LineForge

LineForge is a Windows‑only batch image processing pipeline that now uses a native Rust engine (vpipe-cli) for all heavy‑lifting. No external binaries such as ImageMagick, Potrace, or Inkscape are required.

Building and Running the Project

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.10+ (ensure python or py is in your PATH).
2. Rust & Cargo (required to compile the native Rust engine).

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Option A: Build and Package a Release Executable

To compile the Rust engine and bundle the entire application (Python script, UI assets, and the Rust engine) into a single, self-contained Windows executable, run the provided PowerShell build script:

# Run the release build script
.\build_release.ps1

What the script does:

1. Automatically compiles the Rust engine (lineforge_engine) in release mode using Cargo.
2. Places the compiled binary under bin\vpipe-cli.exe.
3. Upgrades pip and installs the necessary Python dependencies (requirements.txt) and PyInstaller.
4. Packages everything into a single-file executable using PyInstaller.
5. Outputs the final executable at dist_release\LineForge.exe.

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Option B: Running from Source (Development)

If you want to run the project directly from source:

1. Build the Rust engine:

   cd lineforge_engine
   cargo build --release
   cd ..

2. Copy the binary into the expected search path:

   # Create the bin folder if it doesn't exist
   if (!(Test-Path bin)) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path bin }
   # Copy the compiled executable and rename it to vpipe-cli.exe
   Copy-Item lineforge_engine\target\release\vpipe-cli.exe bin\vpipe-cli.exe

3. Install Python dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run the application:

   python main.py

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LineForge is a modular batch image processing pipeline for preparing raster artwork for vectorisation, icon refinement, and dataset clean‑up. It provides:

• Image preprocessing – performed with Python Pillow (no external tools).
• Square padding / resizing.
• Raster → Vector tracing – performed by the Rust vpipe-cli engine, outputting SVG, PDF, or EPS.
• ICO round‑trip support – extract, process, and rebuild ICOs using Pillow only.

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Supported Input

Formats:

• PNG
• JPG / JPEG
• WEBP
• BMP
• TIFF
• ICO (optional handling)

Input sources:

• Single file
• Folder
• Folder (recursive)

The UI displays:

Found: X inputs

If zero files are found, enable recursive mode when selecting a parent folder.

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Pipeline Stages

Each stage can be enabled or disabled independently.

A) Preprocess

Uses Pillow for:

• Grayscale
• Auto‑level
• Contrast stretch
• Median filter
• Blur
• Negate
• Threshold (slider)

Outputs to output/01_preprocessed

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B) Pad

• Square resize
• Background: white / black / transparent
• Output format: PNG or JPG
• JPEG quality control

Outputs to output/02_padded

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C) Trace → Vector

Uses the Rust engine (vpipe-cli) to produce vector formats directly. Options:

• Threshold cutoff
• Invert before threshold
• Turdsize
• Smooth toggle (default smooth, --flat disables)
• Output format: svg, pdf, or eps

Outputs to output/03_vector

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D) Export → Raster (optional)

If you need a raster export of the vector output, the Rust engine can also render PNGs directly. Select the desired export format in the UI.

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ICO Processing (Optional)

When enabled:

1. .ico files are extracted into PNG frames.
2. Frames are processed through the selected stages.
3. Processed frames are rebuilt into a new .ico.

Final icons land in output/05_ico and temporary extracted frames can be found in output/_ico_frames.

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Output Structure

output/
├── 01_preprocessed/
├── 02_padded/
├── 03_vector/          (SVG/PDF/EPS)
├── 04_export_png/      (optional PNG export)
├── 05_ico/            (if enabled)
└── _ico_frames/       (temporary)

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Dependencies

The only external requirement is the Rust engine bundled as vpipe-cli.exe (automatically built or provided in releases). All other processing is performed with the standard Python library and Pillow.

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Logs

Each run creates a timestamped log file in:

logs/

The UI provides shortcuts to:

• Open output folder
• Open last log
• Clear log