Color Rendering?

[Castle]

Can anyone help me produce a 2 dimensional color rendering?

I'm using AutoCAD 2004. I've been told to color in autocad using fill and gradient fill, then convert to a pdf file and then import that file to photoshop to elaborate on the drawing. Is anyone familiar with this? My problems have been

1. When I go to try and just print from paperspace the color fill in way out of scale from the rest of the drawing.

2. When I went to print to pdf the file size was over 400 megs needless to say my machine had an issue with that.

Any help would be appreciated, I'm stuck. Maybe I need to go back to markers and paper?

[Cad64]

If I were you, I would do all of the coloring in Photoshop and forget about the solid hatching. As you have already found out, your pdf file size went through the roof. I usually create an EPS file and then open that in Photoshop, but your pdf should work ok without the hatching.

[Antisthenes]

mix raster and vector information together for highest/sharpest quality and lowest file size

exporting the Linework via print to EPS and then use that to fill on a seperate layers, in PS or other fav. raster pixel pusher program, the different colors and save that image to reasonable resolution and combine it back with the vector EPS file Below the JPG raster color map in indesign or other favorite layout program and print or export that to PDF.

is what i would do

[Castle]

Thanks for the help. I'll explore the photoshop thing a little more. I tried it a while ago but don't know that program all that well.

Any other suggestions still appreciated....

thanks again.:)

[Antisthenes]

ya the problems you will run into like mentioned above are HUGE(to the point of killing any moderately well endowed PC if you end up swapping) file sizes if you make a raster 24x36 at 600/300/150dpi out of the line work rather than keep it vector and merge the color blocks behind later in a program that can handle mixed raster and vector.

if you understood what i am saying.

the task you will do in PS here is just using paintbucket and making a few layers for each color. and of course you don't have to use photoshop if you know another raster image editor better.

[f700es]

2 ways to go about this..
1. Go get this book. I have it and it helps to explain the steps needed to do this.
http://www.amazon.com/Enhancing-Drawings-Photoshop-Scott-Onstott/dp/0782143865/sr=1-2/qid=1170265582/ref=sr_1_2/104-8202815-3544709?ie=UTF8&s=books
Enhancing CAD Drawings with Photoshop



2. You can also download AutoDesks new Impression program and apply styles to existing CAD drawings.
http://labs.autodesk.com/Impressionlanding.html

I have both and each will help you to acheive what you are after. I have also made images straight in AutoCAD at times with good success.

Good luck :)