employed it.
  • The various posts in the series get into some of the idiosyncrasies of vector file output from Studio Artist 4. The series continues for another day. The one that posts tomorrow includes a number of links to additional tips that give more information on the various topics covered in the series of posts.

     

    The series gets into the fact that the EPS and SVG vector file output developed over time in Studio Artist, with EPS first (even before there was actual vector painting into the canvas you could output some simple EPS vector effects, and of course the vectorizer always let you output as EPS). The new Anti-Aliased Solid Brush Type (which is a new way to vector paint in version 4), is much more suited to SVG output than EPS output. We tried to make it output something for EPS, but sometimes it won't work properly when outputting EPS, while it will output properly when outputting SVG. SVG file format supports things (like vector transparency) which EPS does not directly do.

     

    You can use the Print with paint Action Sequence option for Generate SVG, and then use the feature in the mac print dialog that lets you output a pdf file as opposed to print to a printer. So that's a way to generate a PDF file, which often times works as a good substitute if you need EPS format.

     

    We'd like to fix the discrepancies between the EPS and SVG vector file output if possible, so feel free to email any paint presets or PASeq preset you run into that behave differently to techsupport AT synthetik DOT com if you want us to check out the problem and potentially fix it in the future. Whenever you email us any presets for testing, please zip compress them before mailing them.

    • I found 120+ presets that behaved differently from what was expected.

       

      Ran a test on all the presets in the following to output an EPS file, because that is what I was having trouble with:

       

      Vectorizer

      Source Image Processing

      General Examples only

       

      I did not do any under Abstract Examples or Transparent Effects.

       

      Most presets did not output to EPS pdf files using the Action:  Generate EPS with Vectorizer.   The ones that DID NOT generate an eps pdf file produced either a white or black page.  I can mail you the detailed list, if interested.

       

      • What preset collection - categories and preset types are you referring to?
        • Vectorizer: Factory: Source Image Processing: General Examples from Easy Edge through Watershed Tite2.
          • OK, i see your point with the new 4.03 presets. Some new feature in 4.03 that those new factory presets are using must be hosing EPS output. The old Default vectorizer presets seem to work fine for EPS output.

            Stick to SVG vector file output for those new vectorizer preset while i figure out what's going on. Maybe i can get it fixed for the 4.04 upgrade.  

            Thanks for pointing out the bug!

          • For now, if SVG output can't work for you for the problem vectorizer presets, you could record the vectorizer action in a PASeq and then use the Generate SVG : Print with Paint Action Sequence menu command, and then use the Save as PDF menu command option in the print dialog to output a pdf file. SInce usually anything that can take EPS input can also take PDF input.

             

            The vector printing is going to potentially add borders to the output since it assumes you are printing on a certain size paper, so you need to watch out for that and make sure the aspect ratio and size of the page match what you are really looking for for the vector file output. If you don't want any border then the page size would need to exactly match the canvas size.

          • The problem seems to be tied to using the Bezier Loose option for the EPS Region Type parameter in the Drawing control panel of the vectorizer. So if you change that parameter to Bezier the EPS output seems to be working ok for me. At least on the limited set of presets i tried so far that you were having problems with.

             

            To be honest, most times you would want to use the Bezier setting anyway for that parameter, so i'm a little surprised that so many of those new presets are using the Bezier Loose option. Anyway, hopefully that's the source of the problems you found with EPS output. In which case it should be relatively simple to fix in 4.04.

            • Thanks for all the input.  I'll make the changes suggested.
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