Vector Magic is a new online package from Stanford University for converting bitmap images into vector based artwork. Vectors are great because they are scalable you can print them at any size and they still look nice and crisp. I often find I’ve been doodling a character and want to use them in flash which likes vectors better than bitmaps so I have in the past spent a couple of hours converting the bitmap into a vector by tracing it.

Vector magic takes your bitmap and converts it automatically after you make a series of choices  about your image. The above shows the results, I gave the packages a thumbnail image of panda Bob and the right is the vector output. There have been functions like this for a while, flash has trace bitmap and illustrator has a similar tool but neither produce good results and usually the amount of vector points used is horrific. From a few tests on stuff like panda Bob the output is as good as if I’d hand traced it.

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