8 Years Later, Still NO AutoTrace (convert raster image to vector)

[Distanzia]

Here's a thread from 2014...  It's crazy to think that you would have implemented this by now (2022) unless you're going the Reason Studios route, "We know what you need, you don't!"  unless I'm missing something.... 

 

[ATP]

I rarely use Designer but when I do 90% of the time I'm converting raster to vector and this tool would make the process 100x faster. So much productivity would be gained in this task if only they kindly would implement this tool.

[debraspicher]

1 minute ago, ATP said:

I rarely use Designer but when I do 90% of the time I'm converting raster to vector and this tool would make the process 100x faster. So much productivity would be gained in this task if only they kindly would implement this tool.

I just use Inkscape>Trace Bitmap (free, multi-plat) and import in as SVG. If you needed an alternative.

[ATP]

3 minutes ago, debraspicher said:

I just use Inkscape>Trace Bitmap (free, multi-plat) and import in as SVG. If you needed an alternative.

Thank you. I could almost just uninstall Designer now 😐

Affinity Photo is still quite excellent though.

[Distanzia]

List of workarounds, slows workflow down, but yea, we don't get to decide what Affinity want to integrate.  

 Inkscape

DragPotrace mac

Potrace cli

imagetracerjs javascript

Autotracer.org, web

Rapid Resizer, web

 Vectorization.org, web

Vectorizer free tier available, web

Image Vectorizer $5, mac

Super Vectorizer $40, mac

Vector Magic $295, mac and windows

[Artsketch]

And Vectornator

[ashf]

VTracer is the best so far among free ones.
https://www.visioncortex.org/vtracer/

[Artwo]

Yes, I was a disappointed too.. I still have to use an old version of Illustrator to do that

[Visual Foundry]

5 hours ago, Distanzia said:

Here's a thread from 2014...  It's crazy to think that you would have implemented this by now (2022) unless you're going the Reason Studios route, "We know what you need, you don't!"  unless I'm missing something.... 

 

"We know what you need, you don't!"... I really think that this is what is going on here!

[Julian23]

Photoline (www.pl32.com) also has conversion to vector for at least 22 years. 

It also has RAW embedding since many years. It is also just one application with photo/publishing and vector capabilities - for 59€

[Dave57000]

I thought V2 would have AutoTrace, SO disappointed thinking twice about upgrade!

[Distanzia]

Gals and Guys, all we can do is share this (If you want to) to other forums and or friends and like the thread ... maybe, JUST maybe they might think about it… 

[Paul Martin]

20 hours ago, Distanzia said:

Here's a thread from 2014...  It's crazy to think that you would have implemented this by now (2022) unless you're going the Reason Studios route, "We know what you need, you don't!"  unless I'm missing something.... 

 

It rather depends upon the quality of "tracing" that you expect. I bought Vector Magic which sells at £200+ because I often convert pixel to vector. It is a sophisticated product but even so often disappoints. I think your expectation is a little excessive. £200+ for one feature compared to £90 for three excellent programmes? You could always use one of the online conversion products just when you need it, of course.

[AITCH]

1 hour ago, Dave57000 said:

I thought V2 would have AutoTrace, SO disappointed thinking twice about upgrade!

It's all I am waiting for Affinity to add then I will upgrade

[Dave57000]

Im sure Affinity will make really good when thay do it.

[2ddpainter]

I love Affinity Designer for some Features
but i dont think there will be a Vectortracer.

I always wonder about people's patience to wait 8 years
for a feature that has long been standard in other programs
and still hope it comes in Affinity Designer.

[awakenedbyowls]

One of the first things I missed when I first started using Affinity Designer

In hindsight though, the auto-trace feature on Illustrator was never that good anyway:

- for complicated traces it always looked garbage, and

- for simple traces you might as well just do it yourself?

I recently figured out that to trace objects using the Pen Tool - just set the nodes to Sharp and then change them all to Smooth at the end (and adjust)

I'm planning on upgrading tomorrow, but as far as this feature is concerned I'm really not that bothered anymore

[loukash]

Just the other day I tried Vector Q:
apps.apple.com/app/vector-q/id1448103717
Its "vectorizer" is not all that shabby for a freebie. Interesting set of presets.
Exchange with Affinity is possible via PDF/SVG/EPS export.

[tux0r]

Hi,

I just registered here to support that feature. Surprisingly, among those which I’ve tried, Corel‘s PowerTRACE has been the only really good tool for this; however, as I’ve been an Affinity Designer user for quite a while, I wonder if there’ll be a chance to have this as well.

[lepr]

There was a statement by a Serif representative a few years ago which was something like "Serif will not be releasing a vectoriser until we can do it better than everyone else."

[v_kyr]

In the meantime (until an indefinite unspecified future related to this theme) there are some third party tracers which can be used as workarounds ...

 

[tux0r]

None of those are really great though, in my opinion. The quality is often lacking, even with “high” quality settings.

[v_kyr]

1 minute ago, tux0r said:

None of those are really great though, in my opinion. The quality is often lacking, even with “high” quality settings.

Then you did something wrong here, as one or two of them are among the best available in this overal image tracing/vectorization discipline.

[tux0r]

Probably! But I also throw some quite hard images at them, distorted photos taken from a distance and such.

[v_kyr]

4 minutes ago, tux0r said:

Probably! But I also throw some quite hard images at them, distorted photos taken from a distance and such.

Hard to tell without seeing samples here and so what Corel‘s PowerTRACE does generate in comparison out of those photos then (in contrast to those marked with *** or ** on the above list).