Instructions for using AI to define Bezier curves

You will probably have better results over all if you scan the image into into photoshop, save it as a greyscale .tiff; make sure that the canvas size matches the required window size in Processing. Place it into AI as a linked file (described below). Dimming the picture on a locked layer while tracing it on a new layer set to outline mode works the best.
  1. Start a new AI doc
  2. File -> Place
  3. Choose the file you scanned into photoshop
  4. Double-click on 'Layer 1' in your layers pallett
  5. Check both 'Lock' and 'Dim' then hit OK
  6. Create a new layer
  7. Hold command (ctrl on PC's) and click on the eyeball icon next to 'Layer 2.' You are now set up to trace your scan. When you are done you are gonna delete 'Layer 1' by dragging it into the layers pallett's trash can. 'Layer 2' is now in artwork mode so you can see the actual splines you are creating.
  8. Use the pen tool to create Bezier curves. If you need help with the Pen Tool, the Illustrator Help page for the Pen Tool will be useful. The terminology is different for Adobe’s Bezier curves, i.e.,
  9. You can read the coordinates of each point in your trace inside of AI or by saving the trace as a SVG file and reading the SVG file using this guide.