Creating an As Built Floor Plan Using a PDF File

[indigo]

Hi Guys,

 

I was asked to create an as built floor plan for a client..they sent me a pdf but it seems that the file is scanned causing the actual measurements to change..I'm not really familiar with some standards for doors..making it more difficult for me to construct the floor plan..I was planning to trace it and just override the dimensions but..We will use it to measure the length of cable that will be used for the project..Any thoughts on how to approach this kind of situation?

 

Thank You very much

[RobDraw]

Start tracing and learn about doors.

 

Doors for commercial buildings are typically 36" but can vary.

[hakmawongzi]

I have traced quite a few scanned drawing in the past and IMHO, it's always faster to draw from scratch.

[SLW210]

Ask for the actual .dwg file, then make all corrections in AutoCAD.

[f700es]

And after they don't send the CAD file just draw from scratch, don't ever trace a skewed PDF.

[RobDraw]

A scanned PDF can be adjusted so that it approximates the original drawing, unless it is really bad. I find it much easier to use it a reference on the screen than having to draw/scale it from a print. Of course, adjustments will have to be made so that dimensions are accurate. I've even gone as far as shifting the PDF while working on different areas. I just find it easier to have all the information right in front of me.

[f700es]

A scanned PDF can be adjusted so that it approximates the original drawing, unless it is really bad. I find it much easier to use it a reference on the screen than having to draw/scale it from a print. Of course, adjustments will have to be made so that dimensions are accurate. I've even gone as far as shifting the PDF while working on different areas. I just find it easier to have all the information right in front of me.

 

Huh, whatever works for you but I don't or won't. Now if I am just adding on to an existing then that can work.

[Ski_Me]

I've had to do this quite often recently since some firms in my area have decided to start charging $600 or more for their floorplans that they already developed for a project that I bid on and won. Anyway I just take their plans that they sent to me a pdf's and convert them to dwg. Been using any pdf to dwg and it works really well, costs $180 for a single seat license. I just measure a door and scale it drawing accordingly. Most of the time I find a scale factor of about 3 to 4 will get a drawing really close. You will never really be dead on with a converted pdf but if it's all you have to work with then your going to have make the best of it. Tracing is for the birds and redrawing takes to long.

[RobDraw]

Huh, whatever works for you but I don't or won't.

 

I forgot to add that when I do this, I usually have to work from MEP drawings in order to generate architectural backgrounds.

 

Guess what you don't get with MEP drawings.

 

Dimensions.

[hakmawongzi]

And don't waste your time with PDF to DWG conversion on a raster PDF.

[halam]

Xref, scale and wipeout stuff that need to be cleared.. wasting no time if you can not get natives..

..

[indigo]

Hi Guys,

 

Converting PDF to DWG may not be possible..because the image is scanned and did not really came from the dwg file...the drawing is made 10 years ago and the client no longer has the dwg file..I think I might just draw it from scratch but I might need some of your help since it will be my first time to recreate a floor plan...I do electrical schematics most of the time and some architectural details may not be very familiar to me I hope you can help me identify some stuff....here is the image of the floor plan I will draw

 

can you help me identify the

 

-wall thickness

-size of big doors

-size of small doors

-foundation (square ones)

 

 

Hope you guys can help me on this one..Thanks

[BIGAL]

After inserting the pdf rescale it as close as practical you have some dimensions to work to scale 0.987258 then like others re-draw it with known measurements, you should be able to work out the door sizes, looks metric.

 

Something I am working on but with true measurements.

[ReMark]

indigo: An image is not going to cut it. Please attach a copy of the .PDF to your next post.

[MillerMG]

And don't waste your time with PDF to DWG conversion on a raster PDF.

 

Why is that? I didn't even know you could do that, haha. Guess I need to do a google to find more about it. Although, why do you say not to waste your time using it?

[RobDraw]

It really depends on what you plan to do with the conversion. If you expect anything resembling a usable AutoCAD drawing, forget it. If all you need is a bunch of garbage on layer zero for use as a background or something similar and don't plan on making any edits to the content, it might be feasible.

[rkent]

You have dimensions on the pdf to work with so I would xref this into the drawing, scale it as close as you can get it using one of those drawings. Use this as a guide in the drawing, drawing on top of the pdf but use the dimensions given don't just trace point to point. Take a measurement of a door opening, does it measure 900 or 908. If a standard metric size door is 900 then you know how wide to actually draw it. Same for the columns and anything else not dimensioned. Once you have most of what you need then detach the pdf and finish cleaning it up. Really pretty simple stuff, just tedious. And if you are off on the sizes of wall thickness, etc. you can't be blamed if there are no dimensions. Just use even numbers for things you don't have dimensioned on the drawing.

[MillerMG]

You have dimensions on the pdf to work with so I would xref this into the drawing, scale it as close as you can get it using one of those drawings. Use this as a guide in the drawing, drawing on top of the pdf but use the dimensions given don't just trace point to point. Take a measurement of a door opening, does it measure 900 or 908. If a standard metric size door is 900 then you know how wide to actually draw it. Same for the columns and anything else not dimensioned. Once you have most of what you need then detach the pdf and finish cleaning it up. Really pretty simple stuff, just tedious. And if you are off on the sizes of wall thickness, etc. you can't be blamed if there are no dimensions. Just use even numbers for things you don't have dimensioned on the drawing.

 

That is almost exactly what I would have done rkent. Hopefully the OPer will check it out. Whenever we have PDF that we need digitized I always just bring into model space and align the largest dim or bar scale I have. Then digitize but, like you stated using the actual dim not only tracing.