Modifying imported scanned images

[Steve Capital]

I'm running AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 and I have to modify some PDF files that were drawn in AutoCAD. I don't have the original .dwg file, but I scan the paper copy. Which then sends it to my computer as a pdf file. I was wondering if there's a way to modify the scanned image once I've imported it to AutoCAD.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[ReMark]

So you have an image file that you brought into AutoCAD and want to know if you can edit it. The answer would be no. The PDF file would have to be converted to vector format. There is software that claims to do this but I do not have any personal experience with this other than to say the one time I tried it I found the conversion was not the best quality and all the linework got broken into a thousand little segments. I decided to forego using that method. But don't let that stop you. Try it out yourself. There are a couple of programs that allow a free test on a drawing. You'll have to do an Internet search for PDF to DWG converters.

[Steve Capital]

Cool thanks for your help ReMark.

I'll try out one of those converters. And at the same time I'll see if I can get the original dwg files. Which would save me a hell of a lot of time.

I should be visiting this forum quite a bit.

I took one entry level course 39 hours over 3 weeks.

And am learning more as I go.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Guest dingo]

Steve,the bottom line is, no you can't do it. Do not even try. there are software applications out there that profess to be able to bo it, but it simply can't be done.

 

A pdf drawing is a raster image of a drawing, and as such cannot be brought back into autocad and treated as an autocad drawing. And I don't give a damn what people say, it CANNOT be done.

 

What you are trying to do is convert pixels into a vector entity. Can't be done.

[Tankman]

Not the best conversion but, pdf2cad does a decent job.

A scanned image doesn't work, you need the original *.pdf file which was

created by printing to *.pdf from the CAD program.

 

pdf2cad creates a *.dxf file, easily opened in AutoCAD then save as a *.dwg file.

 

I frequently (always) "rework" the *.dxf file, cleaning up the mess.

Remember also to check the scale and rescale the *.dxf file.

 

The trial version is free. Try www.pdf2cad.com.

[rkmcswain]

I'm running AutoCAD Mechanical 2006 and I have to modify some PDF files that were drawn in AutoCAD. I don't have the original .dwg file, but I scan the paper copy. Which then sends it to my computer as a pdf file. I was wondering if there's a way to modify the scanned image once I've imported it to AutoCAD.

 

There are plenty of raster to vector programs out there. Does the price and quality outweigh what it would cost to redraw it from scratch? Only you can answer that...

 

We use Raster Design (ARD) to edit scanned images all the time. We are not trying to convert the entire image back to CAD, only making changes to the scanned image. ARD is pretty good for this.