Scan2CAD Hints & Tips - Carlson Software

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Using Scan2CAD to convert PDF files to DXFIf your PDF file is smaller than A0/E size (i.e.smaller than 48x36 inches or 841x1189 mm)we suggest you start by trying a resolution of300. If your PDF file is larger than A0/E wesuggest you start by trying a resolution of 72.b)Click OK to exit the Options dialog.5.Click the Start Monitoring button.6.Use Windows Explorer to copy a PDF file intothe Watch Folder specified in the Omniformatdialog. By default the Watch Folder is atc:\program files\omniformat\watch.VERY IMPORTANT: Omniformat will deletethe PDF file from the Watch Folder once it hasconverted it so it is important that you COPYthe PDF file you want to convert into the WatchFolder. DO NOT put the original there.... continuedYou can now vectorize the BMP file in the sameway as any other raster image.A note about resolutionOmniformat allows you to select a raster fileresolution. The correct resolution will depend onyour drawing. You may have to experiment withdifferent resolutions to find the best one.When you have loaded the BMP file thatOmniformat has created into Scan2CAD, zoominto it and take a look. If it is broken, or youcan’t read the text as in the examples below, theresolution is too low and Scan2CAD will not beable to vectorize the image well. In this case,use Omniformat to create the BMP file again, thistime using a higher resolution.Omniformat will automatically convert the PDFfile to BMP.(Note: You can convert several PDF files to BMPat once by copying more than one PDF file intothe Watch Folder.)7.Load the BMP file into Scan2CAD by startingScan2CAD and clicking .Omniformat creates 256 color BMP files, so theWarning: Color Image dialog may appear. If itdoes, select the second or third option and clickOK. If the Warning: Color Image dialog doesnot appear and your BMP file only contains blackand white colors you can reduce the size of thefile by decreasing its color depth. To do this,go to Scan2CAD’s Palette Menu and chooseReduce Color Depth > 1 Bit [Mono].A word of warning: You should be able toconvert any file up to A0/E paper size (48x36inches or 841x1189mm) using Omniformat’smaximum resolution of 300 dpi. If the paper sizeof your PDF file is larger than this, use a lowerresolution. Attempting to create a BMP file froma large PDF file can make a file many hundredsof Mb in size that can choke your PC. You can tellthe paper size of your PDF file by loading it intoAcrobat Reader. The file’s width and height areshown at the bottom left of the Acrobat screen(you may need to pass your mouse over thebottom left of the screen to see them).How to scroll through an image screen by screenScrolling through an image one screen at a timeallows you to go through the whole image withoutmissing any of it. This is really useful when you’recleaning a raster image, tidying a vector imageor just checking results.1.Zoom into the image so you can see enoughdetail to be able to clean the image or dowhatever you need to do.When you zoom in, the right hand part of thescreen may be gray. Press F on your keyboardto Fill the gray part of the screen with image.2. Use the scroll bars to move to the top left cornerof the image.3.Press the Ctrl+Right Arrow keys to move onescreen to the right.4.Repeat Step 3 until you have moved, screenby screen, all the way across the image.5. Now press the Ctrl+Down Arrow keys to moveone screen down.6. Use the Ctrl+Left Arrow keys to move onescreen to the left.7.Keep moving to the left until you have movedall the way across the image, then move down,then right, then down, then left, then down,etc., until you have moved through the entiredrawing.Stuck? Questions? Email us at postmaster@softcover.com. Web: www.softcover.comPage 12© Softcover International Ltd 2002-2006. Scan2CAD is a registered trademark of Softcover International Ltd.
Using Scan2CAD to convert logosSometimes people contact us to say they’re having difficultiesconverting a logo. When they email us their problem logo we usuallyfind that the root of the problem is one of the following:• The logo is a GIF or JPEG file designed for web use• The logo has been scanned at too low a resolutionThese problems are detailed here, along with the best way to get alogo scan that will give you a good conversion.The logo is a GIF or JPEGfile designed for web useThe JPEG file below, “Jane’sFlowers”, looks fine on the web,because that’s what it’s beendesigned for - web display.However, if you load it intoScan2CAD, Photoshop or anysimilar program and zoom intothe “r” in the word “Flowers”this is what you’ll see:Looked at close up, the “r” isnot discernable even to thehuman eye. It’s not surprisingthat Scan2CAD has difficultieswith this type of logo.An image with an intended enduse of web display requirescompletely different attributesfrom an image with an intendedend use of vectorization.Images downloaded from theweb are generally unsuitable forraster to vector conversion.The logo has been scannedat too low a resolutionLogo artwork tends to be smalland this means that we oftensee logos that have beenscanned at too low a resolution.While we recommend 200 or300 dpi as an optimal scanningresolution for most drawings, itis too low if the drawing you’rescanning is a small logo.To illustrate the problems you’relikely to encounter whenscanning a small logo we drewthe “Jane’s Flowers” logo so thatit measured approximately 1.6"x 1" (4cm x 2.5cm) in size.Below is the “r” in the word“Flowers” after scanning thelogo at 300 dpi. You can see thatthe outline of the “r” is veryjagged. This means that it is toolow resolution.You will not be able to producea good vectorization from thisimage:After scanning at 1200 dpi(below) the logo outline is muchsmoother, but scanning at ahigher resolution has resultedin a new problem.At the higher resolution thescanner has picked out tinydetails that are not visible to thehuman eye when viewing thelogo on paper. Because theartwork is so small, thesedetails are large in relation tothe size of the logo. This meansthat the corners of the “r” havebecome rounded and the linesof the “r” are bumpy instead ofstraight and smooth.You will be able to produce ausable vectorization from thisimage, but the vectorizationwon’t be as good as it could be(see Getting the bestpossible scan for logovectorization overpage).Note that the rounded cornersof the scanned “r” have beenreflected in the vectorization bychamfers (see overpage).Stuck? Questions? Email us at postmaster@softcover.com. Web: www.softcover.comPage 13© Softcover International Ltd 2002-2006. Scan2CAD is a registered trademark of Softcover International Ltd.
Page 2 and 3: Scanning ChecklistIf your drawing i
Page 4 and 5: Not getting the results you were ex
Page 6 and 7: Raster Quality ChecklistFuzziness i
Page 8 and 9: Color ChecklistLook at the number a
Page 10 and 11: Vectorization Settings ChecklistGap
Page 14 and 15: Using Scan2CAD to convert logos...
Page 16 and 17: Typing over poor quality textIt doe
Page 18: How to tell if a polyline is closed

Scan2CAD Hints & Tips - Carlson Software

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