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Create Component from Bitmap

Create Component from Bitmap Icon

This icon lets you automatically create a 3D Component from a Bitmap.

If you have a selected Bitmap in the 2D View this will automatically create a new component derived from that Bitmap, the Component will have the same name as the original image.

If no Bitmap is selected in the 2D View, then a File dialog will open allowing you to select an image file from one of the drives on your computer. This method of component creation bypasses the need to convert the image when importing which potentially reduces the number of color shades, so this second method is the best way to directly convert Bitmap files to components in Aspire.

The Component from a Bitmap is automatically scaled and set to Add to other Components by the software so will typically need to be edited using the Component Properties icon to adjust height or Combine Mode and the Transform tools to adjust its size and position.

Note: Although we use the word Bitmap in Aspire to refer to an image, the software will also import and work with other image file formats such as jpeg, tiff, gif and png. So where you see the word bitmap you can assume we also mean these other file types.

Import / Export 16 bit grayscale Images as components

Most Bitmaps and Bitmap editors use 256 levels to encode each of the red, green and blue color channels for each pixel - this is called 8-bit encoding. For color photographs, this level of encoding is a good trade off of file size against quality, as it gives the impression of smooth color transitions. It is also an ideal format for Aspire to find nice vector boundaries (using the Trace tool) to use as the basis of 3D modeling, based on a Bitmap.

However, for the specific case of directly converting light and dark shades to height (which occurs when you convert a Bitmap to a component, or import a Bitmap as a component) the limited number of discrete levels in a conventional image can reveal itself as concentric plateaus in the resulting 3D model.


8-bit conventional grayscale Bitmap converted to a 3D component

16-bit grayscale TIFF Bitmap converted to a 3D component

Similarly, some laser machines are able to use an exported grayscale Bitmap version of the composite model as the basis of their laser machining strategy. Once again, the conversion of the highly detailed 3D model into an 8-bit Bitmap can cause a noticeable loss of quality, when compared to the original.

The greatly increased accuracy of a 16-bit image will avoid the problems of visible contour-like steps when converting to, or from, a 3D model. Aspire supports the importing and exporting of 3D components as 16-bit TIFF image files for this purpose.

Note: Converting an 8-bit Bitmap to a 16-bit image in an external package, such as Adobe Photoshop, will not improve the quality of your resulting 3D components - 16-bit images must have been created from data containing the additional height information from the outset to provide any benefit. Typically these images come from specialist or scientific applications only.

Importing a 16-bit image as a component

To benefit from the potential for 16-bit images to create higher quality 3D components, they must be imported directly as components. As described at the start of this section, to achieve this, you need to make sure you do not have any images selected in the 2D View when you hit the Create Component from Bitmap icon.

Note: Don't import a 16-bit image, and then convert it to a component. If 16-bit images are imported for tracing then they will be automatically converted to conventional Bitmaps during this process. The additional height data will be lost. Importing the image directly to Create a Component maintains the full quality.

Exporting a 16-bit grayscale for laser machining

Your final composite model can be exported from Aspire as a 16-bit grayscale, which will preserve a great deal more of the height detail of your model than a conventional grayscale image. If you require your model in the form of a grayscale, and your tool supports it, (this is typical of laser machines, for example) the 16-bit TIFF output is recommended. Simply select the '16 Bit Tiff (*.tif)' file type from the drop down list when exporting your model via the Export as Grayscale Bitmap option from the Model drop down menu.