FIFTHTEXAS Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 Hi can anyone recommend a pdf to cad program to buy, having lots of drawings on pdf coming in now, and i cant get original dwg, so at the moment i am tracing, as you can imagine this is so time consuming, any good softwarew you can recommend ? Quote
designerstuart Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 unfortunately you might be doing it the best way already - this has been asked many times before and it is generally said that pdf to dwg does not work well Quote
ReMark Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 The PDF file format was originally designed to facilitate the exchange of documents between word processing programs. It was not designed as a bridge to CAD. We took a good thing and twisted it to fit our needs. In so doing we have created the monster that now threatens to undo what we have worked so hard to create...accurate drawings. Quote
designerstuart Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 Is that why Autodesk came up with/use DWF? i expect so - it is a read only version of the dwg, just like pdf is a read-only version of doc (etc) Quote
ReMark Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 And why more people do not use the DWF file format is beyond me. I think AutoDesk and AutoCAD Help communities should be beating the drum for its use. Instead we rely on PDF files for the exchange of information. Don't get me wrong, they are useful as a means of exchanging information, but when we take those PDFs and try to convert them into DWGs that's where the trouble begins. Quote
f700es Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 Adobe Illustrator, it can open PDFs and export to DWG GSView with PStoEdit. Open source app that can open PDFs and export dxfs. Not as polished and reliable as Illustrtator but it is free. Corel Draw has also had some success in opening PDF files and exporting DXF/DWG. With any of these you will need to scale the new CAD files. Sure this pretty much defeats the purpose of the CAD file but sometimes its all you have to work with. Quote
Cad64 Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 And why more people do not use the DWF file format is beyond me. I can tell you, from my own experience, that people just do not want to learn a new program. I've been yelled at by clients enough times that now I just make the pdf's and send them on. It's not worth my time trying to argue the point with them. They don't care and they don't want to hear about it. They just want their pdf's. Quote
f700es Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 Been there, done that. Nope they don't want to learn and they don't want the hassle of installing a new app or plugin. Acrobat is there already and it's too late to fight this fight. DWF might be the better option but it doesn't matter. I can tell you, from my own experience, that people just do not want to learn a new program. I've been yelled at by clients enough times that now I just make the pdf's and send them on. It's not worth my time trying to argue the point with them. They don't care and they don't want to hear about it. They just want their pdf's. Quote
bjenk8100 Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 you say dwf to an experienced computer user they will look confused you say pdf to a normal computer user they are even more confused looking Quote
ReMark Posted April 7, 2011 Posted April 7, 2011 I am willing to bet that way more computer users know what a PDF file is than a DWF file. Quote
f700es Posted April 8, 2011 Posted April 8, 2011 Yes but they don't have too. Acrobat or Foxit (or another reader) is on every PC (Win, Mac or Linux) since the last 10 years. It's here and too easy to use to try to fight. I am willing to bet that way more computer users know what a PDF file is than a DWF file. Quote
SLW210 Posted April 8, 2011 Posted April 8, 2011 Yes but they don't have too. Acrobat or Foxit (or another reader) is on every PC (Win, Mac or Linux) since the last 10 years. It's here and too easy to use to try to fight. I don't even bother tracing the scanned PDFs, I just plot it and set it beside me and start drawing. I am considering trying converting from PDF to WMF and then importing to AutoCAD. I think WMF is easier to work with. I wonder why I get a copy of Design Review w/AutoCAD? What does it do that AutoCAD doesn't? I would think, if Autodesk was serious about DWF, they would get the DWF viewer to be installed on all PC also. Quote
f700es Posted April 8, 2011 Posted April 8, 2011 A WMF is just another vector file much like a DWG, AI, PDF of SVG. Illustrator does these as well. Quote
Coosbaylumber Posted April 10, 2011 Posted April 10, 2011 Used to be some firm in Mid-west college who was offering for free a downloadable software for converting PDF file into some version of Autocad. There is one catch..... All linework had to originally be done via lines. Had Ghost in the title someplace. Wm. Quote
f700es Posted April 11, 2011 Posted April 11, 2011 Yes GSView with PStoEdit is GUI for GhostScript http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/gsview/ Used to be some firm in Mid-west college who was offering for free a downloadable software for converting PDF file into some version of Autocad. There is one catch..... All linework had to originally be done via lines. Had Ghost in the title someplace. Wm. Quote
Coosbaylumber Posted April 11, 2011 Posted April 11, 2011 Per #16 above, sounds right. But was thinking that U of Iowa or Kansas was marketing the thing years ago. They were sort of slow to answer any problems too. Wm. Quote
kevinp Posted April 11, 2011 Posted April 11, 2011 Yes GSView with PStoEdit is GUI for GhostScript http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/gsview/ This is what Ive been using for a couple years. Works pretty good compared to some other (paid) ones I've used in the past. Quote
sparkyuk Posted April 12, 2011 Posted April 12, 2011 Thanks f700es Illustrator did a great job apart from a few small bits it pick up that were not there it did a clean job, just had to rescale and change lettering and job done Quote
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