List of some third party vectorization & tracing tools

[loukash]

4 hours ago, v_kyr said:

IMO the AI in it‘s naming means just that it can export to Ai vector format

Weeeelllll… only that it's just a regular plain Quartz PDFContext export with the *.ai extension instead of *.pdf…  
But all right by me, it doesn't do any harm.

[v_kyr]

10 hours ago, loukash said:

Nice, for 10 bucks a no-brainer purchase. On a quick test it works fast and the results are good.

Jip, it offers quick turnarounds on macOS and also offers a center-line tracing mode (aka skeletize), which is often needed for tracing outline bitmaps.

VectorMagic in contrast offers still a better color quantization and rounded curves (pixels) detection, but misses center-line tracing.

[Feelmyself]

On 11/7/2023 at 2:45 AM, ashf said:

Super Vectorizer Pro is on 50% off sale now.
There are two versions. one is new "AI" version,  one is classic version.
I did not know that there is AI version myself.
I thought its development has stalled since the classic version hasn't been updated for years.

AI
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/super-vectorizer-pro-ai-vector/id1152204742

Classic
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/super-vectorizer-image-to-vector-graphic/id704139979

 I finally got both versions. One forum stated that there are some differences between the Pro and basic version about the line vectorization.

For example,  It is the orginal icon.

 

Vectorized by Super Vectorizer Pro:

 

 

 

 

Vectorized by Super Vectorizer (basic version):

 

You will find that the final vectorized color by Super Vectorizer (basic version) is better than that vectorized by the Pro version.

The line is more centralized with Super Vectorizer (basic version).

logo vectorized by Super Vectorizer.pdflogo vectorized by Super Vectorizer Pro.pdf

My job should deal with vectorization a lot. Both versions are useful to me. Super Vectorizer Pro always does a great job.  However in some cases Super Vectorizer (basic version) works better. It speeds up my work process.  I will still recommend it even in it's full price.

[deepblue]

I've been using Super Vectorizer Pro for a while now. But I have to say vectorizing via the website https://vectorizer.ai/ really works perfectly for my things.
Unfortunately, this is only a beta and limited in time. But the results speak for themselves.

[Medical Officer Bones]

Throwing a left-field curve ball here and mention OpenToonz. 🙂

OpenToonz features an excellent bitmap to vector conversion tool that works for both center line as well as outlined vectors. It will convert black and white and colour art, and works on multiple drawings for animations too! The result can be exported as SVG.

Also handy: the built-in bitmap/scan cleanup tools make short work of cleaning up art/sketches before conversion to vectors.

All for free in this open source animation software (both Windows and Mac) which is used in traditional hand-drawn animation (such as in Mary and the Witch's Flower).

The only drawback is that it will take more of an initial learning effort, but it isn't that hard.

https://opentoonz.github.io/e/

Tutorial:

 

[MmmMaarten]

@v_kyr

If you want to expand your list; I recently used the tracing feature inside VectorStyler and that one was pretty good I'd say. So you might want to add that to your list.

BTW I only have VectorStyler for 'just in case' I need some special feature Designer has not yet included, like this tracing now. But I honestly never used it for anything other than tracing so far, as it's way too much like Illustrator for me (and doesn't have the improvements over Illustrator as Designer has and is crashing often, while designer is way more stable). But its also great to see there's more competition on vectortools nowadays and that's good for everybody.

Moho Pro (animation software) also has a tracing feature BTW, but although that can give quite good results some times, it's not detailed or sufficient enough other times. And people using Moho already know that the feature exists, so won't look here to find this list anyways and it's a little expansive to buy only for the trace feature since there are alternatives. It's great value when also doing animation though.

[v_kyr]

40 minutes ago, MmmMaarten said:

If you want to expand your list; ... VectorStyler ... Moho Pro ...

You probably haven't read through the whole thread here ...

... since using VS as a tracer had been already mentioned before and my thoughts were then ...

Quote

... Though on the other side in order for just tracing bitmap/raster images, there are other much cheaper commercial and also a bunch of quite good freeware tracing tools available.

Thus I won‘t place VS directly to the above list, since otherwise would have to add Illustrator & CorelDraw etc. too there then, since all or most of those vector graphics tools have and offer the one or other tracing facilities.

All in all I don't know if it makes much sense here in this overview thread at all to also list every other (the more expensive) available commercial graphics tool here, which then comes along with an own build-in vectorization/tracing facility. Meaning IMHO nobody is buying VS, Moho Pro, Illustrator ... etc. here just in order for using only it's vectorization/tracing parts then. Most people will intead probably use more some freeware or cheap third party solution as an accompanied tracer to Affinity software then. And those who do use other full blown commercial graphics apps (with build-in vectorization/tracing facilities) do either way know that such other tools then offer their own bitmap-to-vector tracing capabilities.

[MmmMaarten]

1 hour ago, v_kyr said:

All in all I don't know if it makes much sense here in this overview thread at all to also list every other (the more expensive) available commercial graphics tool here

I wouldn't know a reason why not to as there's quite a lot of differences between the quality of tools and VectorStyler isn't very expensive, but maybe I'm missing something. Just wanted to help you with your thread. But no worries, it's your thread. Do whatever you like.

Best whishes for 2024! 

[v_kyr]

1 hour ago, MmmMaarten said:

I wouldn't know a reason why not to as there's quite a lot of differences between the quality of tools and VectorStyler isn't very expensive. But it's your thread. Do whatever you like.

If the majority of people think it makes sense to list all vectorization/tracing capable tools, so no matter if they are to the Affinity suite competing full blown commercial graphics apps, then I can add another section list for all such tools.

Update: in the meantime I added a few well known of the commercial ones to the list. And also another animation freeware one suggested lately by a forum user.

[Boldlinedesign]

8 hours ago, MmmMaarten said:

as it's way too much like Illustrator for me (and doesn't have the improvements over Illustrator as Designer has and is crashing often, while designer is way more stable).

I'm glad you like VS. I use it as my primary vector editing software and use Affinity Designer on occasion. I agree its a lot like illustrator in how it's set up. What improvements do you feel it's missing over illustrator that Designer has? What are you doing that it crashes often? It's been fairly stable for me to use but maybe you're doing something else with it?

[walt.farrell]

8 hours ago, Boldlinedesign said:

What improvements do you feel it's missing over illustrator that Designer has? What are you doing that it crashes often? It's been fairly stable for me to use but maybe you're doing something else with it?

That's a very off-topic discussion for this topic in these forums, and for the Affinity forums in general. I would respectfully suggest that it should be held elsewhere (on a VS discussion forum would be best), to keep this topic and these forums to their intended purpose.

[v_kyr]

9 hours ago, Boldlinedesign said:

I'm glad you like VS. I use it as my primary ...

This thread's main intense is about vectorization/tracing tools, so concrete about that specific bitmap-to-vector tracing theme/materia. - So not for whatever other general app related things here!

[Boldlinedesign]

On 1/2/2024 at 6:38 AM, walt.farrell said:

That's a very off-topic discussion for this topic in these forums, and for the Affinity forums in general. I would respectfully suggest that it should be held elsewhere (on a VS discussion forum would be best), to keep this topic and these forums to their intended purpose.

I'm not sure I understand the problem. Others in the same thread discuss the pros and cons of multiple vector software options. In fact, the thread itself is about 3rd party software. Someone else referenced vectorstyler and then claimed it crashed often, etc. How is it not within the scope of the thread topic to ask what caused the crash, etc. ? 

I'm not sure I'm understanding the hostility people seem to have in regards to discussing other vector software on a third party software thread on the affinity forum. 

[walt.farrell]

25 minutes ago, Boldlinedesign said:

I'm not sure I understand the problem. Others in the same thread discuss the pros and cons of multiple vector software options. In fact, the thread itself is about 3rd party software. Someone else referenced vectorstyler and then claimed it crashed often, etc. How is it not within the scope of the thread topic to ask what caused the crash, etc. ? 

I'm not sure I'm understanding the hostility people seem to have in regards to discussing other vector software on a third party software thread on the affinity forum. 

The topic is about vector tracing, and which apps can do it to assist Affinity users. It is not about how to improve 3rd-party tools, and you'll notice that the part of your post I quoted was asking for how VS could be improved. That is not of interest to Affinity users, in my opinion, unless you were asking specifically how its vector tracing could be improved (which was not how I read your comment).