tracing a raster image

[Jasonx10]

Alright. I havent really heard of this being possible at all, I just thought it would be cool {if it was} and figured it was worth checking into:

Ive got a huuuuuuuuuuge copy job to do and was wondering if theres a way to scan something, pull it in as a raster image and use some sortof trace function to seperate light and darkness of the raster image and form it into editable lines. Sounds crazy I know...but yea, itd be sweet if it were possible. Anyhow...someone let me know if theres something like this i could try. THanks.



www.backfromnowhere.com

[f700es]

Alright. I havent really heard of this being possible at all, I just thought it would be cool {if it was} and figured it was worth checking into:

Ive got a huuuuuuuuuuge copy job to do and was wondering if theres a way to scan something, pull it in as a raster image and use some sortof trace function to seperate light and darkness of the raster image and form it into editable lines. Sounds crazy I know...but yea, itd be sweet if it were possible. Anyhow...someone let me know if theres something like this i could try. THanks.



www.backfromnowhere.com

If you mean raster to vector then yes there are ways to do this. I tried a couple with last job but I was VERY disappointed with the results. One cost several thousand dollars no including the large format scanner. Now I have a copy of Corel OCR-Trace that is not to bad but still nowhere near perfect. It can trace and save as a .dxf file. Do a web search and I am sure you can find some that offer 30 day demos or what not. Here are a few I found but have not tried...
http://www.caddepot.com/cgi-bin/dcd/dcd.cgi

[CADTutor]

I have also used Corel Trace - comes as part of the DRAW package. The results are far from perfect. Quality depends upon the original raster image. However, I have found that for relatively simple images, Corel Trace can be used to create a crude raster to vector conversion. You can then use this as a template and using running object snaps in AutoCAD, you can quickly draw an improved version.

[f700es]

I have also used Corel Trace - comes as part of the DRAW package. The results are far from perfect. Quality depends upon the original raster image. However, I have found that for relatively simple images, Corel Trace can be used to create a crude raster to vector conversion. You can then use this as a template and using running object snaps in AutoCAD, you can quickly draw an improved version.

not perfect but not bad for the price

F7

[Mr T]

I have also used Corel Trace - comes as part of the DRAW package. The results are far from perfect. Quality depends upon the original raster image.

:o Use an image at least 300dpi when scanned in.


. However, I have found that for relatively simple images, Corel Trace can be used to create a crude raster to vector conversion. You can then use this as a template and using running object snaps in AutoCAD, you can quickly draw an improved version.

You can save as and export *.wmf, *.dwg and *.dxfs using CorelDRAW.

:lol: Nick

[fuccaro]

I used before WINTOPO to convert bmp files to dxf. Sure, after importing the dxf file in AutoCAD, your job just begins. You may download Wintopo for free, here is the URL
http://www.geoplan.com.my/wintopo
as f700es says:not perfect but not bad for the price

[Jasonx10]

cool. Thanks for the help! Unfortunately (as some of you mentioned), Corel Trace does indeed bite monkey nuggets (and is certainly incapable of giving me the accuracy I need). Sooooooo, gonna have to do it the haaaaaaard way :roll: . Thanks anyhow though! I did learn somethin new :)

[f700es]

cool. Thanks for the help! Unfortunately (as some of you mentioned), Corel Trace does indeed bite monkey nuggets (and is certainly incapable of giving me the accuracy I need). Sooooooo, gonna have to do it the haaaaaaard way :roll: . Thanks anyhow though! I did learn somethin new :)

Can you post the image? If so I will give it a try Monday when I get back to work.

F7

[carlgustav]

We use VPHybridCAD of softelec. It's a very powerfull raster and vector editor and accurate in vectorization. (Better than WinTopo). You can do automatic raster to vector conversion or trace line by line.
They have a free demo on their website: http://www.softelec.com/?vphybridcad

[kakalechien]

this works particularly well for images drawn in black on white but can also be used to create entourage for drawings...if you have photos of your clients you can make neat little line drawings of them to put in elevations or sections...

ok...you need both illustrator and photoshop to do this...

send your original image to photoshop and create a selection outline...easy done if you have black on white...just click on the background with the magic wand and then select inverse to select the line...right click (assuming you have pc) and you will be able to select the option to convert the selection to a path...save this path and then find export in the file menu and export the path to illustrator...

when you open illustrator you can do the following...stroke the path and end up with an outline...you can apply different line weights here as well...OR you can stroke an outline and fill it...this will block out anything behind it once it is in autocad...so you don't have to trim things out from behind it...

now you can export this drawing to autocad...once you are there you will usually have to scale the drawing up...it is probably best to make the drawing into a block at this point and be very careful if you explode it...it will make thousands of lines and osnap doesn't like it...

not sure if this works for you but it beats trying to trace things...if anyone can simplify this process please let me know

[Mr T]

Both methods you describe can actually be done in Corel PHOTOPAINT and or Corel TRACE.

Nick

(proud Corel USER :shock: )

[MattW]

I've found MagicTracer (http://www.magictracer.com) works extremely well for me. I've tried it on low resolution web images and it still works better than most other raster to vector convertors I've used in the past. I also didn't have to pay a few thousand or even a couple hundred. More like fifty, it's the best I've ever used.