Tracing to a single line ?

[Pilotfromdk]

Hi

Are there any way of tracing a drawing to a single line?
I'm in the process of tracing some old drawings so i can cut them om my machine.
But when tracing with Aspire i end up with 2 lines.
What I would like was to get the middel and only a single line
Any good hints ?

[Adrian]

I don't think there is as it's something most tracing packages I've used do as well. I'd love to be corrected though.

If most of the drawings look like the one you posted I'd be inclined to use the vector tools and draw over it. It's something I've started doing more and more since watching the way James' does it on the User Group DVD.

[ssflyer]

There are a number of programs that can assist in this. Adobe Illustrator is one, but pretty expensive. VectorMagic has an online service that lets you upload an image and download the vectorized result, but it carries a fee. It is at http://vectormagic.com/home. Another possibility is the freeware version of WinTopo, at http://wintopo.com/wintopo-free.htm

Ron

[Adrian]

I've got the full desktop version of Vector Magic and I've never managed to get it trace a drawing to a single line.

[mikeacg]

Could you just take one of the lines and use the vector offset tool?

[Boort]

Pilotfromdk,

I know that Coreldraw (v5 is what I have) has a mode called centerline tracing which will do this for you.

Regards
BoorT

[sawmiller]

inkscape can do it

[garylmast]

I just tried the drawing in CorelTrace12, which is part of CorelDraw Suite12. It did not work very well.

[Pilotfromdk]

Sawmiller:

I just opened Inkscape 0.45 and i can't find the funktion?
What version are you using?

[Adrian]

Look under Path/Trace Bitmap or press "Shift-Alt-B".

[Pilotfromdk]

I got a Danish version After pressing "Shift-Alt-B" i get some new options, but i can't find any where it's possible to get the program to draw the centerline for me ?

What version are you using, maybe i need to update my program ?

[Adrian]

I've never been able to get Inkscape to trace to a centre line either.

[sawmiller]

yes file menu path/ trace bitmap, you will get a dialog box, work on the various options, did it this morning just before i posted.
am at work right now, so i dont have the program here, but i pulled in a fairly complicated deer image from dover clipart samples and in 30 seconds or so had a single line trace i could enlarge with no trace of jaggies...

[metalworkz]

Hello,
I think you will find that most traces will have the double line and they do not consist of 2 separate profile lines but usually double line segments that are not very usable even with the offset vector option. I find it necessary to manually trace the vectors and then scale them if the dimensions are known. It would be great to have a program that traces a single line over the original, but I have yet to use one. Most traced files can take as long to re-trace manually as it would take to just redraw the vectors.

[Jozua]

Are there any way of tracing a drawing to a single line?
I'm in the process of tracing some old drawings so i can cut them om my machine.
But when tracing with Aspire i end up with 2 lines.
What I would like was to get the middel and only a single line
Any good hints

Please forgive me if I am out of line.

Is it Really so important to trace to a single line?

I am tracing all my “scroll saw” clock patterns with Aspire. And to be frank; Aspirer’s ability to trace is amazingly accurate. The difference between the 2 lines is sometimes or should I say most of the time only One or Two Pixels apart on the computer screen.

I normally use only the outside lines and I can guarantee you even if I trace 300 different entities they all fit “like a glove” and they are all to exactly the same scale so there are normally little or no adjustment necessary when I assemble the clocks.

Granted it is a little time consuming to delete the “inside lines” but hey! “How easy do you want it”?

Joz