Re: converting photos to vector graphics

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "martinkorson"
<beaukorson@h...> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I use autocad lt2004 and would like a quick way to convert photos

to

> vector graphics. does anyone know of any software that will do

this?

I spent a great deal of time (a few years ago) in studying how to do
this. The result was RasterFratz. It is a $75 program that will
trace colors in bit mapped images and directly make usable vector
artwork saved as DXF or G-code.

It is rather unique in that it approaches the problem from the stand
point of a machinist, rather than a graphic artist or computer nerd
playing with pretty colors.

A photo or image file is a messy, point-by-point representation of a
scene. A machinist seldom wants this kind of data. We usually want
a nice traced outline of solid color or a group of similar, but
slightly differently shaded colors.

RasterFratz will ONLY create closed shapes around colors or groups
of colors. These closed shapes can be machined with pocketing and
contouring CAM software. This covers most of the applications that
I found people wanted to use Raster to vector conversions.

RasterFratz has sliders for contrast, lightness, number of color
groups and smoothness. Contrast and lightness are what you would
expect. Colors automatically groups like shaded portions of the
scene into usable areas. Smoothness is both a despeckler ( removes
unwanted spots from the image), and a curve smoother that permits
you to get the desired shapes from coarse resolution and poorly
lighted images.

A minute or two with Rasterfratz will yield better results than
hours of fiddling with CAD tracing and photo touch up techniques.

If you want to turn line art into precise tracings or accurate Cad
drawings, plan to redraw the entire layout. You will never get the
level of accuracy and reliability needed for precison CNC machining
or machined details from a scanned image or photograph.

If you have a logo or similar artistic line drawing that you want to
simply trace and machine, use MS-paint and flood fill the interior.
RasterFratz will then create a great vector outline of the entire
shape.

Rasterfratz will generate a CNC program directly to cut the outline
or save it as a 2D DXF file for further processing with your CAD or
CAM program.

http://www.imsrv.com/rasterfratz

One of the drawbacks to RasterFratz is that it does not
automatically substitute arcs for sections of the curves that could
be represented with arcs. This is needed for CNC programs that do
not have lookahead contouring. I use Vector Cad for this added step
if I need to create a program for a controller that has limited
memory or one which does not have smooth contouring. The normal
output from Rasterfratz is well within the desired accuracy for arc
fit curves, so this step is only needed for a few of the hobby
controllers, such as TurboCNC or AHha.

The same 2D tracing engine, plus several canned graphics filters
(like embossing) and some other options are included in DeskCNC.
The interface is slightly more complex as there are more options for
tool offsetting. But it has the same basic capability, and will
move directly from a scanner snagged image to a cut part, all within
one seamless program.

http://www.imsrv.com/deskcnc

PS. rasterfratz!!! is what I used to say, when I tried to use
the "other" raster to vector converters.

Fred Smith - IMService
http://www.cadcamcadcam.com/hobby