Images

Linearity Curve's Auto Trace feature enables you to convert any raster image (JPEG or PNG) into vector artwork.

With this feature, you can create a completely new image based on an existing artwork or a reference photo without drawing the vector shapes by hand. You can trace a sketch you have drawn on paper into vector artwork and scale it as much as you like.

Access the Auto Trace Panel

The Auto Trace panel is a content-aware menu, which means that it will be only visible when an image is selected. The panel will appear automatically at the top of the Style Tab.

In the Auto Trace Panel, you have four Auto Trace modes available

• A – Sketch‍
• B – Illustration
• C – Photo
• D – Basic Shapes

Press the Mode button (2) to select which Auto Trace mode you want to use to trace your image.

The content-aware Auto Trace menu (3) pops up inside the Quick Actions Bar, as soon as you select an image.

Sketch Mode

When the Sketch Mode is selected (1), you will have several options available that will set the following parameters:

• A – Complexity. A lower value will group smaller areas and vice versa. Images with a simple composition of shapes (a foreground and a simple monochromatic background, f.ex.) need a lower complexity value. Images with a complex composition of shapes (a foreground with a complex city panorama as a background, f.ex.) require a higher complexity value.
• B – Contrast. The slider defines a threshold at which numeric value a color is considered black or white. Concerning the contrast slider, a lower value will define more colors as white, and a higher value will define more colors as black.
• 1 – Simplify Path – If you activate Simplify Path, fewer nodes will be created. The mode is best suited for tracing motifs with simple and uncomplicated lines. If the mode is activated, the tracing process will take less time.
• 2 – Ignore White – This feature determines whether Auto Trace converts white areas of the image into vector shapes. When Ignore White is turned on in Sketch Mode, all white areas of the source image will be erased.
• 3 – Keep Source Image – If you activate Keep Source Image, the original raster image will be kept and organized below the traced vector image in the layer hierarchy. The original raster image will be grouped with the traced vector image in the Layers Tab.

Once you have adjusted these settings, tap the Auto Trace Button and wait a few seconds until the process is finished.

Below, you can see examples of different parameter settings:

The Sketch Mode generates only a black and white vector output.

If you want to trace a low contrast image with the Sketch Mode, the contrast setting plays a crucial role in the quality of the final result.

Illustration Mode

When the Illustration Mode is selected (1), you will have a menu with sliders and two buttons available that will control the following parameters:

• A – Detail Level – This slider controls the level of detail in the traced image. A higher value results in a more detailed image, while a lower value produces a cleaner image with less detail. The range for this setting is from 1 to 128.
• B – Color Precision – This setting determines the color precision of the traced image. A higher value results in more precise color matching, while a lower value produces less precise color differentiation. The range for this setting is from 0 to 5.
• С – Gradient Smoothness – This slider adjusts the number of gradient steps and the number of layers generated during tracing. A higher value increases the smoothness of gradients and the number of layers, while a lower value reduces them. The range for this setting is from 1 to 100.
• D – Simplify Path – If you activate Simplify Path, fewer nodes will be created. The mode is best suited for tracing motifs with simple and uncomplicated lines. If the mode is activated, the tracing process will take less time.
• E – Keep Source Image – If you activate Keep Source Image, the original raster image will be kept and organized below the traced vector image in the layer hierarchy. The original raster image will be grouped with the traced vector image in the Layers Tab.

Once you have adjusted the settings mentioned above, tap the Auto Trace Button and wait a few seconds until the tracing process is finished.

The Illustration Mode is only applicable on an A12 processor or its corresponding devices, such as the iPhone XR / iPad Air 3rd gen and newer, and M1 MacBooks or higher.

The importance of Illustration Mode parameters

Above, you can see an example of how the Detail Level, Color Precision, and Gradient Smoothness parameters play an essential role in the final result:

For complex illustrations, we recommend setting the Detail Level to a high value (between 100-128) and the Color Precision to 4 or 5 to achieve more precise color matching. Adjust the Gradient Smoothness to a higher value (around 80-100) for smoother gradients.

For flat illustrations, we recommend reducing the Detail Level to a lower value (between 1-20) and setting the Color Precision to 0 or 1 for less precise color differentiation. Adjust the Gradient Smoothness to a lower value (between 1-20) to reduce the number of gradient steps.

For painting illustrations, as in the example below, set the Detail Level to a high value (around 100-128) and the Color Precision to 4 or 5 for detailed and precise color matching. Adjust the Gradient Smoothness to a medium value (around 50-70) to balance the gradient steps. Auto Trace will merge all gradients into one color if there is any gradient. You can check the results by activating the Outline Mode.

Photography Mode

The Photography Panel contains a few options for optimizing your Auto Trace results:

• A – Detail Level – This slider controls the level of detail in the traced image. A higher value results in a more detailed image, while a lower value produces a cleaner image with less detail. The range for this setting is from 1 to 128.
• B – Color Precision – This setting determines the color precision of the traced image. A higher value results in more precise color matching, while a lower value produces less precise color differentiation. The range for this setting is from 0 to 5.
• С – Gradient Smoothness – This slider adjusts the number of gradient steps and the number of layers generated during tracing. A higher value increases the smoothness of gradients and the number of layers, while a lower value reduces them. The range for this setting is from 1 to 100.
• D – Simplify Path – If you activate Simplify Path, fewer nodes will be created. The mode is best suited for tracing motifs with simple and uncomplicated lines. If the mode is activated, the tracing process will take less time.
• E – Keep Source Image – If you activate Keep Source Image, the original raster image will be kept and organized below the traced vector image in the layer hierarchy. The original raster image will be grouped with the traced vector image in the Layers Tab.

These settings work together with our advanced algorithm for more realistic and precise results. Once you have adjusted these settings, click the Auto Trace Button and wait a few seconds for the process to finish.

Basic Shapes

This mode is designed for low-detail elements, generating fewer shapes to simplify the editing process. It is ideal for projects where simplicity and ease of manipulation are prioritized, allowing for quicker and more efficient adjustments.

When the Basic Shapes Mode is selected, you will have a menu with sliders and two buttons available that will control the following parameters:

• A – Detail Level – This slider controls the level of detail in the traced image. A higher value results in a more detailed image, while a lower value produces a cleaner image with less detail. The range for this setting is from 1 to 128.
• B – Color Precision – This setting determines the color precision of the traced image. A higher value results in more precise color matching, while a lower value produces less precise color differentiation. The range for this setting is from 0 to 5.
• С – Gradient Smoothness – This slider adjusts the number of gradient steps and the number of layers generated during tracing. A higher value increases the smoothness of gradients and the number of layers, while a lower value reduces them. The range for this setting is from 1 to 100.
• D – Simplify Path – If you activate Simplify Path, fewer nodes will be created. The mode is best suited for tracing motifs with simple and uncomplicated lines. If the mode is activated, the tracing process will take less time.
• E – Keep Source Image – If you activate Keep Source Image, the original raster image will be kept and organized below the traced vector image in the layer hierarchy. The original raster image will be grouped with the traced vector image in the Layers Tab.

As soon as you have adjusted the previously mentioned settings, click the Auto Trace button, and a few seconds later, the resulting vector image will be displayed.

How to Optimize Auto Trace Results

In the Auto Trace panel you find also three toggles that help you improve your workflow and obtain optimal tracing results. These new toggles are Simplify (1),  Ignore White (2), and Keep Source Image (3).

Simplify

Auto Trace will create vector shapes with fewer nodes if you activate the toggle Simplify. This mode is optimal for tracing an image with simple, uncomplicated shapes. If you activate the simplify mode, the time required for the tracing process will be significantly reduced.

Ignore White

When you activate the Sketch Mode in Auto Trace, you then have the option to toggle the Ignore White feature on and off.  With the new Ignore White feature, you can define if Auto Trace creates vector shapes out of white image areas or not.  When Ignore White is turned on while in Sketch Mode, all the white areas of the source image will be erased.

If you trace an image with the Ignore White toggle turned on , the tracing process results are shapes organized as compound paths. This means that any path-related editing will affect the entire compound path structure. You can create a compound path from two or more open or closed paths. When you create a compound path, all of the originally selected paths are converted to subpaths of a new compound path. The selected paths inherit the stroke and fill settings of the object the farthest back in the stacking order. If you want to separate the compound paths, select the paths and tap the Separate icon button in the Path section.

When Ignore White is turned off , the resulting paths from the tracing process will be organized as a group, visible inside the Layers Tab.

Keep Source Image

If you activate Keep Source Image , the original image will be kept after the tracing process is finished. The original image is organized below the newly traced image in the layer hierarchy. Both layers, the traced image, and the original image are grouped in the Layers Tab.

‍How to Edit the Vectorized Image

Once your image has been transformed into vector shapes, you can edit the paths afterward.

⚠️  The Auto Trace feature is a destructive operation, meaning that once you have converted the image into vectors, you can no longer access or adjust the tracing options. The only option to revert the changes is by undoing the operation.

To edit your traced image, you can either add or remove nodes using the Node Tool, or you can go to the Path section and adjust the vectorized shapes by tapping the Delete Nodes button.