to convert pdf to dwg

[zam123]

good mornig

 

i want to convert pdf file to autocad file.is there any method to convert.i heard about the toolpac tool,but i dont know from where i get this tool.

it will be thankful to all if you can give the link to download

[Organic]

It is possible to try it, although the results are not great. Everything will be on one layer, lines will be comprised of a million little lines, text won't be recognized as text but rather as a few more million line segments etc. I.e. it doesn't work very well.

 

A better option is to insert the PDF into a drawing and trace over it manually.

[SLW210]

Here is the link toolpac

 

Come back and show us the results.

[Cad64]

i heard about the toolpac tool,but i dont know from where i get this tool.

it will be thankful to all if you can give the link to download

 

SLW210 already posted a direct link to the site, but next time you want to find something, try Google: http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1031&bih=737&q=toolpac&btnG=Google+Search

[Srajcka]

good mornig

 

i want to convert pdf file to autocad file.is there any method to convert.i heard about the toolpac tool,but i dont know from where i get this tool.

it will be thankful to all if you can give the link to download

 

I now see, i use for soome time this:

http://www.autodwg.com/pdf-to-dwg-converter/

and you can finde some other, a use tham to:

http://www.google.si/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1031&bih=737&q=toolpac&btnG=Google+Search#sclient=psy&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&biw=1280&bih=806&source=hp&q=pdf+to+dwg+converter&pbx=1&oq=pdf+to+dwg+converter&aq=f&aqi=g4g-c1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=26360l27713l0l28030l6l3l1l0l0l0l184l354l0.2l2l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=3f165d16fa290b15

[ReMark]

I think no matter what conversion software is used you'll be sorely disappointed with the results unless you like torturing yourself by editing a drawing that now has hundreds (if not thousands) of line segments (that includes text) and everything ends up on layer "0". If you plan on little or no editing being done then perhaps it will suit your needs.

[rkmcswain]

Here is the link toolpac

 

Come back and show us the results.

 

You don't need the full ToolPac, Dotsoft also offers a standalone version of this tool which creates a DXF out of the PDF.

This means you don't even need AutoCAD so you can use it with LT or any other CAD program that reads a DXF file.

 

http://www.dotsoft.com/pdf2dwg.htm

[rkmcswain]

I think no matter what conversion software is used you'll be sorely disappointed with the results unless you like torturing yourself by editing a drawing that now has hundreds (if not thousands) of line segments (that includes text) and everything ends up on layer "0". If you plan on little or no editing being done then perhaps it will suit your needs.

 

As you pointed out in the last sentence, the results you get can be used if you just need to make minor edits. We used to convert details like this a lot, but many times it is easier to just print the PDF, scan it to TIF, then use Raster Design to edit the image.

[Stephen]

I think there's a way via CS but my memory is hazy. You isolate the items you want in Photoshop then create a path for the outline. You can then open tha tpath in Illustrator and save it in CAD format. Sorry I can't add more detail but hopefully someone else will know, or with those hints you can work it out via trial and error if you have CS.

 

Hope this helps.

 

S

[Tankman]

Quite a bit depends on where the *.pdf file was created.

If the *.pdf was created from AutoCAD, the results although not great, produce the best results.

A scan produces a blank *.dxf file and a *.tif image, insert image, scale, draw over it and

ditch the image.

 

After making the conversion, be sure to scale the drawing to a known dimension.

Then start replacing some stuff; i.e.: a known diameter circle for instance.

The converter might have given you a circle segmented into a zillion parts.

Find the center, draw your own circle (known diameter) and delete the old junqué.

 

I've used www.pdf2cad.com for years, helped when I needed it.

The converter will give you a *.dxf file which you can open and then save to a *.dwg formatted drawing.

[Jack_O'neill]

Here are the results I get with "any pdf to dwg" converter. I used the free trial, it's $180 to buy the thing. I had to post a screen shot because even zipped this file is over 1mb in size. It has 2 layers. I did an erase all just to get it to count. There are 13,851 objects in this drawing after I removed all the identifying bits in the titleblock to protect the architects, engineers and my customer. The results are completely unacceptable, and a good portion of it is unreadable. I do not know how the pdf was created, it was sent to me by the customer.

 

 

This should be a 50-100K file, but it's almost 1.5 mb in its unzipped state, and thats after I erased the other information. Just that removed over 9000 objects.

 

This is the 4th or 5th one of these converters I've tried in the last year, all with similar results. They've ranged from this one's price to freeware, and none of them have created a file that anyone could use. This is why I redraw when customers send me jpgs, tiffs or pdfs. Files like this are a complete waste of time and effort. I realize that it depends on what and how the pdf was created, but I don't have the luxury of deciding that. I get this stuff from contractors most of the time, who scan a copy of a copy of a copy at 300 dpi because I asked for "electronic drawings" and he thinks that's what I mean.

 

Occasionally, there won't be enough dimensions or other information to recreate the drawing. In those instances, I bring it in as an underlay and draw on top of it. I can do that in half the time it takes to create and then fix stuff like this.

[Stephen]

Looks useful. Not cheap though!

 

S

[Stephen]

Oooops - when I said looks useful I was replying to post #10.

 

Doesn't look quite that useful having now read post #11!

 

I did use vectormagic.com for another purpose the other day. May be worth a try, although I was using it for something much smaller.

 

S

[rkmcswain]

Here are the results I get with "any pdf to dwg"....

 

Based on your screen shots, it looks like this was either a scan or the text was converted to raster somehow in the PDF.

 

The PDF->DWG process honors the old saying "Garbage in, garbage out".

 

As Tankman mentioned, if it was a PDF plot straight out of AutoCAD, the results would be pretty good. But if the PDF is a scan, and you need vector (as opposed to just a background image), then as you have figured out - you might as well redraw.

 

If you can send me the PDF, I would like to try myself.

[Stephen]

And if it's a vector pdf then is there another route through Illustrator? (As Illustrator can save to .dwg)

 

S

[Jack_O'neill]

Based on your screen shots, it looks like this was either a scan or the text was converted to raster somehow in the PDF.

 

The PDF->DWG process honors the old saying "Garbage in, garbage out".

 

As Tankman mentioned, if it was a PDF plot straight out of AutoCAD, the results would be pretty good. But if the PDF is a scan, and you need vector (as opposed to just a background image), then as you have figured out - you might as well redraw.

 

If you can send me the PDF, I would like to try myself.

 

It probably was a scan, and a low quality one at that. I don't know as I got the pdf in an email. It looks pretty good on screen, and prints well. The "any pdf to dwg" advertising package said it would reliably convert pdf's from any source directly to dwg (hence its name). I just thought it amazing that it originally had more than 22,000 objects after the conversion. What should have been 75k or so was over 1.5mb.

 

I'd send it to you, but I'm contractually obligated not to release it to anyone which is why I removed any identifying text from the screen shot.

[Jack_O'neill]

If I get time today, I'll create one of my own and convert it with that software. See how it comes out, and I can make that available to anybody.

[Tankman]

If I get time today' date=' I'll create one of my own and convert it with that software. See how it comes out, and I can make that available to anybody.[/quote']

 

Here's one recently received *.pdf, drawing was created *.pdf from Solidworks.

pdf2cad_CadTutdor.dwg

[Jack_O'neill]

That did a much better job with the text than the program I used. Each letter is an individual bit of mtext, but at least you can read it. All the arrow heads are hatched and if you drag a crossing over one of them it turns the grips on on all of them. Curious that it grouped the arrowhead hatches together and split the text up, but it is at least a usable drawing.

 

I haven't had a chance yet to do the conversion I mentioned. It was "Family Literacy Night" at my granddaughter's middle school, so off we went to that. I'll try to get it in the morning.

[rkmcswain]

...I just thought it amazing that it originally had more than 22' date='000 objects after the conversion. What should have been 75k or so was over 1.5mb.[/quote']

 

The way I understand it, if it was a scan, or created using a poor PDF creation program.... to represent a letter "A" for example, instead of storing a single font character, it might have been represented as three lines. A letter "O" might be represented as 20 lines, a large arc in the drawing could be hundreds of lines, and so on. It doesn't take long to add up.

 

I'd send it to you' date=' but I'm contractually obligated not to release it to anyone which is why I removed any identifying text from the screen shot.[/quote']

No problem, understood.