8.5 v2 Where is my bezier??

[bobssigns]

Hi all - new to this. My brother has had guys working for him for 5 or 6 years and not having good success. I am helping him get going and am new to flexi. He has a mac 10.5.8.

I have many files that are JPEG and PDF that I need to "cut out". Watching and reading as much as I can I see a tool in "bitmap" called bezier. Select, click "bezier" on the drop down and "Poof" there it is. But it is not there.

I don't have a "bezier" on the bitmap drop down. There is a manual tool but all the videos show a =n automatic one. I try to vectorize and it just highlights the rectangle around the picture. What am I missing?

I have tried using the Mac "preview" in 10.6 and using the tool to do away with the background and saving it. It shows no background but when I import iot it still has a background. Whats up with this?

How do I do this efficiently?

Thankyou for any help you can give.

 

[kheebl]

Go to.

Bitmap---vectorize---bezier. Should be there

 

[Fred Weiss]

SAi, in their infinite wisdom, when they developed Flexi, decided to name a version of auto tracing "Bezier" even with the knowledge that there is a Bezier Pen Tool (shown on the left in the attached picture). Bezier auto tracing like the several other variations available on the menu, all produce a Bezier curve vector as a result. So it can be confusing to discuss.

To get to the Bezier auto trace command, you need to have a bitmap image open in your workspace and it should be selected.

 

[bobssigns]

Thank you for the replies.

It should be there according to all the videos I have seen, but it is not. The JPEG from Fred shows my menu but I do not have "bezier" in the list. I have tried the "auto trace" but it only traces the outside of the background - a rectangle. I know I can use the manual bezier to plot out a path and go thru and smooth it out etc, etc... but the auto bezier tool looks so impressive and fast and more accurate.

As I asked before - is there another way to do this - remove the background of a jpeg or PDF? I have tried OS10.6 Preview app and it seems to do what I want very easily- but when I open in Flexi it puts a background behind the piece.

If I can get thru this one hurdle it will make life SO much easier....!!

Thanks again.

bob

 

[Techman]

jpeg files will always have a background. As do many other bitmap types images. Usually a white box around the image. Remove the background stuff from the image and you will still come back with a white background box.

 

[brycesteiner]

Perhaps the layout has been changed from the default to something like Adobe?

I don't know if this matters or not, but it seems like you have a very old version. OSX 10.5 came out in almost 8 years ago. Perhaps it wasn't included then.

 

[Snydo]

If you are running the Designer version you may not have Bezier, I think that is only included in the Pro version.

 

[bobssigns]

Thanks again.

Ok - if JPEG has backgrounds, what type will save it as a vector (thru Apple Preview) that Flexi 8.5 can open / import without a background? Does a TIFF also create backgrounds? As I said I am fairly new to the world of graphics - been playing with computers for many years - I have an original Apple II with the 2nd version mouse (not using that one anymore!)

Yes it is an old version - but for now it is what I have to work with - no $$ at the inn as it was pilfered thru cash deals and no receipts.

I will double check the version tomorrow- I am pretty sure the banner shows "Pro".

Thank you!

bob

 

[brycesteiner]

1 bit tiffs can save with no background. I'm not sure if Flexi honors it though like Indesign/Illustrator/Quark.

You can also save clipping paths in tiffs that 8 bit or higher.

 

[bobssigns]

Thanks again for the tips. I read some more on file types and found that GIFs are able to store images without backgrounds and tried that - no joy - Flexi won't open/import.

I checked my software and I am using Flexi-Pro 8.5 v2. My vectorize list under "bitmap" only includes the first 4 of Fred's - nothing below "picture cut".

My workspace is set to default.
Where is my bezier (auto) hiding??!?!

 

[mrugen]

Help-About

Go to HELP, then ABOUT and make sure you have either the PRO or DESIGNER version. All other versions will not have that function. If its, not there and you own one of these, then it's an install issue. All of the Flexi features are individual programs, so if it did not install correctly, it could be missing and Flexi will still work. But check carefully, in the about menu i must say PRO not just FlexiSIGN

 

[Fred Weiss]

Thanks again for the tips. I read some more on file types and found that GIFs are able to store images without backgrounds and tried that - no joy - Flexi won't open/import.

I checked my software and I am using Flexi-Pro 8.5 v2. My vectorize list under "bitmap" only includes the first 4 of Fred's - nothing below "picture cut".

My workspace is set to default.
Where is my bezier (auto) hiding??!?!

You're wasting your time searching for a file format that will work. FlexiSign, in the version you're running, does not support transparent backgrounds. So PNG, GIF and TIF with transparency will still be seen by Flexi as having a background.

It is entirely possible that the extra auto tracing functions you cannot find were not present in version 8.5 and might have been introduced with the upgrade to version 8.6.2 which is what I have on my PC and what I made my screen shot with. It is also possible that the extra functions were added to the Windows version of Flexi Pro and not the Mac version.

You might want to consider subscribing to Flexi Cloud which will get you access to the latest version of Flexi which has up to date auto tracing in it. I costs around $50 a month. Or you might consider the same subscription approach with Adobe Illustrator which also has excellent auto tracing functions. You could then save the trace as a vector EPS and bring it into your Flexi 8.5 and position it on the bitmap image there.

Again, I would point out that the name of the function "Bezier" is misleading. There are other tracing functions that are not displaying for you as well. The Bezier tracing function was intended for use on low quality images where a certain level of quality improvement might or might not be a result.

In the attached screen shot, I have opened a JPG file in Flexi and auto traced it with the standard tracing tool. I next moved the original JPG to the left to show the vector paths. Finally I duplicated the vectors and deleted the unwanted vectors. This leaves a set of vectors that can be used as either a cut path or a clipping mask when repositioned on top of the original JPG image.

 

[mrugen]

Use PNG in Flexi for transparent background

You're wasting your time searching for a file format that will work. FlexiSign, in the version you're running, does not support transparent backgrounds. So PNG, GIF and TIF with transparency will still be seen by Flexi as having a background

Actually, PNG file will show up in flexi with transparent background. I imported the logo a PNG format and placed over a rectangle for illustration Used Flexi Cloud, good reason to upgrade.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Actually, PNG file will show up in flexi with transparent background. I imported the logo a PNG format and placed over a rectangle for illustration Used Flexi Cloud, good reason to upgrade.

The discussion is about version 8.5, which does not support transparency, ... not the current cloud version to which I suggested the OP consider subscribing.

 

[mrugen]

Agree with Fred

Yes, Fred, that's right. I just wanted to make it clear that Cloud does support this transparency. Thanks

 

[bobssigns]

Thank you Mark & Fred for the help.

I do indeed have the Flexi Pro 8.5 v2 build 1440. I looked on the install disk, but there is nothing showing separate program tools. I hate to run the installer - I am still on 10.5.8 and if it screws up no one will be able to help ("Oh that old thing - you need to upgrade!"). Is there a download available for the tool?

Fred - I did just what you showed and for this project it worked like a charm.

It sure would be nice to have an auto bezier.

bob

 

[mrugen]

Proceed with Caution

Yes, I agree with you, proceed with EXTREME caution. Go slow, read each menu. IF you decide to install, be sure to change the default install path to something like C:\program files\Flexireinstall or something like this, so that it does not reinstall over an old copy. You wont be able to extract portions of the program. if that's what you were thinking. The Bezier tracing feature was available from version 8.5 onward in the PRO for sure.

One more thing if you bought from SIGN WAREHOUSE, they sold vinylexpress and some features were removed. I believe BEZIER tracing may have been one of them.