Scanning a drawing

[scoot3r]

Hello, I was wondering if there is any way possible to scan a printed 2D drawing into an AutoCAD format. I have been able to scan it into a JPG and from there I can convert from jpg to dwg but this solution is not the best. Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.

[ReMark]

Before you can edit a drawing it must be scanned, cleaned up and converted from a raster to vector format. Programs such as Scan2Cad can do that. I would recommend you contact your local reprographics shop and ask them if they have the capability to scan and convert your drawing. The price should be fairly reasonable as this is done quite often now-a-days.

[iskalipsi]

I think you can't. You'll have to convert your scanned drawing to a file that can be read by Autocad such as DXF.

[ReMark]

Raster to vector conversion has been around for quite a while. In the past the conversion process created huge files. It may be more efficient now. I have a 3.5" floppy disk with two scans/conversions on it from 1994 that I can still open directly using AutoCAD.

[Tankman]

Scan to a *.pdf format, the *.pdf can be converted to a *.dxf file.

 

Still needs cleaning but, works when you need it.

 

www.pdf2cad.com has a trial version available, online download.

[ReMark]

What size is this drawing?

[f700es]

Scan to a *.pdf format, the *.pdf can be converted to a *.dxf file.

 

Still needs cleaning but, works when you need it.

 

www.pdf2cad.com has a trial version available, online download.

 

Remember Tankman, there are 2 types of PDF files, raster and vector. A scanned PDF will be a raster and still will need to be "vectorized" someway.

From your link it points this out...

 

"However, if you have scanned drawings, you'll need a "raster to vector" solution (read more). One of the best products we have tested is Scan2CAD"

 

Try this scan2cad, it might work.

[Tankman]

f700es never tried Scan2CAD I'll have to take a peek-a-boo at the program.

 

I did notice at times when converting *.pdf to *.dxf, the *.dxf was blank.

I'm guessing the *.pdf was made via a scan.

However, when I checked the directory I had a *.tif file.

The *.tif files were very LARGE. Opened in paint and saved as a much smaller *.jpg file.

 

Then, lots of tracing in AutoCAD after which I dump the image file.

[f700es]

Yeah a tiff is another raster image. I have yet to see any thing other than a simple image converted to vector from raster that did not need a tons of "fixing".

To me raster to vector = The CAD Holy Grail

[Coosbaylumber]

Contrairy to what has been reported here already, I do such plans at rate of about 30 per year. JPG idea is sort of stinko, for even though it will load fast, it will turn up a crummy picture and results. I like to use the TIF format, for it may result in a big numbered file size wise, (I often work with file of about 400 to 450 M. each) the TIF is not affected by any resizing as the others are.

 

Unless you intend to go 1:1 then instead convert to TIF formats. I also scan at range of about 200-300 DPI for there really is zero need to go finer.

 

I also am no fan of the PDF format as I think you have to contact Adobe as to resize or distort one of the ratios on the image.

 

Wm.