more signlab help

[Gordon Forbes]

I posted in another question on how to do this in signlab.

Lock the bitmap (select it and choose lock from menus above)
Get the node edit tool zoom into your picture and physically draw around the part that you want to keep. once you reach all the way round (adding nodes) let the tool close the path.
Then unlock the bitmap and select both images Then from the top tabs (can’t remember exactly which one) find clip or clipping select this and the bitmap image will be cropped to the path you drew round it.
If it doesn’t work the first time reverse the order of the images ie back one to the front (select from order with a rifgt click of the mouse.)

Hope you make sense of this

Goop

[Peter Normington]

Jenny, cadlink have a demo on vectoring, Im sure it is included on signlab 6. if not log into their website, lots of video tutorials vectoring amongs them, Depends on which modules you have, but another way than forbie has suggested (i do most stuff as he describes) Is to posterise the image and reduce the number of colours to 3 or 4 then let signlab trace. all the tools are available when you double click an image.

Peter

[Rod Young]

quote jennywho:

does any one have any tricks on getting images into signlab and tracing them?

• I am not seeing the scan and trace training videos in the CADlink InfoSource section http://www.cadlink.com/infoSource/nfo_sl_tut.php
• You might have the scan and trace training videos included with your SignLab e61 install.
• Go Start menu >> Programs >> SignLab >> SignLab University Samples.
• If you do not see videos that demonstrate scan and trace techniques, then I would recommend obtaining the SignLab University CD.
• Or if you were planning to upgrade to the latest SignLab 7.1, then these videos are definitely included.

To summarize quickly what you need to do:

1. In AccuScan mode, click Posterize and bring the number of colors down to something reasonable.
2. Goal is to create regions of colors that will create good cuttable objects.
3. Click Palette button to display colors in the bitmap.
4. In Image Palette dialog, double-click color to set Target Color.
5. Select similar colors that you want to merge to the Target Color.
6. Click the Merge Color button.
7. Click the Trace Setup button.
8. Line Fit Tolerance = Probably low value to minimize nodes created when tracing.
9. Line Cornering = 1 for many curves and ovals, 5-6 for mixed curves and corners, 10 for many corners and rectangles.
10. Speckle filter = depends, maybe 20 for ignoring little pixels in the bitmap.
11. Snap line degree = set according to whether lines should be forced vertical or horizontal.
12. Small shape accuracy = set tolerance according to small objects, such as text.
13. Overlay = probably off.
14. After the trace settings are okay, click the Vectorization button.
15. Click Close to exit AccuScan mode.
16. Drag your traced artwork aside and compare.

Cheers,

Rod at CADlink

[Peter Normington]

Scan and trace is on the cadlink site
http://www.cadlink.com/infoSource/nfo_sl_prismscan.php

Peter

[Rod Young]

quote Peter Normington:

Scan and trace is on the cadlink site
http://www.cadlink.com/infoSource/nfo_sl_prismscan.php

Peter

Thanks Peter. That’s the one that Jenny needs.

Rod

[jennywho]

thanks Forbie,
i did what you suggested, but that seems like and awful lot of work to have to trace around everything.

[jennywho]

Peter,

Where are you posterizing your image? right in signlab?
Or photoshop or something else?

[Peter Normington]

in sign lab
you need the colour module installed, but double click on the image, then hover your cursor over the tools the icon is a vertical bar with a few colours. look on help to see it, if you cant find it i will do a screenshot, just for you

peter

[jennywho]

Rod,

What is Accuscan mode?
How do i get that?

[jennywho]

quote Peter Normington:

in sign lab
you need the colour module installed, but double click on the image, then hover your cursor over the tools the icon is a vertical bar with a few colours. look on help to see it, if you cant find it i will do a screenshot, just for you

peter

i probably don’t have it installed. do i need to purchase something separate? or is it something i can download? if you want to post a screenshot, that would be great!

[jennywho]

quote Rod Young:

[*]If you do not see videos that demonstrate scan and trace techniques, then I would recommend obtaining the SignLab University CD.

Where would i purchase the CD?

[Peter Normington]

Jenny, have a look at the Cadlink site first, then you will know if you have the module. If not it is worth the upgrade.

Peter

[Rod Young]

quote jennywho:

Rod,
What is Accuscan mode?
How do i get that?

quote Peter Normington:

in sign lab
you need the colour module installed, but double click on the image, then hover your cursor over the tools the icon is a vertical bar with a few colours. look on help to see it, if you cant find it i will do a screenshot, just for you
peter

i probably don’t have it installed. do i need to purchase something separate? or is it something i can download? if you want to post a screenshot, that would be great!

Where would i purchase the CD?

Hi Jenny,

• AccuScan is the feature name for bitmap editing and tracing in SignLab.
• Color bitmap editing is available in the SignLab 7.1 Vinyl Pro package, and the SignLab 7.1 Print and Cut package.
• The different package names are just a means of grouping feature sets.
• If you primarily do cutting, then you want the Vinyl Pro.
• If you do printing, or print and cut, then you want the Print and Cut package.
• If you have AccuScan as part of your product, then double-clicking will activate AccuScan, and the "SmartBar" controls will appear along the top of the workspace.
• Also, if you have a bitmap selected, you can choose Scan Tools (along left side) >> AccuScan.

Rod at CADlink

[jennywho]

I wanted to thank you all for your help!
I took all of the tutorials included with my signlab program and i am convincing my company to upgrade my SignLab Color Master Version 6.1 Revision to the 7.0.
I still don’t have the tracing and converting to paths exactly down yet. and playing with the different settings to get the right effect. when i scan in my bitmap it makes a path of the background and i can’t seem to break it apart. it stays as one piece. anyway…i have learned a lot for the day and once again, thanks!

[Rod Young]

quote jennywho:

I wanted to thank you all for your help!
I took all of the tutorials included with my signlab program and i am convincing my company to upgrade my SignLab Color Master Version 6.1 Revision to the 7.0.
I still don’t have the tracing and converting to paths exactly down yet. and playing with the different settings to get the right effect. when i scan in my bitmap it makes a path of the background and i can’t seem to break it apart. it stays as one piece. anyway…i have learned a lot for the day and once again, thanks!

• I’m glad that you are feeling encouraged, Jenny.
• FYI, the latest SignLab is 7.1
• After tracing a bitmap, the various objects are typically grouped.
• So just perform [Alt + G] to Ungroup them.
• The white background of bitmaps usually gets traced as a rectangle.

[jennywho]

in version 7.1 can you open more than one document at once?
it is frustrating to me that you cannot.

[Nick Minall]

quote jennywho:

in version 7.1 can you open more than one document at once?
it is frustrating to me that you cannot.

Yes you can open multiple windows in SL 7.1

[jennywho]

quote Nick Minall:

quote jennywho:

in version 7.1 can you open more than one document at once?
it is frustrating to me that you cannot.

Yes you can open multiple windows in SL 7.1

w00t!

[Rod Young]

quote jennywho:

in version 7.1 can you open more than one document at once?
it is frustrating to me that you cannot.

• Yes, under the Options menu you can toggle the Multiple Instance item.
• In the CADlink InfoSource forums, I like what Dave Evans had to say about Multiple Instance.

http://www.cadlink.com/support_train/fo … .php?t=156

[Alan Drury]

Jenny, try this. Put a Signlab shortcut on your desktop. To launch SL tap your enter key twice -2 instances of SL should launch. SL 7.1 is more automatic, a new instance will launch by just opening another file if you don’t want another instance use ‘zoom open’
alan D

[jennywho]

i have an image that the client gave me to trace. i can only seem to select certain parts of the image and need to be able to get the inside of it as well. i could email it to you if you want to see it and could help.
send me an email and i will send you the file.

(mod edit – please do not leave contact details admin@uksignboards.com)

[jennywho]

My boss wants to know what are the features that signlab 7.1 has over 6.0. I was wondering if any of you could tell me this? I’m trying to make my case to upgrade.

I already know you can open multiple windows.