Creating custom decals and uploading

  • Thread starter RavenZ06
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I'm having several problems creating custom decals and uploading them.

1. I was able to upload one decal. It appears in my decal list in the uploader. How do I get it to the community and assign searchable hashtags to it? I don't see it in my library.

2. The other decals I'm having problems with. I'm creating an .SVG file from a .PNG. It seems that I can't get the file size below 15kb no matter what I do. I'm using Adobe Illustrator.

3. On the rare occasion that I do get a file below 15kb, it says "invalid .SVG format". I'm using the same settings that I used to get the one file to work in #1. It said something before about text being outlined? I don't know how to do that. I've never used Adobe Illustrator before.


Thanks,
 
Ok, I solved #1. I learned you can only share and assign hashtags to the decal in the game, not online.

#2 & #3 still unresolved.
 
2: May I ask what method of image tracing you are using?

3: Create your text, click the text with the direct selection tool (The Arrow icon next to the Black arrow). Once selected go to the top bar where you have file,edit,object etc. Select the "Type" tag whilst your text is still selected (it should be underlined). Then select "create outlines" in the drop down box for "type". This will make it into a vector file. Then save as an SVG and your ready to upload.


Sorry if this is about confusing, I ramble on a little
 
2: May I ask what method of image tracing you are using?

3: Create your text, click the text with the direct selection tool (The Arrow icon next to the Black arrow). Once selected go to the top bar where you have file,edit,object etc. Select the "Type" tag whilst your text is still selected (it should be underlined). Then select "create outlines" in the drop down box for "type". This will make it into a vector file. Then save as an SVG and your ready to upload.


Sorry if this is about confusing, I ramble on a little

I'm using Adobe Illustrator. Starting with PNG files. I tried selecting the text with the direct selection tool as you mentioned, but it's selecting the whole image. Since the last post I have played around with the live trace button and I believe I have figured out how to have the outline selected. I've saved a few SVG files and uploaded them. I'll go into the game later and see if they look correct. These are extremely simple files though. I really struggle with the file size also.

Sorry, but I'm new to Adobe Illustrator. I'm familiar with image editing programs like Photo Impact, but Illustrator is very confusing to me.
 
I'm using Adobe Illustrator. Starting with PNG files. I tried selecting the text with the direct selection tool as you mentioned, but it's selecting the whole image. Since the last post I have played around with the live trace button and I believe I have figured out how to have the outline selected. I've saved a few SVG files and uploaded them. I'll go into the game later and see if they look correct. These are extremely simple files though. I really struggle with the file size also.

Sorry, but I'm new to Adobe Illustrator. I'm familiar with image editing programs like Photo Impact, but Illustrator is very confusing to me.

So are you making the text yourself through the text options in illustrator or are you using an actual image, sorry I'm slightly confused lol.
 
I recommend doing this. Open up a new document. Place the PNG image into the docmument. Run 'live trace' and play with the settings till you happy with its look. Then on the top bar click expand to turn it into a vector you can play with (ensure the png file is gone/deleted). Select the whole expanded image and drag it off the side into the grey so you can see if there are any bits of white you want to delete or hollow out. Once happy. Select all and put it back into the centre of the document.

Go "save as" and pick SVG. Then ensure the settings are V1.1 (see attached).

What makes a SVG big is the amount of paths/anchor points there are in the vector. If your file is still to big then you will need to manually clean up the image by deleting unwanted points or run the simplify vector and play with the settings. Object>Path>Simplify.
 

Attachments

  • SVG_SaveAs.png
    SVG_SaveAs.png
    103 KB · Views: 51
I'm also a complete noob at this vector thingy, and svg editing. I'm using Inkscape. Anybody who knows that programme? I'm having a bit of troubles with, when I make eg. JN Racing Team, in a cool font and save it and upload it, on pc it looks fine, but in game it's just blank :-?
 
I'm also a complete noob at this vector thingy, and svg editing. I'm using Inkscape. Anybody who knows that programme? I'm having a bit of troubles with, when I make eg. JN Racing Team, in a cool font and save it and upload it, on pc it looks fine, but in game it's just blank :-?
Change it to path first. Select the text, select path then object to path. After that clean it up a bit by pressing ctrl+L. Then resize the page by going to edit then resize page to fit. Try to save and upload if it is smaller than 15kb
 
Change it to path first. Select the text, select path then object to path. After that clean it up a bit by pressing ctrl+L. Then resize the page by going to edit then resize page to fit. Try to save and upload if it is smaller than 15kb

Thx I will try that :-)
 
I've learned out how to use Illustrator to convert basic text to a path and trace/isolate it. Now I'm moving on to color images. The file size is always too large. For example, I'm trying to make an SVG of the attached American Flag. How can I reduce the file size?
 

Attachments

  • 2000px-Flag_of_the_United_States_(reversed).svg.png
    2000px-Flag_of_the_United_States_(reversed).svg.png
    7 KB · Views: 13
I've learned out how to use Illustrator to convert basic text to a path and trace/isolate it. Now I'm moving on to color images. The file size is always too large. For example, I'm trying to make an SVG of the attached American Flag. How can I reduce the file size?

When you say, "trying to make", are you trying to draw it from scratch, or auto-trace it?

I just drew one from scratch and it's 10kb, after running it through SVGOMG it's 6.3kb.

Drew a red rectangle the shape of the flag, then 7 white stripes and spaced them equally.
Drew a blue rectangle on top of that.
Draw one white star, then copy/pasted it 49 times and layout as per the flag... align and distribute functions, or step and repeat functions make this process faster - but that aside, the end file size would be about the same irrespective of how accurately things were spaced on the flag.

Doing an auto-trace of your PNG resulted in a file that was 29kb to start off with, and still 26kb after SVGOMG. By the time you've then messed aprund with it to get it under 15kb you may as well have drawn it up by hand in the first place.
 
When you say, "trying to make", are you trying to draw it from scratch, or auto-trace it?

I just drew one from scratch and it's 10kb, after running it through SVGOMG it's 6.3kb.

Drew a red rectangle the shape of the flag, then 7 white stripes and spaced them equally.
Drew a blue rectangle on top of that.
Draw one white star, then copy/pasted it 49 times and layout as per the flag... align and distribute functions, or step and repeat functions make this process faster - but that aside, the end file size would be about the same irrespective of how accurately things were spaced on the flag.

Doing an auto-trace of your PNG resulted in a file that was 29kb to start off with, and still 26kb after SVGOMG. By the time you've then messed aprund with it to get it under 15kb you may as well have drawn it up by hand in the first place.

Trying to trace it.
 
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