Vector Q by Imaengine 4+

I first started using this app when it was iemagine, but I could never spell the name. ;-)

It is an amazingly powerful tool, and I have yet to find its equal. (Note: I even have access to full Photoshop and full Illustrator and unless I am missing something, this blows PS’s “image trace” out of the water in terms of flexibility.)

I know the editor and the advanced options can be a bit overwhelming for some, and I count myself initially among the “just use the presets” crowd.

But two things… First, this tool helps you SEE. It really does. I initially started using it to help me simplify shapes for my watercolors. It is amazing tool for that — think “squinting on steriods” or “way better than a red square” for seeing shapes and values.

Second, now that I have spent some time in Illustrator and understand the different selection modes there, I suddenly grokked a bunch of the tools in the editor mode of this tool, and I am so in awe that this tool exists that I had to come write a review. (e.g. Not only can you get the closed objects created for you, but you can tweak them directly from this app.)

I really love this app, and I don’t say that often. It is critical to my brainstorming and creative process.

Thank you for making it.

Then it got complicated and now it is basically unusable. I can’t save an image from ANY of the filters (I can take screenshot of it, that’s all). The editor is a hot mess. Many people, me included, can’t figure out how to use it in a productive manner. And then, today, while trying out the video option, I pressed for the camera and then tried to pause it so I could take a screenshot... well, now that’s broken too! It’s all a bright green image and in a matter of seconds a message appears saying that the path limit has been reached. Mind you, I’ve chosen no paths at all. I wasn’t even using the editor feature!

This used to be the best image editing app if you wanted to play around with vectorization or just apply unexpectedly fun filters. It had lots of options and a few of them were for premium users but there was enough for the free user to love. It was also possible to understand what you were actually doing. How the inclusion of an editor became the kiss of death and why it’s impossible to use any filter to save an image are questions best asked directly.

What happened, Mr Developer? How did a perfect and fun photo editing app became unintelligible even for people with some graphic design experience?

This is one of the best tracing apps I’ve seen, but the current version adds steps to my workflow because it is not up to date. 1) For import from Creative Cloud, Imaengine only allows Creative Cloud Files, but needs to support Lightroom cloud photos, Adobe Cloud Documents (used by Photoshop on iPad), and maybe CC Libraries. 2) Imaengine does not appear on a Share Sheet, so I could not send a photo directly from Lightroom to Imaengine, I have to export to Photos then import. 3) Imaengine does not support import from/export to iOS Files, only the Photos app, but I now move many images through the Files app without ever adding them to the Photos app. It is clear that Imaengine supported the services available when it was released, but times have changed, and Imaengine has not kept up with the times. Photos is no longer the sole repository of images on iOS since Files is now so great, and Creative Cloud Files is not the primary storage for Adobe photo apps.