Raster Image to Vector Point Cloud

[Igor Molochevski]

Hello, I am currently working on stippling robot to help me with my large scale drawings. I was wondering if there is a way to convert raster image to the cloud of points where their location is governed by the lets say luminance. I know it is possible with lines. But in order to get best results I need to use points instead of lines.

Thanks a lot.

[Synthetik]

If i understand your question correctly, yes, you can configure the paint synthesizer to build up stippling patterns based on source image luminance. The start point configuration in the Path Start control panel is going to be the same for presets that work with single points or lines.

[Igor Molochevski]

John, thank you, for the response! Let me elaborate:

Lets say I have an image, that I have shot. I would like to use studio artist to convert the image into vector file. Studio Artist is grate for this, and I have used it before for this purpose. But right now I need to convert an image to the stippling pattern of dots. Not circles, but real dots in vector sense of the word.

The reason I need it, it is because I want to use Pen plotter to help with stippling. I have already experimented with processing and it is possible to do it that way. But I wanted to find out if it is possible with SA.

[Synthetik]

If you are outputting vector files, then you could configure the paint synth to use a max path Set the sphere size to 1. So then it's essentially a dot.

Or if you are already using a pen plotter with the vector file output, then line lengths of a single point would essentially be dots, and should draw as such.

Are you using eps or svg output?

[Igor Molochevski]

I also have another unrelated question, lets say I am using PSAQ "AcrylicChalk" for example. When I process to Movie I am getting very fast moving lines. Is there any way how to make lines to move less, and becoming more stationary. I personally in my projects use vectorizer as background. But for the project I am currently working on right now I need to use something like "AcrylicChalk" but whant to have something of slow morphing effect with lines.

Any ideas?

Thanks a lot and much obliged :)

[Synthetik]

If you edit individual auto paint action steps so that in the Path Start control panel the Reset Generator control is turned on, then the same set of start points will be used for each frame in the movie. Is this what you are looking for?

[Igor Molochevski]

It removed flickr some what. But I think what I am trying to do is this: 

Re-Draw parts of the frame where there was a sufficient change in data, luminance for example. 

[Synthetik]

You might want to look through some of the tutorials we have put together on building PASeqs for movie processing, with an emphasis on the material about generating temporal continuity from frame to frame in your animation. So maybe you do some kind of overdrawing on previous frame output with something like a fade of the previous frame contents over time. As opposed to erasing each frame and redrawing from scratch. The tutorials cover a lot of different approaches to the notion of generating temporal continuity via overdrawing on modified versions of previous output frames to reduce flicker in animation.

[Victor Ingrassia]

If I may add some general points... Some of this may seem obvious... but here are some general principles which might help.

• A general tip about "calming down" the paint in SA is to experiment with paseq's that do not erase the canvas completely to white (or black, or source) between frames.  The most extreme version is this is to erase nothing between frames... to simply overpaint the previous frame.  This will work with only certain types of source video and certain paseq's.  But you can compromise a bit and use a less than 100% of white or black (via the "Fixed Color" Image Operation) between frames to lighten or darken the previously painted frame (instead of using "Erase").  Also, applying other ImOp's like Smart Blur or Blur before overpainting can help "melt" the previous frame's paint, make it recede into the background and, indirectly, keep things calm and keep the viewer focussed on the newer paint.

• Using paint strokes that are not 100% opaque is helpful too.  Try turning down the % of blend (Paint Synthesizer control "Paint Fill Apply"> Composite:Blend> Blend%).  You'll have to develop and test to arrive at the correct combination of blend, path count, fixed color, and fps.

• You can also use macros to tweak individual paint patches from the Paint Synthesizer macro edits in the "Help Window" (Turn Off Randomization, for instance).

• Reducing your frames per second can help too. As the years have gone by I have consistently reduced my f.p.s.... these days I often animate at 8-12 fps. The effect created with low fps looks more like animated drawings and less like video processed with a filter. You can also animate at (let's say) 6-15 fps, then use a blending approach. (Place the animated mov in the source area and use a paseq with a Fixed Image source at, say, 50%... to create a new animation with blended frames.

• (this one is very important) Selecting (or creating) source video that is clean, well lit, steady and graphically strong, can also go a long way to settling things down.  The cleaner the source the less the paint strokes will vary from frame to frame. I often "pre-process" my source video... cleaning it up and outputting a cleaner video for use as source video.

• Explore the powerful Image Operations section of SA. SIMPLIFY, RANK AREA, SMART CONTRAST, SMOOTH are image op's which create a cleaner, more simplified image quality... and they involve no paint strokes.  You  can sometimes add one of these im op's as a step in a paseq along with painting steps.

I hope some of these help.

~victor

[Igor Molochevski]

Dear Victor thank you for the such detailed response. Normally I do not have problem with this. My workflow usually is to create vectorizer background and then animate with strokes on edges of shapes

https://vimeo.com/69639256 Like in this example 

or not to erase background to blend in strokes like in this one

https://vimeo.com/107525400

But right now I am working on independent film where director wants more fluid animation.  

My idea and that is what I am wondering is this, if this possible for SA to do the following.

I. Create 1st frame. 

II. Take next frame as input and compare it to the first one.

III. Draw only in the region where there was a significant change in luminance.

This way only regions where there was a change of luminance (something has happened)  would be re-drawn

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[Victor Ingrassia]

hmmm... i'll have to think about this. it is difficult for me to picture what the end result is that you are looking to achieve.