Hi folks … I just have a question regarding the raster mask module and its behavior .
When I load a subject mask , created with PS and saved as pfm or png , into the module … then press the vectorize button I do get randomly various amounts of paths created . They do show up in the mask manager , as expected … but the number of those created paths is enormous . Varying from 15 right up to 90 , per image !!!
I found out how to get the correct path immediately … and then deleting the others that are not really actual paths !!! At least none of the others do show any sign of being a path .
Anyone an idea … why that is ?
Running on macOS Tahoe M1 and the latest DT nightly build
Well, they are two different techniques. If you want to approach a raster with a vector you often need lot of nodes unless the raster image has a lot of squares, triangles and circles.
What you could do to see it darktable is the issues (which I highly doubt). Is load your mask in Inkscape and vectorize in it that program and compare that with darktable.
THX for the answer …
you might have got my question wrong !!!
It´s not about nodes , it is about why are so many paths created within DT mask manager instead of one from a single mask created outside and imported into Raster Mask module ?
LOL … that´s how a precise mask should look like !!!
You might be right … as the fuzzier or the more detailed the mask is , the more useless paths are created by the " vectorize " move inside of DT .
To make clear … the one or sometimes two that are good , are detailed as the original . All the rest are paths with nothing or a few speckles here and there in the mask .
I hope this could be solved to avoid this stupid deleting of unusable paths in the mask manager .
Luckily I know meanwhile where to find the one or two usable ones in the stack of the mask manager .
I have not experimented at any length with it but I had the same result when I just pulled up an example I created when playing around with the SAM2 plug-in… It might be a nice refinement to have a sort of sensitivity setting so that you don’t get all those small paths or you can set a max number of generated masks…
For my sake of interest … what is the concept or the idea behind it ,to have the option to create a path from a raster mask and ending up with truck loads of paths ???
I guess this will happen as well , if the raster mask is created by DT itself ?
Have not tried it yet … to be honest .
What kind of sense does it make in that context … to have sooooo many paths in the mask manager , when 90 % of them are utterly useless . Well at least for me .
I just want to understand the concept behind it … as this vectorize function is pretty new as far as I know .
Maybe you can shed some light into my darkness … LOL
It worked pretty well on many tests I have done. So what you have is a bug because for some reasons potrace lib find some very small area outside the mask in your image.
For the record, I have implemented this vectorization to have a way to create path masks out of an AI generated mask. And it works well there. So again there is something strange in your mask creating those small speckles.
Oh … cool so there is hope , does sound different as per your other reply .
Anyhow thx for the additional info.
I also do play around with the available AI generated masks … like SAM3 , they are OK and usable in parts . But even when using SAM3 I do get more than a single path or vector mask .
And those SAM3 masks are very rudimental , compared to a subject mask created with PS .
But if there is light on the horizon … I will wait patiently hoping there will be a working solution !
Because from your original description it was not clear where the problem was. I thought it was because of the smooth borders but it is in fact anywhere on your mask outside of any form.
