Files
3dsign/IMPROVEMENTS.md
Brent Perteet 2719ec244d Add PNG to SVG color separation tool for multi-color 3D printing
Created split_png_by_brightness.py to split rasterized logos into separate
SVG files by color for Underground Magnetics logo conversion.

Key features:
- OpenCV contour hierarchy detection for proper hole handling
- Letters with enclosed shapes (d, o, g, etc.) now render correctly
- Tight brightness thresholds to avoid antialiasing artifacts
- Automatic bounding box cropping for optimal file sizes
- Black text: brightness < 40 (236k pixels, 21 shape groups)
- Grey icon: brightness 108-118 (119k pixels, 2 shape groups)

Results:
- um_black.svg: 6.1KB, 3070x233px (was 139KB, 3613x391px)
- um_grey.svg: 728B, 413x390px (was 253KB, 3613x391px)

Files:
- split_png_by_brightness.py: Main color separation tool
- IMPROVEMENTS.md: Detailed changelog and comparison
- README_underground_magnetics.md: Usage documentation
- underground-magnetics.eps: Source logo file
- um_black.svg: Separated black text (cropped)
- um_grey.svg: Separated grey icon (cropped)
- requirements.txt: Added opencv-python dependency

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-05-31 09:51:24 -05:00

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2.0 KiB
Markdown

# Improvements to split_png_by_brightness.py
## Version 2 Fixes
### 1. Proper Hole Handling
**Problem**: Letters with enclosed shapes (like "d", "o", "g") were missing their holes, making them appear filled.
**Solution**:
- Switched from `scikit-image` contour detection to OpenCV's `cv2.findContours` with `RETR_CCOMP` mode
- This detects contour hierarchy (parent/child relationships)
- Holes are now included in the same SVG path as their parent contour
- Using `fill-rule="evenodd"` properly renders the holes
### 2. Better Color Detection
**Problem**: Antialiasing pixels around edges were being included, creating artifacts and incorrect bounding boxes.
**Solution**:
- Changed from single threshold to tight ranges
- Black text: brightness < 40 (was < 50)
- Grey icon: brightness 108-118 (was 80-120)
- This excludes antialiased edge pixels and prevents the grey icon from spanning the full image width
### 3. Automatic Bounding Box Cropping
**Problem**: SVG files contained a lot of empty space.
**Solution**:
- Added automatic cropping to bounding box by default
- Each SVG is sized to fit its content exactly
- `--no-crop` flag available if full canvas is needed
## Results
**Before (v1)**:
- um_black.svg: 139K, 27 separate paths, many filled letters
- um_grey.svg: 253K, 1609 paths, antialiasing artifacts, full width (3613px)
**After (v2)**:
- um_black.svg: 6.1K, 21 shape groups with proper holes, cropped to 3070x233
- um_grey.svg: 728B, 2 shape groups, clean edges, cropped to 413x390
## Dependencies Added
- opencv-python==4.13.0.92
## Default Parameters
- Black threshold: < 40 brightness
- Grey range: 108-118 brightness
- Cropping: enabled by default
## Usage
```bash
# Default (optimized for Underground Magnetics logo)
python split_png_by_brightness.py input.png --prefix output
# Custom thresholds
python split_png_by_brightness.py input.png \
--dark-threshold 40 \
--mid-min 108 \
--mid-max 118
# Disable cropping
python split_png_by_brightness.py input.png --no-crop
```