Trace (capture the tool shape)

Cut the tool out of a photo and turn it into a smooth vector outline. Use it in Cutout to make a bin, or export it as SVG.

1. Drag & drop a photo of the tool (or a black & white silhouette) onto the center box. It is traced automatically.
2. Tracing: "✨ Auto-pick the cleanest threshold" picks a value that avoids shadows. You can also adjust outline smoothing, add margin, lighting correction and fill inner holes (on by default).
3. Orientation: press "Draw center axis" and drag through the center of the tool; the image rotates so that line is vertical. Use "↻ Rotate 90°" for horizontal.
4. Scale: press "Draw the A–B line", drag from one end to the other of the spot you measured with calipers, and enter the length (mm). This sets the real size.
5. Tools: refine the shape with the brush, eraser, rectangle, ellipse and pen tools. You can draw outside the photo too (the work area grows automatically). No photo? Use "Draw with tools (no image)" to build a shape in mm.
6. "Make a bin with this shape" moves on to Cutout. "Export as vector (SVG)" saves a file for Illustrator.

Unsure whether the trace is right? Use "Check the shape (print a test frame)" to print a thin frame of the shape and pass the tool through. If it goes through, the size is OK.

Tip: draw the A–B line on a surface at the same height as the tool (the side touching the desk). Shooting at an angle distorts the size, so shoot from straight above.

Trace tools

Pick an icon under "Tools" and fix the shape on screen. Sizes are shown in mm while you draw. Undo (Ctrl+Z) and redo (Ctrl+Y) are available.

"Fill dents" keeps the outline from bending inward with curves smaller than the given radius. Use it to smoothly bridge bumpy grips.

Buttons