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Thread: Raster to Vector Converter

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    Default Raster to Vector Converter

    Does anybody know of a good raster to vector conversion program? I have a possible new client that has a lot of raster format drawings and wants to convert them to DWG. I'm looking to purchase a program. Any suggestions? How much "cleaning" will I need to look forward to after the conversion?
    Do any of these programs run inside of AutoCAD

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    Default Re: Raster to Vector Converter

    Have you looked at Raster Design at all?

    I used it in a couple of AU classes, but, I don't recall how it works with AutoCAD exactly, maybe one of the users has some insight.
    Melanie Stone
    @MistresDorkness

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    Default Re: Raster to Vector Converter

    Ok, thanks I'll check it out. I know a lot of companies offer this service, I just didnt know what type of software is out there for this. I know they dont have some poor CAD Drafter manually drawing these old prints....some of which are almost illegible. If they do,..I pray for the young drafter

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    Default Re: Raster to Vector Converter

    Thanks Wanderer, I've read ALOT if ur posts. It looks like Raster Design will work. Are there any programs that may convert the whole drawing to an vector image without manually having to pick each line. I didnt see this capability on the description of Raster Design on Autodesk.com.

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    Default Re: Raster to Vector Converter


    There are programs out there that will do that.

    I used a couple of trial versions a couple of years ago, but, the documents that would come back were pretty rough in quality, and I'd spend more time cleaning up the conversion than if I would have just x-ref'd it in and traced over it manually.

    To be fair, it's been a few years since I did the research (I don't have time to do the work myself these days, so I tend to outsource it), hopefully someone else will chime in with some current opinions.

    \/ If you look below our posts, you'll see "similar threads", most of those are a couple of years old, but, could give you a couple starting points.
    Melanie Stone
    @MistresDorkness

    Archibus, FMS/FMInteract and AutoCAD Expert (I use BricsCAD, Revit, Tandem, and Planon, too)
    Technical Editor
    not all those who wander are lost

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    Default Re: Raster to Vector Converter

    Thanks, I started out as a CAD Operator in a Facilities Department 13 years ago. You said u outsource ur conversion. Do u think there are a lot of potential customers with this type of service? The facilities department that I started with had 3 hanging racks and 6 flat drawers full of prints from as far back as '75 that weren't in CAD and needed to be converted. I get most of my work from building design and CAD outsourcing functions but I am interested in this as a potential service. How did u find the service u use?

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    Default Re: Raster to Vector Converter

    I doubt there'd be that much call for it these days (at least on a grand scale). Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
    I've got 100 sticks, 80 tubes, and 140 drawers worth of prints, going back 100 years. The ones I had vectorized were just the structurals. That was a year-long project. With the MEP's, we've got so many more of those. But, many of the buildings have been renovated since these older projects, so there's no need to vectorize the older ones, just keep them for reference. And the rest of the gap areas, we can just underlay as PDF's or something simple and sloppy, until they're renovated again (any given area on our campus is renovated an average of once every 15 years).

    I found the service I used because they performed some MEPFP composite drawing services for one of our smaller hospitals. Since there wasn't a full-time cad manager there, I was brought in to do some qc and make sure the projects details were outlined clearly and correctly. I was impressed with their consistency, and their abilities to answer my questions without marketing-speak, so...
    I did constant qc checks throughout that year, and did have to have them fix a few things.
    (They said they used a mix of a custom program to convert, then had drafters do the layering/text cleanup, etc. then their CAD Manager would review periodically.)
    Melanie Stone
    @MistresDorkness

    Archibus, FMS/FMInteract and AutoCAD Expert (I use BricsCAD, Revit, Tandem, and Planon, too)
    Technical Editor
    not all those who wander are lost

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    Default Re: Raster to Vector Converter

    Thanx a lot. I appreciate ur help!

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