CSC/FAR 020, Computer Graphics, November 21, 2013

Dr. Dale E. Parsonhttp://faculty.kutztown.edu/parson

Outline for week 13Tracing, Live Paint, Live Color, Swatches

Converting a Tracing to Paths

• Place DaleParsonDual/DSC_0012.jpg into a blank Illustrator page. Scale to fit.

• Duplicate twice to get 3 identical layers, make only the top one visible and editable.

• Live Trace -> Photo Low Fidelity on top layer.• Preview with Tracing Options to lower Max Colors, etc.

• It is still a single Object.

• Expand to turn it into a Group of Paths.• Object -> Ungroup to separate Paths.

• Delete this Layer when done.

Manual Trace

• Add a new transparent layer.• Make raster image visible, lock layer.• Select top layer for adding manual Paths.• Selection and other layers can be Locked via the

Object menu.• Make and select a few Objects on this Layer.• Group them, Isolate Selected Object from Control

Panel.• Release in gray upper bar, delete Shape layer.

Live Paint

• Create a closed area (“face”) with multiple Pencil strokes. Use a fairly fat stroke.

• Select all Paths enclosing the area.• Use Live Paint Bucket in conjunction with

Color and Color Guide panels to fill the area.• Double click Paint Bucket to set options.• Color selects color for Color Guide choices.• Both Fill and Stroke colors can be applied.• Option key allows sampling while painting.

Multiple Face Fill

• Double clicking a face in Live Paint Bucket fills across non-stroked edges.

• Triple clicking a face in Live Paint Bucket re-fills that color across the Live Paint Group.

• Merge Live Paint on Control Panel to unify multiple paint groups.

• Live Paint Selection tools selects faces or edges, Shift-click to add to / subtract from.

Live Paint Group Manipulation

• Observe Layer Panel.• Select, Double Click paint group to isolate it.• Click gray area above window to de-isolate.• Expand forms two Path Groups, the previously paint-

filled faces and the previously stroke-color edges.• Object -> Live Paint -> Release unfills and creates

thin-stroked paths.• To manually trace a raster layer, turn on its eyeball,

lower its opacity and lock it.

Tracing to Live Paint Group

• Select a raster image layer.• Trace as before, e.g., low fidelity photo.• Click Live Paint button on Control Panel.• Entire Traced Image becomes a (possibly

overly-complicated) Paint Group.• Object -> Live Paint -> Release and adjust

Stroke size to get a line drawing of the trace.

Line Extraction

• Place a copy of BlackVultures….psd in an empty Illustrator page.

• Check “Flatten Layers to Single Image.”• Live Trace to Grayscale.• Convert Trace to Live Paint.• Optional edit using Live Paint tools.• Object -> Live Paint -> Release.• Set Stroke for line drawing.• You can then re-convert to a paint group, re-edit.

Live Color

• Color Panel sets basic hue.• Color Guide has visual menu of color

combination schemes.• Color Guide Panel menu has Tints / Shades,

Warm / Cool and Vivid / Muted schemes.• Color Guide Options gives resolution.• Color menu also has Invert / Complement

options.

Swatches

• Window -> Swatches• Pull down menu to open swatch libraries.• Most are solid colors.• Patterns give pattern-stamp-like fill.• Gradients give graded color schemes.