Title: Bitmaps Assignments Outline
Course: WILSON MC - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER GRAPHICS HYBRID > Section: Week 12 - Bitmaps

- INTRODUCTION TO BITMAPS

Illustrator is a vector-based program, but in real life, illustrations often combine vector artwork with bitmap/raster images. Bitmaps can be embedded (permanently integrated) in Illustrator documents, or linked. Linked images will change within the Illustrator file as they are edited in their source applications (such as Photoshop).

A particularly powerful dimension of Illustrator is its capacity to generate vectors from imported bitmaps with Live Trace. Tracing is a complex process, as batches of random pixels are converted to vectors. But Illustrator provides a range of settings that, combined with a reasonable amount of trial and error, does a rather amazing job of performing such conversions. Live Trace can be used to convert sketches to vector paths that can be edited in Illustrator.

Converting photos to vector artwork provides a basis for photorealistic effects — a wide realm of illustration used for artwork ranging from fast cars to surreal landscapes.

It is also possible to convert vector artwork to raster (bitmap) images. This can be useful when applying effects or brush strokes. Of course, once rasterized, artwork is no longer editable as vectors.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- EMBED and dynamically link Photoshop artwork
- USE clipping masks to crop bitmap (raster) artwork
- EDIT and apply effects to masks
- TRACE bitmaps
- EXPAND traces

ELEMENTS OF THIS LESSON INCLUDE:

- CHAPTERS
ILLUSTRATOR CS6: VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDE

Using the book Illustrator CS6: Visual QuickStart Guide refer to the following chapters for Bitmaps:

Chapter 17: Image Trace

Chapter 22: Acquire Image

Chapter 26: Clipping Masks

- PRESENTATION
  - View the 21-slide presentation on Bitmaps in MGLab to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts and the terminology.
- VIDEOS
  - Watch the following lesson videos in MGLab. As with the slide presentation, use the video content to expose you to the techniques demonstrated. You may need to re-watch portions - or all-  of a video for complex techniques.
    - 1 Image Trace
    - 2 Importing Bitmaps