have a tracing image remain after closing the moho file

CartoonM!ke · Post by **CartoonM!ke** » Sat May 06, 2006 5:20 am

There's a few drawings of mine that I have scanned in and saved as PNG files. It was my intent to use them as tracing images from within Moho.

I go to view/select tracing image to select the image file. The graphic appears all sized and centered on the stage. I can trace, but when I save the file and close it and then reopen it the tracing image is gone. The "show tracing image" menu item is greyed out.

Is there a trick to making the tracing image stay with the moho file when closed and reopened?

Would it be best if I just use the image on an image layer and delete it when done?

tia

mike

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:03 am

Would it be best if I just use the image on an image layer and delete it when done?

This always annoys me, so that's what I do.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:23 am

Yes... same here.

I never use the tracing image.

Actually... an image layer is much more versatile for tracing anyway... you can move it around... scale it... flip it... rotate... turn it on and off with a click... whatever you want.

*I put a vector layer with a filled white box shape over top of the image layer. I either set the shape fill to 70% opacity or the layer opacity to 70%... or whatever ghosting works for me while tracing.

Just make sure you turn off bone warping... actually I usually keep the tracing image outside of any bone layers.

*(Image layer transparency is not visible while editing... so the extra layer works a treat.)

-Vern

CartoonM!ke · Post by **CartoonM!ke** » Sat May 06, 2006 2:25 pm

thanks everyone, I think Vern's got the idea. Thanx again dude.

One last thing, check out the Help html files -- User Interface|Menus|Select Tracing Image and Show Tracing Image; Y'all can see where my confusion comes from (well, part of it anyway).

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sat May 06, 2006 2:43 pm

Just to clarify...

Yes! The tracing image feature is "broken". It loses the reference after closing the file. I used it once... found this problem and haven't used it since.

Actually... not being able to move or scale the tracing image was more of a problem than losing the reference for me at least.

-Vern

CartoonM!ke · Post by **CartoonM!ke** » Sat May 06, 2006 2:55 pm

What would be really nice (and logical) would be to allow an image layer to become a Tracing Image layer. Sounds like something a experienced scripter could do...hmmm...

btw, is there some kind of list somewhere that actually documents what features in Moho aren't working or are broken? Sure would be a mega-timesaver for us newbies.

mike

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Sat May 06, 2006 3:06 pm

The way I see it...

... get rid of the tracing image feature completely...

... who needs it with image layers? A tracing image is completely redundant. Just use an image layer.

What would be the difference between a tracing image and an image layer at the bottom of the layer pallette?

You can't even change the tracing image opacity levels.

What should be fixed is the image transparency viewable in editing mode.

Also being able to select fill colors from the image would be nice...

I have trouble grabbing teeny tiny colors from that teeny tiny custom color pallette.

As far as I know this is the only thing that doesn't work that I have encountered. There is some question about how the ease in/out works... but I have not had a problem with that yet.

-Vern