Converting to Vector Images

[JasonSelf]

I have heard of a few methods for converting raster images to vector so that you can import things like logo's to the title blocks of your drawings, etc etc. I was wondering if anyone has any tips or perhaps knows of any programs that will do this correctly.

Thanks,
Jason Self

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Might want to take a look at the following product -

Scan2CAD (http://www.softcover.com)

Note - No product is perfect when it comes to converting Raster Formats to DWG, there will always be some clean up work required.

Have a good one, Mike

[Sid]

Yea the biggest problem that the manufacturers have not addressed is text recognition.

[paul.burgener]

A year or so ago, I downloaded some eval copies and recommended we get AutoView by Cimmetry. Doesn't always work though. I'd say maybe half the time.

As for the text, I understand there's a difference in whether the drawing "owner" used old AutoCAD .shx fonts or new True Type .ttf fonts. I can't recall which works and which doesn't, though.

When AutoView succeeds, we simply retype the text. Keeps our talkative CAD operator from annoying others. :-)

-Paul Burgener, Newport News, VA USA, 23602, www.evaug.com

[JasonSelf]

Ill tell you what I did.

I did a little research and found out that of all programs flash has a trace bitmap function as well as an ability to save as dxf. I tested the other programs that were mentioned, as well as a few others but when it came down to it flash did the trick better than any of the others. I just imported the image, ran trace bitmap saved to dxf and I was done.

Hope that may help somebody in my situation in the future, I was just lucky enough to have a copy of Macromedia's Flash MX hanging around.

[BigBopper]

The most powerful R2V program I have ever seen is PlanTracer (http://www.rastertech.co.uk/products_pt.htm)
Scans are never accurate. Yes you can scale them, but they differ in scale across the page, and you can't fix that.

We all know it is harder to fix something than to do it right the first time. I spent so much time trying to figure out what was accurate and what wasn't, that I just gave up. I just manually transcribed almost 200 mechanical drawings. R2V just slows me down.

[BigBopper]

I was just lucky enough to have a copy of Macromedia's Flash MX hanging around.
Very interesting, never thoght of that, I use Flash