ベクター化

Vectorize

Raster image in, threshold vector out — as a contour path or a line-fill SVG.

Vectorize converts a photo or graphic into black and white using a brightness threshold and turns the result into a real vector: either closed contour paths (for cutting or editable shapes) or a line-fill SVG built from horizontal scan runs (for pure engrave fill). The original and SVG previews run live side by side, so you see the effect of threshold, despeckle, and minimum run length directly on the result. From there you export SVG or DXF, insert the result into the Artboard, send it to 3D Relief Studio, or hand it back to the laser.

Open tool See the feature

Loading an image

Upload image: Opens the file picker for a raster image (photo or graphic); the image appears in the original preview and the SVG preview is computed immediately with the current settings.
Handoff from the laser: When Vectorize is opened from a running laser session, it automatically loads the source image from that session and seeds the output width from the object's dimensions.
Status line: Shows the file name after loading, a notice if the image was automatically resized, or an error message if the source image could not be carried over from the laser.

Threshold & output

Threshold: Brightness cutoff (0–255): pixels darker than the value become solid vector fill, lighter pixels stay background. The SVG preview updates instantly on every change.
Output width mm: Sets the real-world width of the exported vector in millimeters; height is computed proportionally from the source image's aspect ratio.
Invert: Flips which pixels count as "dark" — useful for light motifs on a dark background, or vice versa.

Cleanup

Despeckle: Removes isolated single pixels from the threshold mask over multiple passes — reduces noise before the mask becomes contours or scan runs.
Min run pixels: Minimum length of a continuous dark scan run, in pixels; shorter runs are discarded. Affects both the line-fill preview and the contour mask before tracing.
Simplify px: Simplifies the traced contour paths (Douglas-Peucker tolerance in pixels) — higher values produce fewer anchor points and smoother but coarser paths. Only affects contour mode.

Output mode

Contour paths: Enabled: produces a single closed vector path (SVG <path>) from the traced outlines — suited for cutting, DXF export, and editable shapes in the Artboard. Disabled: produces a line-fill SVG made of many individual rectangles (one scan run per image row) — suited for pure fill engraving, but not editable as a path.
White SVG background: Adds an opaque white background rectangle to the exported SVG; without it, the background stays transparent.

Preview

Original: Shows the loaded source image unchanged, automatically downscaled to the tool's internal size limit.
SVG Preview: Shows the currently computed vector result live on a white background — reacts instantly to threshold, invert, despeckle, and minimum run length.

Export & handoff

Apply & back to laser: Only visible when the tool was opened from a running laser session: hands the vector result back to that exact session as a new object and jumps straight back to the laser view.
Send to laser: Only visible without an active session: opens a confirmation dialog and then drops the vector result into the laser view as a new object.
Export SVG: Downloads the current vector result (contour or line-fill mode) as an SVG file.
Export DXF: Downloads the traced contours as a DXF file (for CAD/CAM software); only available in contour mode.
Insert into Artboard: Only visible without an active laser session: places the vector result as a new object in the active Production Artboard project — in contour mode with real, editable path geometry.
To Relief Studio: Hands the current SVG result to 3D Relief Studio as a shape source and opens it there; depending on output mode, a matching material preset is suggested automatically.

Common mistakes & fixes

The vector preview shows only a noisy patchwork instead of clean shapes.

Fix: Increase despeckle and raise minimum run pixels — both remove isolated single pixels and tiny scan runs from the threshold mask before it becomes contours.

The contour path has an extreme number of anchor points and looks jagged.

Fix: Increase simplify px. The value simplifies the traced paths after tracing — set too high, fine detail is lost, so test it gradually.

Important light or dark areas are completely missing from the result.

Fix: Adjust the threshold until the SVG preview shows the areas you want as fill. For a flat, low-contrast source image, a contrast pass in Photo Studio beforehand helps.

The result is exactly inverted — the background becomes fill and the motif stays empty.

Fix: Toggle Invert. This typically happens with light motifs on a dark background, because the threshold treats dark pixels as fill by default.

The Export DXF button is disabled.

Fix: DXF export requires contour mode. Enable contour paths — line-fill mode does not produce path geometry and therefore cannot be exported as DXF.

The source image from a running laser session does not load automatically.

Fix: If a notice says the source image is too large to hand over, manually upload a smaller image file via Upload image.

Not obvious

Contour paths give you a single editable vector path — ideal for cut lines or when you want to scale or reshape the result later in the Artboard.
Line-fill mode (contour paths off) produces many individual rectangles instead of a path — faster for pure fill engraving, but not suited for DXF or as an editable shape.
Despeckle and minimum run pixels work at different stages: despeckle cleans the mask before tracing, minimum run pixels filters individual scan runs — for very noisy source images, using both together often helps.
Simplify px only affects contour mode, because that's the only mode that traces real paths — in line-fill mode the slider has no visible effect.
Output width mm determines the real-world size of both SVG and DXF export — height automatically follows the original image's aspect ratio.
A vector result can be sent straight from Vectorize to 3D Relief Studio without an intermediate export — handy when a contour should become a depth relief.