Vectorizer to Path

Hi,

Can I fill the shapes I created with Vectorizer with my own images? Is there a way to do it with SA? Or is there a way to convert the shape I created with Vectorizer into a bezier path?

I've been working on it for days but couldn't find it. I would be grateful if you help me.

Thanks.

 

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  • Yes, you can fill the shapes created by the vectorizer with your own images.

    And yes, you can generate bezier paths directly from the vectorizer.

    So here's a simple Vectorizer configuration to generate flat colored regions from the source image.

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    If i want to generate bezier paths from the current vectorizer configuration, all i need to do is to run the menu command Path : Generate Paths : from Vectorizer.

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    The automatically generated bezier paths from the current vectorizer configuration will then appear in the bezier path frame.

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    You can record that menu command as an action step in a Paint Action Sequence (PASeq).  You could then paint them in, fill in the shapes, modify them using other Path menu commands, manually edit them, etc to work with them in Studio Artist.

     

    You can also embed the vectorizer directly inside of the paint synthesizer.  This is a very convient way to work when constructing PASeqs, since you can do things directly without having to work with the bezier path frame.

    Let's start by initializing the paint synthesizer to a simple default set of parameter values.

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    I'm now going to embed the current vectorizer configuration into the paint synthesizer.

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    If i run that using the action button, i get the following painted image.

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    The bezier paths generated by that vectorizer configuration are now painted in with the paint synthesizers default init soft raster colored paint.

    We can modify paint behavior so it fills the vector regions generated by the vectorizer with solid raster paint.  To do this, i changed the editor control panel to Pen Mode, and then changed the pen mode to Region Fill as Brush.  I then pressed action to run the paint synthesizer with the edited configuration.

    10527668900?profile=RESIZE_930x

    We're still filling with the paint synthesizers default simple raster colored paint, but we could edit the paint synthesizer to fill with all kinds of different paint configurations.  Since you were interested in filling the regions with your own images, we can do that.  To start off we need to setup an image folder brush.  You can use the File menu command shown below to do that.

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    I then selected a folder of images i wanted to work with for the image folder brush.

    At this point i usually edit the paint synthesizer manually to setup what i want to do, but to try and make it simple, i used another QuickEdit command to setup an image folder brush mosaic effect.

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    After running that you can see that i get an image mosaic effect.

    Just to be clear, i ran the quick-edit command and then pressed action to get the modified effect. I then brought the menu back up to take the screen shot above.

    Note i lost my vectorizer embed due to the paint synthesizer editing changes that last QuickEdit command generates.  To fix that, i just ran the original vectorizer embed command again.

    10527694276?profile=RESIZE_930x

    You can see that the image folder mosaic brush now fills in the vector shapes generated by the vectorizer embed.

    Just to be clear, i ran the quick-edit command and then pressed action to get the modified effect. I then brought the menu back up to take the screen shot above.

     

    You can export a paint preset that has an embedded vectorizer effect in it, and then when you import that paint preset, the vectorizer control panel is configured appropriately as well as the paint synthesizer control panel.

    You can also record vectorizer embedded paint synthesizer action steps in a Paint Action Sequence.  Again, all of the embedded info is stored in a PASeq preset is you export it, and restored appropriately if you import it when you run the specific embedded action steps.

     

    You can also embed any image operation effects that generate vectors into the paint synthesizer.

    Any time you embed a vectorizer or image operation vector generating effect into the paint synthesizer, you can do it so they are sketch effects, or regionize effects.

    If you have any questions about specific things that are configured by those quick edit commands in the various paint synthesizer control panels, i'm happy to answer them. I thought i'd keep it simple in this tutorial and do everything with quick edit commands rather than manually setting everything up.

    •  

       

      Thank you very much for your valuable information.
      When I did the steps you mentioned, I got the following results.
       
      1 Vectorizer > Run
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      2 Bezier > Path > Generate Path > From Vectorizer
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      3 Result
      10529069869?profile=RESIZE_930x10529070071?profile=RESIZE_930x
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      So,  What I want is this:

      I have a Source Image. I converted this to the shapes I wanted with the vectorizer.  And I want to fill these shapes with my own pictures.  As you can see above, all the path drawings made with Path Generate are crooked. I tried all the options under the Path genarate menu but the result is the same.

      I don't think there is a way to import an existing drawing.
      I cannot import the paths I created with Photoshop or Illustrator into Bezier. So I want a clean path that I can fill with my own images, as follows.

      Thank you!

       10529078692?profile=RESIZE_930x
       

       

       

      • The particular vectorizer preset you are interested in "Truchet" is using the Shape option for the Main Technique in the Generation control panel.  Shape is kind of an odd ball technique for embedding in the paint synthesizer.  It works differently than something like the Image technique and originally generated raster output back in old V2 when the vectorizer first appeared. 

        The Canvas Render Output option in the Drawing Apply control panel for the Shape technique does support actual vector drawing into the canvas these days.  But the underlying code is very different than the normal render pathways used by things like the Image technique.  The embedding option for the paint synthesizer and for the direct bezier path generation into the bezier path frame assumes you are using a vectorizer preset based on the render pathways used by the Image technique and others like it.

        You can convert a Shape technique preset to use that Image technique render pathway by switching to the Image Shape technique.  If you do that and then run the vectorizer with that editing change for the Truchet preset you will see why you got the bezier path results you posted above for this particular vectorizer preset.

        After doing that (changing the Shape technique to the Image Shape technique), look in the Drawing Setup control panel.  You can see that the Region Randomization parameter is turned on, so that is where all of the wild randomized bezier stuff is being generated from.  If you turn that off it gets better behaved. 

        However, there are still issues for what you are specifically interested in.  There are a bunch of options in the Generation control panel associated with filtering the region image prior to it being converted into a vector representation.  Turning off the Post Filter and the Join Similar will help.  You can turn off Thin Clean as well.

        You also are probably noticing that it is configured to draw a black rim around the regions, so you can set the EPS Region Outline to None in the Drawing Apply control panel to get rid of that.

        But you are facing a more fundamental issue in that a region is being generated for every flat colored region in the 'raster image' generated by the Shape technique that is then vectorized.  That Truchet Shape Type is apparently being rendered as vector in that raster image before that image is then vectorized, so that is why you see all of the small regions near the edges of the shapes (associated with the anti-alias drawing into that raster image).

         

        One of the things on my vast 'to do' list is to refactor all of the old Shape technique internal draw code to be more consistent with how the Image technique works, to potentially avoid the kind of issue you are running into with this particular vectorizer effect.  So i'll bump that up the list since you are asking about it.

        For now, if you want to do vectorizer embedding, avoid the Shape technique, or if you are interested in it, you need to switch to the Image Shape technique and then work off of what that is doing.

         

        There is this concept in vector graphics of filling a bezier shape and stroking just the path itself with some thickness.  That second part is not a fill, the stroke has a uniform thickness. My guess is that the Truchet Shape Type might be drawing using strokes internally, which would explain the behavior you are seeing with this particular preset when you try and generate bezier paths off of it via converting it to Image Shape technique.

        • Thank you very much for your long explanations. Unfortunately,  the things you have described for now dont solve my problem.

          In the graphic design work that I have done and will do, you know that everything has to be smooth. How can I transfer smooth shapes like the picture I added below or similar to it as a bezier path? so this could be a company logo for example. And this logo needs to be smooth. This logo can be a mosaic form in my work, etc. Please tell me this is possible with SA. I hope there will be a lot of artworks to do with SA.

          Thank you so much!

           

          my shape is smooth

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          Bezier > 

          Path > Generate Paths > from Source edges

          Bezier paths is distorted as you can see :(

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          • I took your original shapes image and brought it into a studio artist layer.

            I copied that into a second layer.

            I then used BW Threshold Adjust to generate a hard edged version of the shapes. No anti-aliasing.

            I then used the approach i posted earlier for you that takes a flat colored region image in the canvas and fills the regions with the image folder source brush.

            I then went to the other layer that had your original shapes in it. I selected the white part.

            I expanded the selection.

            I switched back to the layer i filled with the image folder source brush.

            I turned on masking and erased to white.

            10531725087?profile=RESIZE_930x

            I get your original shapes filled with the image folder source brush.

            No wiggle on the boundaries.

        • There is a different way you can do an image brush fill. Rather than working with bezier paths, you work with a flat colored raster image that defines the regions to be filled. You can use this approach with things like the vectorizer.  I'll try it later with your Truchet preset, and post something here about how to do it.

           

          The practical approach to use today to deal with the bezier smoothness issue is to build a smooth anti-alias mask for your shapes, then make the fill regions a little bit bigger, then use the mask as a post image brush fill step to drop your backing back in.  Again, i can try and put something together later that shows this off.

  • Oftentimes there are multiple ways to do things in Studio Artist.  The vectorizer embed in the paint synthesizer approach i went through in the first part of this thread lets you build the complete effect in a single paint action step in a PASeq.

    10527812264?profile=RESIZE_400x

    This embedding approach would be the more modern approach to building the effect.  One AutoPaint action step does it all.  Concise.  Easy to understand.

    The older approach would be to work with the bezier path frame to build the same effect in a PASeq using 3 action steps.

    10527816287?profile=RESIZE_400x

    We start off by erasing the bezier path frame.

    Then we generate bezier paths into the bezier path frame using the vectorizer.

    Then we paint the bezier path frame.

    All 3 steps are made using different Path menu commands.  When you run them, they record into a PASeq if PASeq recording is turned on.

     

    The issue with the older approach is that it is conceptually more elaborate than the 1 step embed approach.

    Also, if you are building up a more elaborate effect in your PASeq, every time you do this it takes 3 action steps, so the PASeq becomes harder to understand easily since you have to be aware of everything that is going on in it to make the effect work.  It's easy to forget things like erasing the bezier path frame before generating the paths, and you need to stay aware that you are building up hidden bezier paths in the bezier path frame and then later painting them in.

     

    There is an even older approach one could take.

    There are various Path Layer Record Option menu flags you can turn on.

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    If you turn on the Vectorizer menu flag as shown above, then whenever the vectorizer is run, the bezier paths it generated are added into the existing bezier path frame. So if you ran a vectorizer effect and set the Mix for the effect to 0%, then nothing would change in the canvas, but the paths would be added to the current bezier path frame.  The 3 step PASeq using this approach is shown below.

    10527826698?profile=RESIZE_400x

    The issue with this super old approach is that you are working with a global menu flag for automatically adding bezier paths into the bezier path frame.  The problem with this is that it is easy to forget about it, easy to forget it is turned on.   And then you can start doing something else, not realising you have this global menu flag turned on, and you generate a ridiculous amount of bezier paths that are all saved into the bezier path frame, bloating memory, slowing the program down, etc. So i'm not recommending this 3rd approach, unless you really know what you are doing, and even then, avoid it unless absolutely necessary.

    There is a PASeq editor parameter you can turn on that lets the PASeq playback the status of the path Layer Record Option menu flags as each action step plays back.  It works like the other options for the mask, layer staus, etc that are all recorded in PASeq action steps and can play back or not depending on how you have your PASeq editor settings set up for a given PASeq.

    10527835299?profile=RESIZE_400x

    Note that the Path Layer Record Option flags include flags for the paint synthesizer in addition to the vectorizer. Pen Draw is for manual drawing, Action Draw is for things drawn when pressing the action button.  There is an Erase before Action option in there that lets you avoid the manual delete bezier layer action step.

    Nowadays, i would avoid this 3rd approach unless you have a compelling need to use it, and go for the first single step embedded action step approach, or the 2nd approach if you want to run additional effects on the bezier path frame before painting with it.

  • We've been talking about embedding the Vectorizer in the Paint Synthesizer.  But you can do the exact same thing with Image Operation effects that generate vector output.

    The image below was generated by embedding the Mondo Simplify Ip OP effect inside of a paint synthesizer preset that is using an image folder background texture (as opposed to an image folder source brush).

    10528470898?profile=RESIZE_930x

    You will note that the behavior of the image folder background texture is a little bit different than an image folder source brush.

    An image folder source brush is going to map the images in the brush up to the current size of the paint nib.  If the paint nib is a region fill, then it gets resized up to fit that region's bounding rectangle.

    There is an option to preserve the aspect ratio of the source brush images during the remapping in V5.5.

    An image folder background texture does not remap to fit the current paint nib.  It self tiles instead.  There are various options in the Background Texture control panel to mess with the tiling, including size, rotation, randomized offsets, tracking, symmetry, etc.

    The image above uses the image folder background texture paint effect twice.  The first time i'm doing normal painting that just paints in the outlines of the regions generated by the Mondo Simplify IpOp effect.  So the Pen Mode is Interactive Pen.

    The second pass paints in the regions as region fills that are filled in by the background texture. So the Pen Mode is region Fill as Brush. 

    I set the blend for this second pass to 80% so that you can see the effect of the first pass that just paints in the region outlines with normal paint nibs.  Paint nibs that are still filled by the image folder background texture.

    If i had used image folder source brushes instead, this image would have looked very different due to the size remapping that occurs with image source brushes.

  • I mentioned that there are other approaches one could use to convert a vectorizer preset into a paint synthesizer image folder brush mosaic kind of thing.

    Let's run through it for the specific Truchet vectorizer preset you picked.

    As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, that preset is problematic for the bezier path approach because it is a Shape technique vectorizer preset.

    The alternate approach we are going to try is to render it as a raster flat colored image into the canvas.  We will then use a path start regionization paint synthesizer preset that uses what is already in the canvas to define the flat colored regions that will be filled in by the paint synthesizer with an image folder source brush.

     

    1: Erase the canvas to a solid flat color. Preferably a color that is not going to be generated when you run the vectorizer preset. I used solid white.

    The Truchet vectorizer preset overwrites what is already in the canvas.  This is why i erase to white first.  You could however edit the Truchet preset so that it draws on a solid white or other color background.

    2: You need to edit the Truchet preset so that it draws raster rather than vector.

    10531150862?profile=RESIZE_930x

    Note that i changed the Canvas Render Option to 'Pixel Raster Fill'.

    I did this because each solid colored region is going to be filled by the paint synthesizer with this approach. If i use anti-aliased vector drawing, each anti-alias pixel at the edge of the shapes will be considered a separate region.

     

    3: You need to edit that previous embedded vectorizer paint preset we made so that it works off of the flat colored regions already in the canvas.

    To do that you need to make a few edits to it.

    10531152477?profile=RESIZE_930x

    First, note that i changed the Generator in Path Start to use 'Flat Region Canvas as Region' rather than 'Vectorizer Regionize' like it was earlier in this thread.

    If you run just that, you might notice a little bit of wiggle at the edges of the shapes. However, you can fix that by making 2 additional manual edits.

    In Region as Brush Mode control panel, change the Generator from Region to Selection Override.

    10531159285?profile=RESIZE_400x

    Then goto the Path Shape control panel.

    10531166883?profile=RESIZE_400x

    Make sure the Region mask Opt is set to 'Each Region as Mask'.

    What this does is for every region being drawn, the selection mask is set to the actual region detected in the Path Shape generator. And the change i made in the Region as Brush Mode control panel makes sure the selection buffer is used to define the region for the fill as opposed to the raster path built off of the output of the Path Shape control panel.

     

    4:  You probably noticed that every solid colored region in the canvas was filled.  Including the solid white background. I'm assuming you want that back as a solid backing color.  The way to do it is to build a selection mask and then erase to white while selection masking is turned on.

    10531208673?profile=RESIZE_930x

    To do this i ran the edited Truchet vectorizer preset in a second layer, then used global canvas selection to select the white areas of the canvas. You do this by mousing down in a white area of the canvas and slightly pulling the cursor to the right, then releasing the mouse. 

    I then went back to my original layer,  ran Canvas : Selection : Expand menu command to make the selection overlap the existing hard edged shapes a little bit.

    10531216252?profile=RESIZE_400x

    I then turned on the mask checkbox, and then erased to white while masking was turned on.

    • Thank you so much.

      I worked on it a lot and started getting good results. Flat Region Canvas as Region helped me a lot. But there are some problems. I did something like below.

       

      10548368077?profile=RESIZE_930x

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

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      If you look closely, you can see that the boundaries of the region are broken. How can I solve this problem?

       

      My second problem is this:
      When I make the same image with a brush image instead of paint color, the path field I specified gives a completely different result. this is because brush option > alpha only BrModOrientRotate
      When I do alpha only there is no problem. But I want my images inside the region to rotate at different angles. I will be glad if you can help me how to solve this problem.

       

       

      Brush option > Alpha Only

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      Brush option > Alpha Only -BrModOrientRotate

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      Thanks.

       

       

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