convert a pgn file to vector (with gradients)

[US Chess]

Hey all, I have an interesting question here about the best way to convert a pgn file LOADED with gradients, into a vector. It's my understanding that the gradient mesh tool is the one for this, and this is not a tool I use. Heck, I barely use illustrator these days and this will likely be a job that is outsourced... but, I would love it if someone could tell me the exact best way to do the task. 

[US Chess]

here's a screenshot of the logo, that is generated as a pgn... it's a long story, but what do you think?

[Doug A Roberts]

There is no reason to use the mesh tool here, all the gradients are simple linear ones. You could just graw the grid and then eyedropper the colours from the PNG.

[US Chess]

Hey, thanks for chiming in - i thought that too, but, the vector file (one that has already been converted from png to vector) looks like this in illustrator... I'm rusty on my illustrator skills, but doesn't this mean it was converted somehow wiht a meshy gradienty thingie? 😂

HUGE thanks if you can shed light on this.

  

[Doug A Roberts]

Those look like gradients on strokes that have been expanded, which converts them into very orderly gradient meshes.

But I'm not sure what you're asking about if you already have an Illustrator file...?

[US Chess]

hey, these logos are for events that are happening every month, and they are generated differently each time/for each event. This is currently being produced by an outside party and we are examining the process to see if we can perhaps replicate and create ourselves. 

as this logo is generated - by it's very own logo generator - it can be exported as separate png files along the way. there is an export option to separate the pngs by fps.

To explain further, which i probably should have done at the beginning (but I like to make things really difficult for helpful Adobe forum folks like you... sorry! 🤪 )

This is actually a chess game, in action, one move at a time. It's pretty darned clever. each move - which is dropped in using a file of chess moves, called, confusingly, a "PGN"... will produce a gradient, in turn, that will land somewhere on the 64 squares.

The output can be

• a full png of the final product
• a zip of pngs created along the way and separated by fps
• movie files (not helpful here)

check out the attached. i'm sure it's making sense a little more now. we of course need the vector version and want the best streamlined approach to creating often, given that this will be an ongoing process.

thoughts?? 

[US Chess]

Also - did i say thanks for weighing in here? Very grateful Doug!

[Doug A Roberts]

Interesting. So how did you end up with the file in which you can see the gradient meshes? Is that not an AI file?

[US Chess]

it is indeed an illustrator eps. do the lines meaan they used gradient mesh to convert the png version?

i have it because it was created by an agency. i am looking to create from a png file too, as it appears they ahve done!

[US Chess]

(i'm basically just a rusty illustrator user who doesn't want to attempt something myself and do it some clunky, far-more-time-consuming way.. and especially if i'm looking to bring in a designer, i want to know the best way to do this)

[Doug A Roberts · Accepted solution]

To me it would indicate that they are generating EPS files (or something else) and converting them to PNGs to send to you. There is no automatic way of ending up with a gradient mesh construct from a PNG file, especially the way the shapes interlock and overlap each other. This information does not exist in a pixel file.