Node Cleanup
After tracing an imported image with Smart Trace, use the Node Cleanup panel to remove unwanted paths and reduce noise.
Node CleanupAfter running a Smart Trace on an imported image, the Node Cleanup panel appears in the sidebar listing every traced path with its segment count. You can delete individual paths that captured noise, thin out overly dense paths with the Simplify tool, or wipe out all tiny fragments in one step with Remove Small Paths. Cleaning up the trace result here keeps your drawing lean and avoids dozens of stray micro-paths cluttering your layers.
The Node Cleanup panel is only available immediately after a Smart Trace completes. Run Smart Trace on your imported image first — the panel opens automatically in the sidebar once tracing finishes.
Remove Small Paths
Click Remove Small Paths to bulk-delete all paths whose bounding box area is below the threshold set by the Tolerance slider. Use this to remove small artifact paths that resulted from the trace.
Stats
The bottom of the panel shows total path count and total segment count across all traced paths.
Adjust the Tolerance slider
The Tolerance slider (range 1–20, default 2) controls the aggressiveness of both Simplify and Remove Small Paths. For simplification, tolerance is measured in pixels — points closer together than this distance are merged. For Remove Small Paths, the threshold is the bounding-box area relative to the tolerance value. Set the slider before running either bulk action.
Simplify a dense path
Select a path and click Simplify to thin out its nodes. The algorithm removes any point whose distance to the next point is shorter than the current Tolerance value — the first and last points of the path are always preserved. After simplification the segment count in the list updates immediately. Run Simplify multiple times with increasing tolerance to progressively reduce node density.
Remove all small paths in bulk
Click Remove Small Paths (minus-square icon) to delete every path whose axis-aligned bounding-box area falls below the threshold derived from the current Tolerance value. This clears the cluster of tiny closed fragments a trace typically produces around fine details or image grain. The selection resets after the operation and the stats refresh.
Check the totals and accept
The bottom of the panel shows the total path count and total segment count across all remaining traced paths. Use these numbers as a sanity check — a well-cleaned trace of a typical site plan should have far fewer paths and segments than the raw trace result. When you are satisfied, accept the result to send the cleaned paths into your drawing.
Work in order for best results: first use Remove Small Paths at a moderate tolerance to clear junk fragments, then lower the tolerance and use Simplify on each path you want to keep. Cleaning bulk noise first means Simplify has less to contend with and produces cleaner outlines.
Remove Small Paths deletes every path below the threshold in one click — there is no undo within the panel. If it removes a path you wanted, lower the Tolerance slider and re-run the Smart Trace to start fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Node Cleanup panel is not visible in the sidebar.
The panel only appears after a Smart Trace completes. Open an imported image, run Smart Trace on it, and the Node Cleanup panel will open automatically in the sidebar once the trace finishes.
Simplify changed the shape of my path more than I wanted.
Lower the Tolerance slider to a smaller value (closer to 1) and run Simplify again on a fresh trace. A lower tolerance removes only the shortest segments and preserves more of the original outline. You can also simplify in small increments — run Simplify, check the result, and run it again if more reduction is needed.
Remove Small Paths deleted a path I needed.
The threshold is based on the current Tolerance value — a higher tolerance removes larger paths too. Lower the slider before clicking so only the smallest fragments are cleared. If you already accepted the result, re-run the Smart Trace on the original image and use a lower tolerance next time.
What does the segment count mean and why does it matter?
The segment count is the number of straight-line segments that make up a path — one fewer than the number of points for an open path, and equal to the point count for a closed path. A high segment count means the path has many closely packed nodes, which can slow down the drawing and make path editing difficult later. Simplify reduces this count while preserving the overall shape.
Can I edit the individual node positions here, or do I need another tool?
Node Cleanup only lets you delete paths, simplify them, and remove small ones in bulk. To reposition individual nodes after accepting the trace, select the path in your drawing and use the Path Edit tool to drag, add, or remove specific points.