preparing a logo for ProAnimator

[Phil Schmidt]

To be a bit more specific, when I import a illustrator file — an error message appears that says “there were no usable vector paths found in this file”

What do I need to do to make it usable?

Thanks

Phil

[Jon Okerstrom]

Hi Phil,

Welcome to our Invigorated world!

ProAnimator and Invigorator need vector-based artwork. (Illustrator lets you create curves, lines and shapes using vectors, which amount to complex math equations behind the scenes.

Your church logo is bit mapped, meaning a sequence of colored pixels. Saving the file in Illustrator format doesn’t convert that bit mapped art to vectors. (Illustrator files can include pixel-based and vector-based art, but Invigorator needs the vectors.)

The best way to get ProAnimator or Invigorator to use pixel-based logos is to use Illustrator’s tools to remake the logo in a vector-based format. This can amount to placing your church logo picture in an Illustrator file, locking it down and using it as a template. Now use Illustrator’s tools to redraw the basic shapes in the logo. You can use autotrace functions available in Illustrator, but you’ll have to do some cleaning up. Remember to keep the shapes simple and convert any text you use to outlines.

This kind of file conversion is a common task for graphic designers around the world. It can be time consuming, but it’s worth the effort.

Before you begin, find out if someone has a the logo in Illustrator format. It’ll save you a lot of time.

Jon

[Phil Schmidt]

Jon:

Thanks for your reply. I am realy going to show my ineptness with illustrator now. I just never have had a use for vector based graphics.

What I am trying to do is pretty much text based, but just has text layered on each other.

This is what happens.

I open up illustrator. Create a letter with text. For learning purposes, all I am doing is one letter for the time being. I save and try to open up in ProAnimator and the error message is “no usable vector paths in the file” so i am not able to import. I go back to Illustrator and rasterize the text, same error message. I go back and do a live trace, same error message. What am I doing wrong? What do I have to do to make a vector based image that will have usable paths for ProAnimator?

I appoligize for the simplicity of the question as I know there are chuckles from those reading as they think “hit the exit button and back away”. 🙂 I need to learn how to do a vector with usable paths.

Thanks

Phil

[Jon Okerstrom]

No problem, Phil.

In Illustrator, select the text and from the text drop-down menu choose ‘create outlines.’ This turns the text objects into normal filled solids.

While we’re talking about text, tracing lots of letters is a big pain and it’s not as precise as figuring out what the original text is, adding that to your system and converting it to outlines. To help out, many font sites allow you to upload a small bit-mapped image sample of the text and will identify the font for you from that.

Jon

[Phil Schmidt]

Jon:

Thanks. I had done that as well but when I saved it still gave me the nothing to render error. I have the CS2 version of Illustrator so I thought I would save it in a differnt version format. I saved it as a illustrator 10 format and it worked great.

Thanks for your help.

Phil

[Jon Okerstrom]

Hi Phil,

When you save your Illustrator CS2 file, try unchecking the compression box.

Jon