Can Easy Trace help in this situation?

Generally, how to process closely sitting contours? Some approaches to relief extraction at least (the procedure?).
Thank you.

Source image
JPEG + 300 dpi - no wonder that individual lines are completely indistinguishable in some places.


There is no space for gaps between many neighboring lines.
We resample the image up twofold.


Increase of sharpness now (contrast between lines and the background).
At the absence of background between neighboring lines the program uses difference between the background and free sides of the lines.
Radius of the Unsharp Mask should be selected right, otherwise some line segments become black.


We use the Binarize tool for background deletion before further increase of sharpness.
The first mask - all bright red tints, until short gaps appear in the lines.


The second mask - for deletion of black color


The Substitute Color command fills selected areas of the image with white


Now we blur holes, ledges and SMALL BRIDGES between lines


Unsharp Mask again
The lines are thinner now and we may use a mask of a smaller radius.
There are no irrelevant objects - increase of sharpness may be strong:


Background extraction. "Blue" level 1-255
(i.e. the left slider is just about to touch the edge of the histogram).


Binarization + Inversion


Creation of a new project


Editing of vector data is much more difficult in ET 7.99 than in 8.7,
but we shall simplify the situation.
Lines may be separated IN THE IMAGE applying Rasterization of vector data.
We draw separating vector lines 2 px wide.


Line inprinting into the image



Vectorizing


Deletion of particularly wry line ends with "scissors" of the Editor before Breakup Joining (keeping Ctrl down)


Manual joining of a long (problem) breakup


Automatic joining of other breakups


Line form optimization

Thank you very much.
Can you please describe the same process for the 8th version? Just to compare and decide if we really need it for similar images.
Thank you once again.

I had to answer you yesterday, sorry.
Anyway:

1. ET 7.99 has no UNDO command for image editing!!!
You need flair (or experience) to choose right parameters. No chance to work like that:
"Tried -> Didn't like -> Canceled -> Tried again"

You may save intermediate results but it is easy to make a confusion. Besides, V. 7.99 knows nothing about multi-core processors and for really big images it is perceptibly.

2. ET 7.99 has no commands Subject Layer Extraction and Image Thinning. We never work without them now.
See video about ET 8.7 on our site.

3. ET 7.99 has no filtering of vector data. This utility deletes most defects ("bridges" and "adhesions") AUTOMATICALLY.

4. ET 7.99 has no effective Vector Eraser and Camber Editor tools. Line backfitting without them is horrible. See video on the site.

5. The set of utilities for input and control of elevation values is incomplete.
See video on the site.

I can continue long. The versions are separated by almost 5 years of our work.
Vectorizing of images like yours in ET 8.7 is 5-10 times faster.

P.S. Otherwise we would not make ET 7.99 free, would we?!!

That's the point. Is it possible that the last version is 5-10 times faster? Even for an experienced operator? This is most attractive for us.

1. The simplest way is to try by yourself. Demo-version is free.

In your particular case (extremely poor images) you will be able to "probe" vectorizing only marginally. 60 objects per layer restriction is significant for a dirty image - any bridge makes five lines out of two.

But nothing hinders you from test of our specialized tools for manual editing:

- Vector Eraser;
- Camber Editor;
- Shift/ Resize Polylines.
- Polygonal Shears

Even these tools solely make the work 3-5 times quicker. And the gain is particularly big for low-quality material.

Once again: you may try it just now.

Another aspect of acceleration is connected with new utilities. Their abilities and the procedure of application are described here:

Automatic vectorizing in Easy Trace PRO, part 1
Automatic vectorizing in Easy Trace PRO, part 2

Vectorizing of relief contours is demonstrated in videos:


2. You may also lease the program for 1 month (135 EUR).

If you decide to buy it on the lease expiration, this sum will be subtracted from the cost.

Good luck!