What is the best PDF to DWG translator? TIA
Paul S. said the following on 2/5/2006 9:38 PM: Get the DWG file from it's author. For more suggestions, see: http://rkmcswain.blogspot.com/2005/04/pdf-dwg.html
Hi Paul, Please include our pdf2cad package in your evaluations. Free trial installation and/or sample file conversion available at www.pdf2cad.com. You are also welcome to contact me directly. Thanks, Jeroen Dekker
That's fine by me as I would only use it for vector based drawings anyhow. BTW, this software works better than any of the others I've tried.
To explain: pdf2cad is not raster-to-vector software, which is a very different (and much less exact) science. Our software was developed for vector graphics (and font text strings), accurately translating drawing instructions from the PDF language to the DXF language. Converting between vector formats has been our core business for well over a decade. A vector-based PDF file is produced when you create it directly from the original CAD/drawing package, using Acrobat or another PDF driver. When a drawing is stored as (or contains) a raster image in the PDF file (obtained from e.g. a scan, screenshot or TIFF/JPEG file), pdf2cad will extract it to a separate image file and place that by reference in the DXF output. As long as you keep it in the same folder as its DXF parent, you can open the DXF in AutoCAD, see the image and use it as e.g. a background to trace over. This may not be what you need if you have scanned drawings and want to turn them into editable CAD files, but such support for embedded raster images is useful if you have hybrid drawings with e.g. photos and logos. Jeroen Dekker http://www.pdf2cad.com p.s. We'll try to find out what's going on with downloading using FireFox
