Yeah… even when I figure out a way to interactively scale an imported image, you still need something in the image to reference the scale. Easiest thing I found is to just cut out a 3x3 or 4x4 cardboard or paper square you can just place in whatever you’re taking picture of.
3 Likes
Not sure how these are tracing features applicable to a background image in the context of this issue… image features yes, but not tracing.
- Use scans or photos of fabrics to display fabric colour patterns on your pattern pieces.
While easy to implement- just apply a pixmap (image) to the brush of the pattern piece… but not in the scope of this issue.
- Pattern pieces are now colour coded according to how they were made
This is in the works… more specifically color coded to material type. Again not in the scope of this issue.
- New grid & zoom options
A grid could be useful… already looked into code for this… which kinda goes along with ruler displays. Might be applicable to this issue?
- Fade or tint the background image in order to make the shape outline and points more clearly visible.
Already incorporated into this issue. There is an opacity setting for a background image.
- Finally use the new Rescale Piece option to obtain the exact overall size.
I think for our use this is backwords… IMO we need to scale the image to real size first, then trace. More importantly we need to be able anchor the image to a basepoint - as that is the starting point of any draft block.
- Printing
Out of scope.
- Scan or photograph your fabric for a precise fabric layplan
Again - out of scope - has to do with for ex: matching & laying out plaids.
- Join the digital fabric printing revolution! Design totally original fabric colour patterns starting from any graphic image using spatial distortions, geometric reflections and colour effects.
Totally out of scope. This is better suited to a paint / vector application.
2 Likes
Hi Douglas and everyone,
I signed up 2018 but quite soon I stopped using this otherwise very nice software, precisely because it was not foreseen to import an image as background. I really missed this possibility, because my aim mainly was – and still is – to get a precise digital copy of a pattern first drawn on paper (until I am good enough to draw them directly in the software, but this might last a bit…)
I hope to understand well (English ist not my mother tongue…) that this feature is very close to be implemented, and that is what made me come back 
Thank you so much for working on this developpment!!
Please keep us informed as soon as it is possible to use it. I am very, very, very much looking forward for this news function (and I guess I am not alone!) and I can’t wait to have my first tries with it.
Thank you again, best regards, Noukita
3 Likes
@KeithFromCanada Please add these “out of scope” items as feature requests on GitHub, plz!!! Thanks, it’s good to hear from you!
1 Like
Meanwhile, to see transparent overlay windows (OSX / Windows) : Overlay 2.1 software, created by Colin Thomas.
The trial version is not too disturbing.
Best regards from Paris !
Nicolas
2 Likes
Looks interesting… but how does this help trace an image to a Seamly2D pattern?
Hmmm… interesting. So the overlay program allows you to overlay another program on top?
As an aside… did you parametize the control points so it adjusts with a measurement file?
This gives me an idea though… a possible way to add french curves to the app to do what you’re doing in your example.
At any rate, what I have already working is a way to add a background image, scale it, positionit, rotate it, and set the opacity… just haven’t pushed the changes yet as I wanted an easier way to interactively set the controls rather than trial and error with the spin boxes. I have an idea though… I can add keyboard shortcuts to the controls.
2 Likes
Only a picture can overlay Seamly2D.
Unfortunately, I can’t adjust the control points with the measurement file - freehand, only !
“a possible way to add french curves to the app to do what you’re doing in your example” : it would be great (thank you so much) !
imperial-french-curves1.pdf (131.4 KB) imperial-hip-curve.pdf (72.6 KB) metric-french-curves2.pdf (141.5 KB) metric-hip-curve3.pdf (96.3 KB)
3 Likes
Ahh. Ok so the overlay program is putting an image on top of Seamly. Makes sense now.
Thanks for the curve pdfs. What I have in mind is having a preset number of french curves a user could select from a drop down, and it gets loaded as an SVG background. That way the curves are embedded in the app, and it would be an easy way to select one.
What I really need to figure out is a way to be able to select a point on the background image and snap it to a pattern point - such as the basepoint or in the case of a french curve select a point on the curve, and snap to for example a point on the armhole.
2 Likes
A preset number of french curves would be a substantial improvement, indeed, that so many users expect.
I find that this is the only real weak point of Seamly2D, which improves from version to version.
The mathematical methods to trace perfect curves are very precise, I agree, but a little bit tricky.
As far as I am concerned, I trace the curves a second time, by hand, after printing. Attaching old world !
2 Likes
I like the notion of using the test square to scale and rotate the image. Excellent concept.
2 Likes
French Curve tool parameter options:
-
French Curve with BeginPoint and EndLine:
- Enter BeginPoint and two Points on Line where French Curve ends (eg EndLine)
-
French Curve with BeginPoint, MidLine, and EndLine:
- Enter BeginPoint and two Points on Line where French Curve touches in the middle (eg MidLine), and two Points on EndLine
-
French Curve with BeginPoint, MidLine, and EndPoint:
- Enter BeginPoint, EndPoint, and two Points on Line where French Curve touches in the middle (eg MidLine)
-
French Curve with BeginPoint, MidPoint, and EndLine
- Enter BeginPoint, MidPoint, and two Points on EndLine
For all options above, enter TangentLine info if desired:
- Two Points for BeginTangentLine and select ‘Parallel’ or ‘Perpendicular’
- Two Points for EndTangentLine and select ‘Parallel’ or ‘Perpendicular’
These parameters can be processed to find any BeginAngle, MidAngles, EndAngle constraints. Remaining processing can follow this example, piecewise for each curve segment, and final results for defining a two-segment spline (P1, c1angle, c1length, c2angle, c2length, P2, c3angle, c3length, c4angle, c4length, P3) can be plugged into our current Spline tool for display:
1 Like
Sorry for this question - I am a newbie with Seamly2d and have used it successfully to make my first pattern. I would really like to be able to use the feature discussed above to digitise some pattern pieces that I have sketched to scale on a piece of paper but can’t seem to find the import graphic feature in my version of seamly. I have just downloaded the latest release but still don’t see this option.
How do I activate this feature?
1 Like
Hello and welcome @wavedt13
I’m sorry but this feature isn’t available yet, it is still a work in progress.
Thanks for your answer, is there working fork with a test version of this feature?
2 Likes
@Douglas could perhaps let you have a test version of the one he’s working on. At the moment, (if I’m correct) there’s a bit of a problem with the controls to enlarge the image to the measurements size.
1 Like
Correct - sort of. I started rethinking to move the control of the “image” to a separate class to handle the resizing, moving, rotating, visibility, etc…and got put on the back burner. I just started back with that branch. I had to resolve a few issues when merging the current develop branch. I have next week off (after a CRAZY month in April at my shop) - so I hope to have this feature done soon. Actually it may have a bunch of other changes too. 
2 Likes
Thank you, @Douglas
I’m wondering how important the resizing of the image is, since one will need to draft the pattern using actual measurement areas and bring in ones own ease, etc. Shouldn’t the image only be for reference?
Anyway, that’s what I’d use it for.
1 Like