VTracer is an open-source raster-to-vector graphics converter designed to transform raster images (JPG, PNG) into scalable SVG files. It handles both graphics and photographs, offering a more compact output than tools like Adobe Illustrator's Image Trace by employing a stacking strategy and avoiding shapes with holes. VTracer is particularly suited for high-resolution scans of blueprints and can also process low-resolution pixel art.

How It Works

VTracer utilizes a Rust-based image processing pipeline that can handle colored, high-resolution scans, unlike Potrace which requires binarized input. Its core advantage lies in its O(n) complexity tracing algorithm, compared to Potrace's O(n^2) fitting algorithm. It offers various curve fitting modes (pixel, polygon, spline) and parameters for color precision, corner detection, speckle filtering, and gradient steps, allowing for fine-tuned vectorization.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: cargo install vtracer or pip install vtracer
• Prerequisites: Rust toolchain for source install. Python 3.x for pip install.
• Usage: ./vtracer --input input.jpg --output output.svg
• Documentation: visioncortex Article, Web App

Highlighted Details

• O(n) complexity tracing algorithm, significantly faster than Potrace's O(n^2).
• Handles color images and outputs compact vector files with fewer shapes.
• Supports high-resolution scans (gigapixels) and pixel art.
• Available as a Rust library, Python native extension, and pre-built binaries.

Maintenance & Community

• Developed by The Vision Cortex Research Group.
• Cited in several academic papers in computer graphics/vision research.
• Roadmap includes path simplification, improved cut-out mode, pencil tracing, and image cleaning.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License: MIT.
• Compatible with commercial and closed-source projects.

Limitations & Caveats

• The "cut-out mode" currently has seams where shapes do not perfectly share boundaries.
• JPEG noise can impact tracing quality, suggesting a need for pre-filtering.
• The project is actively seeking contributions and sponsorship for future development.