Illie question
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- ukit
Client just sent me some incredibly complex illustrations, they want me to use in Flash. What's best way to simplify them and bring the filesize down while maintaining image quality?
- doesnotexist0
flatten all the colors and use the pathfinder? make all colors one shape grouped? iunno, man.
- detritus0
lol.. I've literally just now, for the first time in years, converted an Illy doc to Flash and was going to ask this earlier!
I've ended up simplifying all the stuff in Illy (taking out blend modes, gradients, etc) copying the file, pasting it in Flash then rebuilding all the complex data into it. Less than efficient, to say the least.
I couldn't get the fucker to transfer the subtleties of the colour blends by saving as ai, eps, pdf, svg, copy'n'pasting - nothing. Fucking infuriating.
Now, of course, someone's going to pop in and say do X, then quickly Y and hey presto!
- ukit0
My situation might be easier because it doesn't have any gradients or blend modes - it's just an incredibly detailed two color illustration with a massive number of points. Is the Simplify function my only option (because if so I don't think it's gonna work)?
- redant0
delete unnecessary lines or points. Use simplify object?
- detritus0
If you do end up dong the above (and, like me) are not too familiar with Flash, you can get a colour blend on an object in Flash by turning it into a 'movie clip object', then selecting from the 'blend' option (sounds obvious, I'm sure - but it was driving me nuts trying to work out why I couldn't set that option with a plain ol''graphic object').
- ah, wish i'd seen your follow-up before writing this!detritus
- detritus0
If it were me, I'd do all the simplifying work in Illy, then just copy and paste. The great thing about flash is how small you can get the files though - they're nothing like eps size (mine's running at < 6kb where my eps version was 600kb! (it's not got loads of points, to be fair).
- d_rek0
You could always save the image out as a jpeg/png and import it to flash - as long as you don't want to edit it after it's in flash.
- ukit0
Yeah - that may be the only solution. I was hoping using vectors would help me DECREASE the file size of the Flash, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
- detritus0
As redant says, use the simplify tool in Illy (stating the obvious, but check the result - Simplify does some weird things) - if it doesn't go down too much, then you're stumped - the data to represent all those points has got to come from somewhere...
- I'm wary of Simplify - I often find it quicker to edit by hand, what with checking, and accuracy corrections, etc.detritus
- ********0
Use PowerPoint and save a child!
- redant0
I assume u know that if u need to delete u can select selectively by same color/ same stroke weight etc. To just delete specific colors or weights or object e.g., text.
- ukit0
Yea I think I'm stuck w/ bitmap - no magic cure. But thanks you guys!
- October0
resize in illustrator according to pixel size then export as swf. adjust curve quality accordingly then import it into flash. if its the gradients are too complex, going bitmap would be the best way if you dont plan on animating them. otherwise, you may need to paste objects you plan on animating separately.
- SoulFly0
The only cure really is for you to ask for the original illustration scan, and then vectorize it yourself, that way you can control the number of anchor points by first editing the image in photoshop- making it more smooth, fixing the colors in photoshop.