Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

yugyug · Jan 2, 2005, 06:54 AM

hi , I'm new to this forum but I hope someone maybe able to help me - and I'm posting it in the graphics section and the DV section due its nature - so sorry if your reading this twice : >

I'm trying to batch vectorize tiff image sequences for a video I'm making and I'm not getting satifactory results with my software ; the very outmoded adobe Streamline wont batch vectorize with the colors I want (uses defaults) and I can only get the newer Silhouette software to batch vectorize in black and white , or auto-color if I use it as a plugin in illustrator....

So to put it another way.....

I can get either software to vectorize single images exactly how I want, the problem is getting either software to use the exact same parameters for a batch process - so frustrating! can anyone help? or perhaps suggest alternative software?

mitchell_pgh · Jan 3, 2005, 04:03 PM

perhaps if you showed an example of the desired effect, we could help you better.

yugyug · Jan 4, 2005, 09:43 AM

here's an example of a source file (don't hate me cos I'm beautiful ; >
http://yugyug.nytka.org/files/graphi...20377_orig.jpg

and here's what i want to achieve,
http://yugyug.nytka.org/files/graphi...20377_good.jpg

they need to be vectors so I can apply some other batch actions to them in illustrator, - its tricky, i can't get any vectorising software to use the right colors (or even the right number of colors) in batch mode

any ideas?

eyevaan · Jan 4, 2005, 10:19 AM

tried Flash? The imported bitmaps have to be simplified for it but they will be quite large to start with and you will need to "flatten" the file getting rid of some of the layers.

almaink · Jan 4, 2005, 11:39 AM

Have you tried the posterize filter in Photoshop? It's under Image/Adjustments. It's not vector but gives the look you want.

mdc · Jan 4, 2005, 12:12 PM

how is this?

option click to download the .fla

in flash:
import the image
modify > bitmap > trace bitmap

you can then play around with the settings after that.

mydog8mymac · Jan 5, 2005, 05:36 PM

Silhouette will batch process in the stand alone version! I have abandoned Streamline in favor of the OS X native application! See and download the demo Silhouetteonline.com

mitchell_pgh · Jan 6, 2005, 03:59 PM

ORIGINAL

REQUEST

MY PHOTOSHOP BATCH

other examples

.
.
.

mitchell_pgh · Jan 6, 2005, 04:03 PM

I'm sure with a little more work, I could get it 99% there...

Do you have photoshop?

mitchell_pgh · Jan 6, 2005, 04:17 PM

THREE LAYERS

gautch · Jan 6, 2005, 05:50 PM

All of these processes are adjustable for more control.
Here we go...
Variouse Smart Blurs and layer Modes:

Smart Blured/Posturized/Smart Blured again/Drop top layer opasity:

Stamp/Contrast/Maximum:

If you had time for each file your doing you could tweek the heck out of it before applying and filters. Well if you want a better discription of any of these let me know and ill post a better tutorial.

----

yugyug · Jan 16, 2005, 11:42 PM

wow thanks for all the effort you guys put in to helping me.....

just got back from a week away at the beach and I'm stil having problems...

mdc:I would love to use flash for this as its trace bitmap command has a lovely look to it - but how do you apply it to thousands of images in an image sequence automatically? Flash doesn't have any batch processes and trace bitmap won't work on an imported movie file.

mydog8mymac: I just got a reponse from the silhoette support team saying that its software cannot batch vectorize in colors - they suggest using it as a plugin in illustrator and automate from within illustrator (which I can do), but control it with illustrators script system - which I don't know and I guess I now need to learn, ouch.

mitchell_pgh: I don't want to use photoshop effects becuase they kind of have that pixel look to them - but if I can't figure out scripting then I guess'll I'll have to

thanks once again for everyones help.

guy

TheSomnambulist · Jan 20, 2005, 12:43 PM

YugYug

have you tried Adobe Streamline? Best vector conversion software going.

Regards
TheSomnambulist

yugyug · Jan 21, 2005, 02:24 AM

yes, refer to my first post.

I question whether streamline is the 'best' vector software seeing adobe hasn't even released an OSX version, but considering my problems with silhouette I don't think there is any 'best' software in this category... maybe I'll go back to windows....

....just kidding!

TheSomnambulist · Jan 21, 2005, 12:58 PM

Any chance you can take it to an older version and try the process on OS 9 - then transport it back into osX ? I'm not sure I'm only asking.

On the adobe site it says there's an OSX version - but I'm taking it this isn't doing what you want:

http://www.adobe.com/products/stream...ystemreqs.html

Kinda curious about this because I'm pretty sure I'll be heading towards this problem myself soon too.

TheSomnambulist

yugyug · Jan 22, 2005, 06:26 AM

Sonammbulist, the biggest problem I had with streamline (v3.0.1) in classic mode, was that it would not use user-defined custom colors in batch conversion, rather it would generate a new set of colors for each image. The colors are subtley different for each image, so it wasn't something I could correct with a batch action in photoshop.

Maybe this is fixed in v.4 ?Does anyone know? I haven't used it becuase the demo doesn't allow saves and I'm not going to pay for it if it doesn't work, and who wants to buy an old os9 application anyway? adobe should offer it for free.

Its troubling when you know exactly the look you want but have no way to achieve it practicality. I'm re-thinking the video clip I'm making and will probably make it more story driven and less visually driven. Probably the best route in any case.

yy