Site maps and AutoCAD?

Dear All,

This is my first post and so far i have found this to be a very useful website, i have just found out about the student trials of autocad software that are available and am downloading autocad 09. I'll now have it at home as opposed to just uni!

My question is, how do i get site plans in AutoCAD 2009? they need to be scaled obviously and editable (when i mean editable, colours changed, adding text etc)... I've considered downloading that piece of software called AutoCAD Map 3D will this be of any use?

With what or how did you do this? Please help, i'm a 2nd year architecture student.

What do you mean when you say "how do i get site plans in AutoCAD 2009?" If you have a site plan you simply open it. Do you already have a site plan drafted by someone else or are you drafting one?

I would venture to say if you are doing architectural work you won't need Map.

I think what i mean is; How do i "create" site plans in autocad?

Example: if i have a site map in *.pdf format, how do i get into autocad scaled and editable.

well you can change the pdf into a jpeg i usually do it with acrobat professional, then you can go insert rasterized image and trace the image if you want.

is this a class assignment?

Yes, it is a part of a class assignment. However, i have found a method where i use Edina Digimap for the site plan. I then download it as a datafile and then use a piece of software which converts it into *.dwg - but all sounds kind of long winded.

Yes tracing a jpg file could be an option, however, how would you be so sure that the jpg file is correctly scaled when imported into CAD?

You would need at least one known distance to measure it by and/or you would need to know the scale of the .jpg.

Yes, it is a part of a class assignment. However, i have found a method where i use Edina Digimap for the site plan. I then download it as a datafile and then use a piece of software which converts it into *.dwg - but all sounds kind of long winded.

 

Yes tracing a jpg file could be an option, however, how would you be so sure that the jpg file is correctly scaled when imported into CAD?

well then again that bring the question to your other method would it come in at the right scale?