.PDFs to .DXFs for Datacad and Sketchup
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 12:05 amI've been experimenting with Inkscape to convert .PDFs into CAD line work for importing into my files. It can "Save-As" Autocad 12 or Autocad 14 .DXF-files. The linework seems accurate, though the scale it imports as seems idiosyncratic. I keep a reference object I can accurately measure to calculate the rescaling factor. Lettering tends to get lost in translation either in font or entirely, so I wouldn't use it for completed details, but it works if you just need an accurate image or profile. In a multi-page document print-out the page to need as a separate file, then import to Inkscape to convert.
I still have to play with it for fonts, and to try to understand the scaling issues.
With Sketchup it tends to insert the line work mirrored left-to-right, but that's easily fixed. As is the inserted scale. I insert into Sketchup, clean-up the drawing and erase what I don't need, then export to SU Layout for dimensions and annotations.
I've been getting shop-drawings .PDFs from my primary client that I need to extract their PV Panel Layouts from accurately so I can edit the and clean them up for annotations as part of my Sealed-n-Signed portion of the Permit Submittal to the Building Department. This is much cleaner and a lot more accurate than graphically manipulating an image, or hand-drawing over a paper printout then scanning it.
I still have to play with it for fonts, and to try to understand the scaling issues.
With Sketchup it tends to insert the line work mirrored left-to-right, but that's easily fixed. As is the inserted scale. I insert into Sketchup, clean-up the drawing and erase what I don't need, then export to SU Layout for dimensions and annotations.
I've been getting shop-drawings .PDFs from my primary client that I need to extract their PV Panel Layouts from accurately so I can edit the and clean them up for annotations as part of my Sealed-n-Signed portion of the Permit Submittal to the Building Department. This is much cleaner and a lot more accurate than graphically manipulating an image, or hand-drawing over a paper printout then scanning it.