Image (vector) translation
-
Is there any method to take a vector image, say a nuclear hazard symbol, and get it translated onto a surface as the actual shape?
At the moment I am placing an image on the surface and tracing its outline, which is ok for simple shapes, but complex shapes, such as heraldics are rather difficult.... I guess that what i am after is some sort of Tracing plugin..
-
Have you tried simply importing your vector image into SU? I know you can export paths from Adobe Illustrator and perhaps PhotoShop and then import them into SU and then you may need to screw around with the make surface utility or the weld utility. On YouTube there is a tutorial on making "face me" components by outlining in illustrator and then trimming away the background.
-
My
ImageTrimmerTool will trim any selected PNG Image that is in the SKP if it has a transparent background - this is easily added in Photoshop or Gimp in some simple pre-processing before it's imported... It makes a cut-out component - see the posts in the thread for tips and pitfalls - like needing to have Java enabled, minimum detail width and simplifying the outline at the close...Look for it in the Plugins Index [see the big red button above...]
-
Am I understanding that you wish to automatically vectorize in Sketchup any png, or jpg, or bmp that you might happen to import? That is what I got from reading your query three times. Of course, it's getting near bedtime here, so....
-
Well, a "vector(based) image" (as you first state) should be imported as vector and then you need not trace (or image trim or whatever) in SU. You only need to find a format SU can import. As I see, you have the pro vesion so some generic formats like dxf (that many applications can export to) could be used.
If these are rasterbased images instead, well, you either need to trace around, vectorise in an external application or any other method of course.
-
@mitcorb said:
Am I understanding that you wish to automatically vectorize in Sketchup any png, or jpg, or bmp that you might happen to import? That is what I got from reading your query three times. Of course, it's getting near bedtime here, so....
yes, that.
-
As I thought I explained in my last reply...
If you do a little pre-processing and save the image as a PNG file with a transparent background you can then either use that directly as a Image in your SKP as you'll then see what's behind it... OR you can use myImageTrimmertool on the imported Image to make it into a component with a cut-out face with an equivalent image-texture...
-
OK, i've added your iamgetools, checked all the files are there and started sketchup - all works.
Imported a PNG with trans background, selected it and chosen "imagetrimmer" - it spends a while "making edges" etc, but then appears to do nothing once that has finished running...
"An Instance of the new Component is placed at the Origin"
this does not happen.
using 8-pro on windows 7, java is installed.
-
Were there any messages in the Ruby Console during processing [open it before running the tool]
Was a folder made with the SKP containing temporary files that you have the opportunity to delete at the end ?
If so what were the files?
I suspect some issues with permissions.
Can you check that the SKMtools folder and all of its contents and subfolders have full permissions for you to read/write/delete files etc.
Your PNG files needs to have all of its pixels fully opaque, except for the background which must be 100% transparent.
How large was the image - if it's very small or it has 'thin' areas of pixels they can be lost in processing etc... can you post the PNG here so that I can try it etc etc...
Another issue can be if you have reset the .jar extension to be non-executable - perhaps to open with a zip utility - remove that association... the tool uses Java .jar files to quickly process the images etc... -
i'll keep digging, I imagine its permission knowing the joys of windows 7 - the directories for the temp iamgses were not made for starters.. cheers.
-
You need full permissions to the folder containing the SKP and the Plugins folder/files - SKMtools folder/files etc downwards!
Advertisement