Converting Pixels to Vector

[Nevermore]

Tragically, hopelessly new to this game.  I bought Illustrator many years ago and gave it away: despite having learned a lot of software programs from scratch, I could not wrap my head around it. I was a bit depressed to see the pricing when I decided I should try again. A quick Google brought up Affinity as a possible substitute and I am in the middle of the trial period. Either I have changed or something is wonderful about this program because I seem to be able to use it. So far, amazingly good. I am not a professional. I use Photoshop daily and after more than a decade can more or less use the program with ease.  What I would like to be able to do (and don't see anything in the help manual or the videos or this forum) is convert some of my voluminous stash (mainly .pngs) to vectors. If that is not something that can be done, fine. But if it can be done I am extremely interested. And if this is a ridiculous question that does nothing more than expose the depths of my ignorance, my apologies.

[MEB]

Hello Nevermore,

Welcome to Affinity Forums.

There's no ridiculous questions here.

What you are asking for is called automatic tracing and it's a feature we currently don't have in Affinity Designer.

Some users already requested it a couple times and its under consideration but it may take a while until we decide when or if it's worth the time and resources to implement it properly. Meanwhile there's some third party software that may help you doing the tracing: Inkscape, Vector Magic, VectorPro and Pro Color etc.. There's already a thread discussing this in the forum. I will post a link here if I find it.

[Nevermore]

Thank you for the references. I will take a peak at them. I have read enough of these forums to understand the Affinity go forward plan (the roadmap and all that) so I won't bother waving my hand around asking for this ability. I am still so gobsmacked I can actually use this software that asking for anything else seems downright greedy. Off to Google your references.

[MEB]

I would start with Vector Magic. It isn't cheap but it's clearly on a league of its own.

Other options i haven't mentioned previously: Image Vectorizer, Super Vectorizer (never tried this one).

[Nevermore]

I will check out the two others you mentioned. I ended up with Inkscape because it is free. My work is usually done in PS, I am using Affinity just to poke away at my comfort zone. The ability to convert to vectors may become less and less important to me as I learn to actually do my own stuff. 'Tis to be hoped. So not terribly motivated to pay a lot of money for the tool. Note to anyone who is new at this: Inkscape is okay but you have to load something else to use it (way too technical for me to explain but if you actually read the screen prompts you will get there sooner or later--way later for me but I am technically challenged). It is not fun to use and seems incredibly balky but it does convert and it is free so can't gripe.

 

RE: new references. Image Vectorizer looks wonderful and is quite cheap but it is not available in Canada so I am out of luck. Super Vectorizer is reasonably priced and on sale for Christmas at $20.

[supervolting]

I also would have recommended to start with Inkscape (because it's free!) and it's also a decent Vector program.

[Hokusai]

supervolting,

 

I agree with you, Inkscape is a very powerful vector program but the original poster needs something user-friendly and easy to use, that isn't Inkscape. Inkscape's user-interface is horrible. Sure it is powerful but just not  user-friendly at all. Affinity Design has, in my opinion, a relatively easy learning curve. I think it is more intuitive in many areas than Illustrator. While Inkscape is free, I would gladly pay for a program that had a better user-interface (and it is well worth it). Affinity Designer is powerful and yet it won't break the bank so there is no reason not to use it to learn more about drawing and using vectors.

[peter]

Hi nevermore, at the risk of sounding repetitive. AD feels user friendly: because it is more or less shaped by the wishes of us forum users. Added to that 20 odd years of getting things right, over in Windows. Affinity has hit the ground running, by being the runner up in App of the year 2014 in a matter of weeks after going live. I've come to the conclusion now, that BETA really should be pronounced BETTER :P 'cos that's how it's going!

 

As for change, Adobe has got photoshop right; make no mistake. Whereas Illustrator just wants to build up a wall of resistance, to any sense of fluidity. So I don't use it. You haven't changed, but your workflow will...for the better.