I've enclosed a small .CDR file so that we don't have to speak in hypotheticals and so that everyone is in the same place. The .CDR file consists of a small page and an imported non-aliased (stairstepping) .PNG file.
First question: How do I trace this so that I get a circle with a smooth appearance, and it is three pixels thick; and the interior lines are straight and two pixels thick?
Second question (once the raster file is traced): How do I edit one of the spokes so that it is bent (V-shaped)?
Third question: How do I fill the interior wedge-shapes with non-white, non-blue colors?
Thomas:First question: How do I trace this so that I get a circle with a smooth appearance,
Press F7, hold down Ctrl key and draw your circle
Thomas:and it is three pixels thick
With your circle already selected, press F12 and choose "pixels" as units, then select the width that you want. Remember that the width is relative to the size of the object, if you have a big circle you need more width.
Thomas:and the interior lines are straight
Press F5, click on the center of the circle and only move (without pressing the mouse button) to draw your straight line.
If you don't know how to find the center (is showing when you select the circle but dissapears when you select other object), just try this: center the circle on the page (just select the circle and press P), drag an horizontal Guide from the horizontal ruler, and press P to center on the page. Do the same with a vertical Guide on the vertical rule. Now, you will have both guides on the center of the page, and the center of the circle is the central point .
Thomas:and two pixels thick?
same as before, press F12 and choose the width
Thomas:Second question (once the raster file is traced): How do I edit one of the spokes so that it is bent (V-shaped)?
There's at least two ways to do it:
- use the Smart Fill tool and click on each portion, then change the color
- make a duplicate of the circle (just press + on the numeric keypad to create the duplicate) and select the Shape tool (F10), you will see a node on the top of the circle, select and move it. If you move the mouse outside the circle it shows as an arc, if you move the mouse inside the circle you will have a portion of a cake.
Thomas:Third question: How do I fill the interior wedge-shapes with non-white, non-blue colors?
select it and press Shift+F12 or right click on the color palette. Also, you can convert the outlines on objects (to prevent distort if you redue or enlarge) by pressign Ctrl+Shift+Q
Ariel Garaza Díaz
arielgaraza.com
Wow, you completely skipped everything that I was asking about. I wasn't asking "How do I draw a perfect circle?", I was asking "How do I get Trace to work? How do I isolate individual lines, add nodes to them and move them?"
Let me spell out my question: I trace my figure -- but I can't get it to look like a circle of thickness two pixels. The line is not smooth, and not of constant thickness -- how do I fix that? But I Click "OK," then click "Ungroup all," then click on a spoke. When I do that, I'm hoping to see only the two points at either end of the spoke (one point in the circle, and one in the center) light up. But no, the whole figure lights up (despite choosing "Ungroup all"). If I try to move the spoke, I wind up moving the whole figure. So I can't add nodes to the spoke so I can bend it.
Thomas:Let me spell out my question: I trace my figure
Don't TRACE the image, because is a low resolution bitmap. Use the Circle tool (F7), hold Ctrl key to draw a circle and create a new image. Same for the rest.
Thomas, as I see it, Ariel wasn't ignoring your question at all.
He was explaining the best way to accomplish your task.
Trying to trace a crappy jpg is a lost cause. Recreating this simple logo, using the tools Ariel described is definitely the way to go.
Quick, easy and precise.
THIS IS NOT A JOB FOR AUTO-TRACE.
Auto-tracing is like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow ear! Recreating manually is the only way!