Adobe Illustrator Files

[Jack_O'neill]

Anybody know of a converter that creates Adobe Illustrator (*.ai) files from any other format?

 

I have a client that wants his drawings in this for some reason, and I don't seem to have anything that makes them. I have autocad of course, and bricscad, neither of them will do it. GIMP2 appears to not do it, and neither does Picassa.

 

I looked at The Adobe online store, and CS5.5 is $1900, so that ain't happenin'.

 

Got any ideas?

 

--edit--Inkscape don't do it either.

[tzframpton]

Can they use a WMF file to import into Illustrator and then do as they please? Does it have to be *.AI? What about Inkscape, then "free Adobe Illustrator alternative". That imports DXF files but I don't know about exporting AI.

 

**EDIT** Just saw the Inkscape comment, lol... sorry

[Jack_O'neill]

Can they use a WMF file to import into Illustrator and then do as they please? Does it have to be *.AI? What about Inkscape, then "free Adobe Illustrator alternative". That imports DXF files but I don't know about exporting AI.

 

**EDIT** Just saw the Inkscape comment, lol... sorry

 

I guess I should have said "potential" client, don't have the contract yet.

 

I've offered every file that any of the packages I mentioned can make, but they want the .ai files for some reason. There's more to this than they are letting me in on, but I don't know what it is. Either they don't know that they can import the other files, or it's not for them directly. Maybe they've contracted for something they can't do either. They're being a little tight lipped about why they need these.

 

By the way...Revit or Sketchup don't do it either.

[SLW210]

Try NCONVERT free.

[Jack_O'neill]

Try NCONVERT free.

 

Clipped from Nconvert website:

 

NConvert is provided as FREEWARE for private non-commercial or educational use (including non-profit organization). The commercial version is not free. Thanks anyway.

[f700es]

Shoot, if your client is using Adobe Illustrator you can send them PDF files and Illustrator will open them with ease. You could always install the 30 day demo of Illustrator and use it for this project. Corel Draw will also save as .Ai files.

[SLW210]

I never saw that, I use it for my own enjoyment.

 

Have checked for any open source convertors?

[Cad64]

Seems strange to me. If they want AI files then I would assume they have Illustrator, right? So why can't they just open your .dwg files in Illustrator and do whatever they want?

 

I looked at The Adobe online store' date=' and CS5.5 is $1900, so that ain't happenin'.

[/quote']

 

That $1,900 pricetag is for the CS5 creative suite which includes Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc. You can purchase Illustrator separately for around $600.

[Jack_O'neill]

Seems strange to me. If they want AI files then I would assume they have Illustrator, right? So why can't they just open your .dwg files in Illustrator and do whatever they want?

 

 

 

That $1,900 pricetag is for the CS5 creative suite which includes Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc. You can purchase Illustrator separately for around $600.

 

Seems strange to me too, but they wouldn't tell me why. I already told them that I couldn't supply it. They said they might be back if they couldn't find someone. I don't know if I want them back. Just don't go for the cloak and dagger bit. If everything you do is a big deep dark secret, leave me out of it. How many ways can you build a house anyway? These were floor plans and elevations of a large (3800 sq ft) house. Nothing special about it, certainly nothing innovative and new, but they absolutely insisted on having Illustrator files and were "not at liberty to say" I think was the term the guy used.

 

Thanks for the info, but at $600, that still ain't happenin'. Graphic artist I'm not.

[Jack_O'neill]

Shoot, if your client is using Adobe Illustrator you can send them PDF files and Illustrator will open them with ease. You could always install the 30 day demo of Illustrator and use it for this project. Corel Draw will also save as .Ai files.

 

Suggested that, didn't want it. Don't know what they are up to. I suspect they sold these plans in that format not realizing that they couldn't produce them, now they are in a pinch. Don't know that for certain, it's just a theory that happens to fit the facts.

 

I never saw that, I use it for my own enjoyment.

 

Have checked for any open source convertors?

 

I quit looking when the "not at liberty to say" bit started. I don't do sneaky stuff, don't like people who do.