Hi - I did it once, so I know it it possible, but I can’t repeat it.
I find it quite difficult to position my image on the version with thousands of edges across the face - I do realize that the other is a N-gon but it sure is easier to work with.
What is the best way to bring in a shape to extrude and apply a image to the flat, front plane. I’ve done it many times by deleting some of those edges, but that is a terrible job.
This version is what I want to repeat, with other shapes
Scan/clean outline to reasonable point amount in Inkscape before import as svg.
Select all faces - Delete - Limited Dissolve.
If you have outline with still too many points - menu Select outline vertices - Checker deselect - Dissolve verts; repeat several times. Use LoopTools addon Space to even verts on outline.
F to make ngon from outline - if that ‘overlaps’ connect some nearby opposite verts using J key.
To later use subsurf you might want to extrude narrow face ribbon from the outline first; then make ngon(s).
Usually it goes pretty fast using any or combination of mentioned operations.
There’s also simplify curves addon in Blender that can reduce amount of handles. Also lowering resolution in object data properties helps before converting to mesh.
After convert it’s a good idea to remove double vertices. For UV unwrapping, U -> project from view might be suitable.
