Topic: Has anyone had experience with this software?

[craigr]

One of my bosses suggested this software to convert .pdf floorplans to CAD.

We know nothing about the software other than what is posted on its web site.

Since it costs $180, I thought I would ask if anyone on here uses it and their opinon OR do you use something else that costs less that works as well or better?

I don't forsee us using it for anything but for converting .pdf floor plans to .dwg.

Their web site is -
http://www.autodwg.com/pdf-to-dwg-converter/

craigr

[architecture68-raff]

How do you get the pdf's that you want to convert into dwgs?

If they were generated electronically by "plotting to pdf" they will be vector pdfs and you might get so-so results. 

If your source pdf is from a scanned or rasterized pdf, you might as well save your time and money.

I've only tried these programs a few times and even with vectorized pdfs they were pretty much junk.

[ReneRam]

Tried it, and tried also other software, actually I think that it depends on what you have to do with the resulting drawing.
By the way, I think there is a trial period, but if I don't remember wrong the last time I tried it I got stuck and didn't get the final drawing.

René

[craigr]

All I want to do with whatever software we end up with, is convert .pdfs of floor plans to .dwg so that I can change the colors of the lines to black then put them on a layer called 'floorplan' and lock it.

No other mods are needed.

I tried a software a few years ago that converted bitmaps to .dwg, but it made 1 line into MANY seperate lines. It made it horrible to manipulate the dwg so I didn't buy it. At that time I was trying it on HVAC equipment bitmaps & wiring bitmaps that I wanted to manipulate.

If I could remember the software, it might work in this case.

I am looking for a very 'down and dirty' software to get away from pasting bitmaps & pdfs into CAD.

craigr

[Keith™]

If you have access to Corel Draw, you will get a much better result. Open the PDF and save as DWG. Some items will need to be cleaned up but generally you have editable drawings.

[craigr]

If you have access to Corel Draw, you will get a much better result. Open the PDF and save as DWG. Some items will need to be cleaned up but generally you have editable drawings.

Good idea!!!

I have a copy of CorelDRAW 9 that we aren't using, I'll install it and try that first.

thanks
craigr

[ReneRam]

Once I had a similar need and ended up opening the "pdf" files with PhotoShop, converting them in greyscale and saving them as "tif" or "jpg", don't remember, then... xref.
Or, even better, Adobe, I think "Illustrator", saves as dwg.
René

[craigr]

Corel Draw 9 worked great!

You have to jump thru a couple of hoops, but it DID work.

Of course this won't won't work for 'scanned' images in the .pdf. But CAD printed to .pdf does work. Apparently, the conversion to .pdf remembers the 'vector' parts.

The software I mentioned earlier, as I remember, it looked like it actually 'redrew' the lines, thus losing any lengths, linewidths, etc. It also left a bunch of random dots / small lines throughout the dwg. - Redrawing noise as lines.

I guess I am still looking for a software that will redraw the bitmaps to CAD - IF they do a decent job of it.

We REALLY don't want to deal with inserted images of any kind to our dwg.

craigr