Converting PDF files to editable DXF or DWG AutoCAD vector files.
| The success and popularity of the Adobe Acrobat PDF
format has led to a massive increase in numbers of engineering and
architectural drawings and documents published in the PDF format.
Although easily read in the Adobe Reader, conversion of PDF information into a
format that can be used in CAD or NC cutting is quite challenge. |
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| This site describes issues involved and solutions offered by Trix Systems CAD conversion, viewing and drawing management software, the authors of this page. | |||
What type of PDF file do you
have?
Although every PDF file can be viewed in Adobe Reader, the contents of the file
can be quite different. The approach you take to converting the PDF to vectors
for use in CAD will depend on the content type. The three types are:
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Vector PDF | All the lines in the
image are created from mathematical vector descriptions. Usually created
by the full version of Acrobat. |
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Raster PDF | The image is stored as
rows individual pixels. Often created by scanning a drawing and
saving it in PDF format. Adobe refers to this as image-only PDF.
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Hybrid PDF | Both raster and vector
components are present in the same image. Typically this is produced
when Acrobat creates a PDF from a page or drawing which
contains both vector linework and raster illustrations. |
If you open a PDF, zoom in quite considerably and still see smooth lines you are seeing vector PDF. If the zoom in reveals jaggy lines it is raster PDF.
Hybrid PDFs contain a mix of raster and vector components. It's quite common, for example, for a CAD user to insert a raster image into AutoCAD, then draft vector lines on top before finally creating a PDF for release. As scans of large drawings are frequently black and white, color lines on top of a monochrome background are a indicator that you may have a hybrid. It's also common for company logos to be raster images in otherwise vector PDFs.
When you have determined the type of PDF that you have, click on the appropriate link below.
Converting Vector PDFs
Converting Raster PDFs
Converting Hybrid PDFs
 Call
us on (978) 256-4445 or, in Europe, +46 (31) 337-90-90
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