Convert Bitmaps to Vector Art in a Flash

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by Don Herion

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It takes time to create complex graphics in Flash using the vector tools available. I highly recommend purchasing a large clip art library like Corel Gallery. Its an excellent collection of about 1.3 million pieces of art for about a hundred bucks. Most of it is in the form of vector clip art saved in .ccx format. The downside is you must have Corel Draw or Paint to be able to open the clip art and then export it in .ai or .swf format. Fortunately the CDs also have a large selection of images in .jpg format. In this tutorial I will demonstrate how to convert a bitmap into a clean vector graphic.

The Face
I had two images under consideration, a butterfly or a picture of my girlfriend. I flipped a coin and my girlfriend won. It took three flips out of five but she won. Here is the picture:

Original image

Okay its not a picture of my girlfriend. She looks like Kim Delaney. Hey, a man can dream can't he?