Exporting Vector Art?
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
Exporting Vector Art?
Is there any way to export vector art/layers from Anime Studio Pro? Any scripts out there that can do such a thing?
I use AS for print as well as animation. Some times I want clean small vector EPS artwork in Illustrator format so I export to Flash (1 frame) from AS then open the AS file in Flash and export to Illustrator or EPS. That's the "simple" explanation. there is a little more fiddling needed on some things to get smooth circles and curves and also variable line widths turn into filled shapes attached to strokes which can be odd. It usually gives me what I need. It is not always a perfect translation.
-vern
-vern
I'm no programmer but I guess It must be too difficult to to create an AS Lua script that exports to an AI format directly from AS as there has been many requests for this on the forum over the years. I know you can export an SWF from AS, import the SWF into Flash and then export it out as an AI file but I wonder what the main problem is that stops a scripter from creating a script that could do this from AS?
Genete? Vern? systhsin75?
I would buy such a script for sure!!!
Just curious.
D.K
Genete? Vern? systhsin75?
I would buy such a script for sure!!!
Just curious.
D.K
The export to SWF is part of the rendering or animation export. I don't know for sure if there is a reason it couldn't be done using a script, however, translating AS curves to AI would probably give the same results.
I won't even suggest I will try to look into this because... I say that too much already and never get around to it. It's not high on my list at the moment.
-vern
I won't even suggest I will try to look into this because... I say that too much already and never get around to it. It's not high on my list at the moment.
-vern
Vern.....If you do write such a script you should put it up on Content Paradise and sell it. I would be more than happy to pay for such a handy tool and I bet there are a lot of others who would too,...people who own Illustrator but don't own Flash would need it for a start. Personally, I don't care if some of the exported vectors are a little out, those little glitches are generally quite easy to fix.
Cheers
D.K
Cheers
D.K
That's a really hard task. Not only for the length and complexity of the script but for the need to learn the AI format. Is AI format documentation open?. And finally: who does that would have a native AI reader not an interpreter (like Inkscape) to be sure that the file is properly produced.
We are telling the people: "learn to draw in AS instead on import vector art, it is less time consuming, bla, bla bla...". Does it make sense to draw in AS and export it to AI for only have a vectorized image of one of our animation frame? Why don't export to png with a high resolution and import it as an image into whatever other printing software?. And (applying our own advices), why don't just trace over using AI? If you import from AI you'll obtain several special effects that maybe cannot be properly achieved into AI.
Ups! My words seems to be from an upset person... which is not my current feeling!
-G
We are telling the people: "learn to draw in AS instead on import vector art, it is less time consuming, bla, bla bla...". Does it make sense to draw in AS and export it to AI for only have a vectorized image of one of our animation frame? Why don't export to png with a high resolution and import it as an image into whatever other printing software?. And (applying our own advices), why don't just trace over using AI? If you import from AI you'll obtain several special effects that maybe cannot be properly achieved into AI.
Ups! My words seems to be from an upset person... which is not my current feeling!
-G
Hi Genete.
Here's one reason I can think of why someone would want to export to AI or another vector format like EPS directly from AS.
Recently I had the task of creating several sweets labels for a large confectionery company. I created the main design in CorelDraw except for a character that featured in the design. I opted to make the character in AS because it takes no time at all. (Personally doing this in Corel or Illustrator is an absolute pita). So....I created the character then exported high quality png files with transparent backgrounds from AS and imported them into Corel, placed them into the design....all was fine. I delivered the artwork to the client and started on a new project. 3 weeks later I get an email from the client wanting the character I did in the design supplied in vector format as they wanted to be able to resize and recolour things ......I had to completely redo the character in CorelDraw and it took hours, but if I could have had importd even a rough vector outline of the original AS character as a starting point it would have been a lot faster to tweak rather than replot it in CorelDraw or Illustrator.
I think AS is fantastic for character work. CorelDraw, Illustrator, fantastic for conventional design....if we could get them to speak to each other a little they would make a great team!
Cheers
D.K
Here's one reason I can think of why someone would want to export to AI or another vector format like EPS directly from AS.
Recently I had the task of creating several sweets labels for a large confectionery company. I created the main design in CorelDraw except for a character that featured in the design. I opted to make the character in AS because it takes no time at all. (Personally doing this in Corel or Illustrator is an absolute pita). So....I created the character then exported high quality png files with transparent backgrounds from AS and imported them into Corel, placed them into the design....all was fine. I delivered the artwork to the client and started on a new project. 3 weeks later I get an email from the client wanting the character I did in the design supplied in vector format as they wanted to be able to resize and recolour things ......I had to completely redo the character in CorelDraw and it took hours, but if I could have had importd even a rough vector outline of the original AS character as a starting point it would have been a lot faster to tweak rather than replot it in CorelDraw or Illustrator.
I think AS is fantastic for character work. CorelDraw, Illustrator, fantastic for conventional design....if we could get them to speak to each other a little they would make a great team!
Cheers
D.K
There is a way. You just need Flash. Export from AS, into Flash, export from Flash, into Illustrator. No problem ...
Well, sort of. I tested with just one file, so there may be complications somewhere. The representation of lines and points is as accurate as Flash is. You will not be able to use AS masks or gradients (see manual). (Tip: if really really necessary, you might want to duplicate your mask layer, make it a normal vector layer, and export it separately to use it as a mask in Flash or Illustrator.)
Export from Flash as image can be in Illustrator or EPS format. I prefer the second because the colours were my RGB colours. Exporting as AI converted everything into CMYK in an ugly way - I prefer to do that later in Illustrator, with more control.
"But I still need Flash!" Yes. But you might not need it yourself. Your client might own it, or you have a friend who doesn't mind to let you use his application for 5 minutes.
Well, sort of. I tested with just one file, so there may be complications somewhere. The representation of lines and points is as accurate as Flash is. You will not be able to use AS masks or gradients (see manual). (Tip: if really really necessary, you might want to duplicate your mask layer, make it a normal vector layer, and export it separately to use it as a mask in Flash or Illustrator.)
Export from Flash as image can be in Illustrator or EPS format. I prefer the second because the colours were my RGB colours. Exporting as AI converted everything into CMYK in an ugly way - I prefer to do that later in Illustrator, with more control.
"But I still need Flash!" Yes. But you might not need it yourself. Your client might own it, or you have a friend who doesn't mind to let you use his application for 5 minutes.
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funksmaname
- Posts: 3174
- Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 11:31 am
- Location: New Zealand
DK - if they didn't specifically ask for the character to be a vector when they briefed you on the project then it's quite normal for you to say 'I don't have it as an EPS because I used AS. If you need it as EPS now, then I will have to charge you to convert it as it's mostly a manual process...
...but btw - if you want the character animated, that's pretty easy now
"
...but btw - if you want the character animated, that's pretty easy now
"Ok here's an idea, it might be lame or just plain wrong, or even suggested earlier and I was do dozy too realise, but here goes.
Export as image ( with or ) without the fills and convert to vector using illustrator or streamline or some such ? Sounds stoopid huh, might save some time and get the job done though.
Export as image ( with or ) without the fills and convert to vector using illustrator or streamline or some such ? Sounds stoopid huh, might save some time and get the job done though.
Thanks for the encouragemnet DK!
I think AI uses PDF as the native file format now (since version 8?). I think AI just puts AI specific "AI" things in the PDF format. PDF has all the same stuff as AI, curves, text, fills, strokes etc. Adobe invented PDF so it makes sense.
For me, trying to learn and parse the PDF/AI format is beyond my skills. It probably could be done. I know that the current EPS/AI import in AS reads and parses the format which could be done with a script, I just am not familiar enough with it to try it the other way.
I get very dizzy and sleepy thinking about how to convert AS curves to AI bezier curves...
-vern
I think AI uses PDF as the native file format now (since version 8?). I think AI just puts AI specific "AI" things in the PDF format. PDF has all the same stuff as AI, curves, text, fills, strokes etc. Adobe invented PDF so it makes sense.
For me, trying to learn and parse the PDF/AI format is beyond my skills. It probably could be done. I know that the current EPS/AI import in AS reads and parses the format which could be done with a script, I just am not familiar enough with it to try it the other way.
I get very dizzy and sleepy thinking about how to convert AS curves to AI bezier curves...
-vern