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FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Larry White
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:18 am

FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Larry White »

I don't know if this means a hill of beans to anyone...
but I noticed that when using the "Interactive Contour Tool"
in Corel Draw....some people call it the Offset Tool, I like to call it the Outline Tool...
the resulting outline would have way too many nodes defining it, and I'm not sure why.
As a way to reduce the number of nodes, I did a black fill on the image and exported
it as a .jpg file. I then took this .jpg file and ran it through the Vector Magic program,
which reconverted the .jpg back into a vector file.
node test.jpg
node test.jpg (65.27 KiB) Viewed 7270 times
The upper image is the original Corel Draw art, the lower is the .jpg reprocessed back into a vector graphic.
nodes.jpg
nodes.jpg (124.12 KiB) Viewed 7265 times
The original Corel Draw graphic contains 6545 nodes in 56.0KB file size.
The processed image reduced the nodes to 980 in a 31.3KB file size.

I would have to think that less nodes and smaller file sizes would have a direct
effect on process speeds and storage space.

I've also used the Vector Magic program to reproduce other peoples bitmap
image artwork into usable vector art. I've also used it to create vector art
out of hand drawn artwork. It works pretty slick.

That's enough for now, it's getting late...


.....I'm finished....



.
Roderick Treece
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Location: San deigo Calif
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Roderick Treece »

With 6545 nodes , If i were you I'd go to the hospital in slab city right away !
Russ McMullin
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:57 am
Location: Tooele, UT
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Russ McMullin »

Vector Magic is cool, but it's for sissies.
erik winkler
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Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by erik winkler »

Very interesting, i will have to try it with illustrator...
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Jerry Berg
Posts: 369
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: pacific northwest

Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Jerry Berg »

It's being converted to the wrong type of points. You need to have it convert to tangent points that have the handles.
It looks as if it's being converted to the type of points that don't have the flyout control handles. Grab one of the points and you should see that no handles appear. I've had this exact same thing happen to me before.
Robare M. Novou
Posts: 424
Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 11:18 am
Location: Milwaukee
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Robare M. Novou »

My hand aches just looking at this post!

From my experience using Coreldraw over the past 15 years, you do indeed end up with a ton of nodes on the offset contour lines. I have spent many days just focused on reducing the node count on lot of Coreldraw layouts.

When you are in node mode, there is a slider button function on the toolbar. By sliding the button you can decrease the number of nodes on the line you are working on...but this function button is a bit on the lame side, as it distorts the contour line as you eliminate the nodes. So you end up with a less than perfect contour. Needless to say, but I do not use that slider button function. I hand edit all those needless nodes. And my aching wrist will testify to that!

Hey Corel....what gives? What's with all those Nodes on contour mode?

Do other drawing programs such as illustrator, flexi or gerber have excessive nodes on contours?

What say yea all?

UPDATE....I went back and tried the slider button again. It seems to work great for eliminating excessive nodes if you push the slider from 0 to 2. The indicator goes all the way to 100, but anything past 2 and you start to get contour distortion.

I placed several offset outlines (contours) around a text layout. All of which had a million nodes each. I selected one of the outlines and processed it with the node reduction slider button. A couple of clicks and I ended up with a really decent contour, with the minimal amount of nodes. Hey, maybe that slider button really does work after all! There was one node that needed eliminating...but that was the only one. Looks like I will be giving the node reduction slider another try on any future layouts.

Yes Larry, originally all those nodes were line segments, with no handles. After using the node reduction slider button, the nodes that were left were now curves with handles. Cool!

Hey I learned something today! And hopefully so did you.
Last edited by Robare M. Novou on Thu Dec 01, 2011 11:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
What's On Your Book Shelf ?

http://www.milwaukeesignworks.com
Larry White
Posts: 1213
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:18 am

Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Larry White »

Hey Tench, why don't you come out here and say that!

Bragg...in closer examination, the outline in Corel is all "line" segments, not curves...hence probably the need for so many nodes. However, the resulting VM processed graphic, the outlines ARE all curves, with the control handles.

-Blake
erik winkler
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Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by erik winkler »

Larry and Robare,

I tried it in illustrator:
1. Type in text
2. Make outlines
3. Look at the nodes

There was not one node being made extra; seems illustrator does it the way you guys corel want to do it.
Illustrator.jpg
Illustrator.jpg (158.21 KiB) Viewed 7099 times
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Robare M. Novou
Posts: 424
Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 11:18 am
Location: Milwaukee
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Robare M. Novou »

Good to know, Thanks Erik!

RMN
What's On Your Book Shelf ?

http://www.milwaukeesignworks.com
Russ McMullin
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:57 am
Location: Tooele, UT
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Russ McMullin »

My old boss liked to use CorelDraw, and I would see him run into the "way too many nodes" problem. I was always using Illustrator and never had the same trouble. Just an observation.

Actually, Vector Magic is an amazing tool. Illustrator's Live Trace tool isn't even close in my opinion.

Maybe I will come out there to Machine sometime Mr. Blake, if you have any tobacco.
Bill Cosharek
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2004 12:33 am

Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Bill Cosharek »

I thought the newer versions of Coreldraw had better luck with reduced nodes on contour but that might not be true (haven't used that function lately). Another option you might try is (if you are using Corel x3/13 or newer) to 'convert outline thickness to object'. Make an outline by right-clicking on color, adjusting outline properties & thickness,and when it appears correctly, use the convert function to create your outline. You will have to separate & break apart, but I think you will end up with far less node creation that way. Then you can select the new outline & give that a converted thickness also. Separate & delete what doesn't belong. That way won't leave you with thousands of extra nodes to deal with.

Edited in. This method is dependent upon the condition of the source artwork (pre-outlined). Make sure abundance of nodes isn't present before proceeding or if it has any jagged edges which could mess things up also.
Last edited by Bill Cosharek on Sat Dec 03, 2011 12:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mark Summers
Posts: 177
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:03 pm
Location: Frisco, Co
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Re: FYI, Computer Art Node Reduction...

Post by Mark Summers »

I was looking real hard at Vector Magic. Without a doubt it's very good. I settled
on Imagaro Z-Professional. It will identify a font from your stored fonts or it
will actually tell you where you can purchase the font you need. Don't really know
about the node thing though with Imagaro. Just checked my Signlab 8.0 and the nodes are'
pretty reasonable. In any case I can select half of a bunch of nodes and delete
half of them. I do that at times when I have a graphic with a bazillion nodes.
Mark
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