See how to convert scanned drawings to DXF files
A
Softcover International product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Feb 19, 2001
Softcover has introduced the free video tutorial to show engineers how to quickly convert scanned drawings (raster files) into a DXF (vector file) format that can be edited in any PC CAD program
A new, free downloadable video tutorial shows engineers how to convert scanned drawings into CAD files in just a few minutes.
Softcover, the publisher of Scan2CAD, a leading low-cost raster to vector convertor, has introduced the free video tutorial to show engineers how to quickly convert scanned drawings (raster files) into a DXF (vector file) format that can be edited in any PC CAD program.
Scanners of all sizes are increasingly to be seen in drawing offices.
However, their usefulness is limited because most PC CAD programs only allow the scanned drawing to be viewed and traced over, not edited.
(CAD programs work with vector, not raster data).
As a result, engineers need raster to vector conversion software like Scan2CAD to convert the raster file into CAD-editable vector lines, arcs, circles and text.
Once converted to DXF these drawing elements can be edited in any PC CAD program, thus saving the CAD user considerable redrawing time.
The video runs on any Windows PC with Win 95 or higher.
No software is needed to view it.
The video guides the viewer through the vectorisation process with voice-over instructions.
It covers raster file import, raster clean-up using tools like Despeckle and Rotate and basic OCR (text) recognition.
Readers who want to download the video can find it on Softcover's web site: http://www.rastertovector.com/video.htm - the video tutorial is not large, about 2.3Mb, and downloads in approximately 12 minutes using a 33kbs modem.
A full working evaluation version of Scan2CAD can also be downloaded from the same web address.
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