Logo in CAD - EPS file

[Gwenojenn]

Hello everyone ;)
Just a little question about lettering in CAD - Logo
We just had our logo in the office re-design by a team of graphic designer. They`ve provide us with a .tif / .jpg / .eps version of it ...

The thing we need to do now is to create a CAD file of it, so we can insert it into our cad drawing template. We do not want to insert the actual `image` (jpg or bmp) because it will eventually miss its link. We want a vector file of it, an actual cad file. I am looking at a way of doing it ...
Here is a few things a thought of: the logo is just the name of the office, but with a specific spacing ...

1. Insert the image (jpg) into CAD at a big scale, write the name with the right font, explode the lettering and place the letters one by one according to their spacing ... :( ... unfortunately it does not work, because when i explode the name it reverts to a txt font .. is there a way to explode some lettering so that you end up with the outline of each letter as polylines?

2. The format .eps is vector based, but i cannot find a way of connecting it to AutoCAD, or importing it. I know that you can export a cad drawing as an .eps, but can you use a .eps file into CAD? if not what can i do with this eps file?

3. Do you have any other idea? ;)

Thank you for your help !!!
Cheers
Gwenojenn

[CADTutor]

If the letter spacing is the only problem, why not create each letter of the name seperately and then arrage them as required.

[fuccaro]

Gwenojenn
I have 3 completely different suggestions for you. If you will play with these ideas pleas let us know the best way – saving the time for our futures works.
SUGGESTION 1
Import the raster image of the logo. Write over that the text with the appropriate font but using a different color. Use TXTEXPL (express tools). This will “convert” the text to lines. Use PLJOIN (express again) to convert those lines in to closed polylines - the fuzz distance must be zero. Move the “letters” (polylines from now) over the image and using the grip points make fine adjustments. Delete the image, convert the “text” to block...
SUGGESTION 2
Try to import the vector image (via DXF format?). If you are out of luck, you may try to vectorise the raster image. A program called WINTOPO is free over the Net. Also you may use COREL TRACE.
SUGGESTION 3
If my previous suggestions are not good, try something else and let us know the results.

[gcp310]

why dont you get your graphic art mob to convert the .eps to a wmf and insert it into your drawing file. its should work fine. i do it all the time with logos for exhibition stands that i design.

Goodluck

G

[Gwenojenn]

Hello everybody ;)
Many thanks to all of you ... you saved the office :lol:
Here is some feedback on the different suggestions you gave me:

David -> Your idea works perfectly !! i did not think of this simple way ... only thought about one word ... so that works, i wrote each letter and then placed them one by one to match the .jpg. Then, convert the whole thing as a block, and it worked fine !!!

Fuccaro -> Idem your suggestion works perfectly !!! I have only tried `suggestion 1` and it worked ... did not try `suggestion 2` sorry ... lazy ;) but if i have a chance i`ll give it a go and give you some feedback on it. So your procedure 1 works fine, managed to explode the text and ended up with polylines for each letter. The only thing is with a letter like G or S it cannot creates one polylines, it `divides` the letter in three parts (3 closed polylines) ... but using the `trim` command you can re-create a single outside polyline and `join` all the segments. So exploded it, then converted to polylines (pljoin) ... don`t know if it did anything i thought they were allready closed ... moved them one by one to match .jpg ... hatch `solid` to fill each letter and blocked the whole thing .. perfect. I think the advantage of this procedure, is that you can have more flexibility to move or fill the lettering.

gcp310 -> I will ask the graphic designer to provide us with a wmf file ... they designed the logo on Adobe Illustrator, do you think it is possible?

Well a big thanks again to everyone, and i hope this procedure will help other people trying to work with text and logos in CAD !!!
Have a nice day ;)
Gwenojenn

[fuccaro]

Gwenojenn
Nice attitude to return with a feed back. After centuries people reading this will save they time and will try the right solution to they problem.
Serious: this fair play style should be a moral standard for each member of the Forum

[f700es]

Hello Gwenojenn, you should have no trouble getting your designers to save you a version of that file to a .wmf format. I have Illustrator 9 and I can export to .wmf with no problem. Illustrator 9 and above will also export out to AutoCAD r2000 format as well. They should be able to do this for you. Good luck.

F7

[Gwenojenn]

Hi there ;)
Thank you very much Fuccaro for your comment ;) ... I hope indeed that the post will help others on the forum ...
Just to keep you update, I have called the graphic designer and ask them to save / export the logo as a .wmf and as a CAD r2000 format (thanks f700es for the info !! ;)) ... so as soon as i receive them i`ll try them

See you
Gwenojenn

[gcp310]

Too easy, Great to hear that you,ve found a solution.
The graphic design guru should be able to help you out with the .wmf file. its pretty common.

G

[Gwenojenn]

Little update on the subject ...
I called the graphic designer, and ask them to send us a .wmf and CAD file ... few minutes later just received those three files from them : .dwg / .dxf / .wmf !!!

They`ve exported the logo from Illustrator to those formats.
The good thing is, the .dwg and .dxf are CAD block, they work perfectly, they are the exact logo, and they got the right colour as well (in case we need to print to colour) ... is that possible? its a pantone colour ... can you keep a specific colour from Illustrator to CAD?

So we now have the whole set for our template ...
Just a question for information: i cannot find a way of using the .wmf ... i cannot open the format or insert it ... i`m on CAD2002 ... ;)
See u all
Gwenojenn

[CADTutor]

Try Insert/Windows Metafile... or type WMFIN at the command prompt. The Pantone colour palette is now available in AutoCAD 2004 but with earlier versions you're stuck with the old ACI.