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    Importing PDFs

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    • ton baetenT Offline
      ton baeten
      last edited by

      Goggin,

      You'r probable not on a mac !? Import of pdf's is native on GSU for mac (pro).
      I use it aswell for 2D-pictures, for 2d-plans as for text, no problem at all.
      Text mainly to go as instructions/ellaborations for construction-drawings and -details.
      I create my text in whatever text-editor I want, use the 'print to pdf' function on my mac and then import in GSU onto a 'always face the camera' surface.
      Works really nice and fast.
      I cann't answer the question, but is it sure the pdf-import is only native for GSU for mac ??

      greetings,
      Ton

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      • G Offline
        Goggin
        last edited by

        Thanks for the info. I don't have Photoshop, but I have GIMP, so I'll try that.

        What I'm trying to do is take floorplans in PDF format, and then get them into SketchUp so I can work on them (modify and/or do 3D modeling). I'm assuming I'll have to trace over them to make this work, but that's OK.

        And, no, I'm not on a MAC (yet). I'm hoping Santa will bring me one this year. I have learned to hate MSFT...

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        • brodieB Offline
          brodie
          last edited by

          I convert my pdf's to jpg.s (or whatever) using GIMP quite successfully.

          -Brodie

          steelblue http://www.steelbluellc.com

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          • AnssiA Offline
            Anssi
            last edited by

            Adobe Illustrator can export a DWG file from a PDF too.

            Anssi

            securi adversus homines, securi adversus deos rem difficillimam adsecuti sunt, ut illis ne voto quidem opus esset

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            • G Offline
              Goggin
              last edited by

              @unknownuser said:

              I convert my pdf's to jpg.s (or whatever) using GIMP quite successfully.

              -Brodie

              Yeah, that worked about as well as expected. No sharp, clean lines or anything, but passable enough to trace. GIMP is about as slow to start on my PC as LayOut is.

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              • AnssiA Offline
                Anssi
                last edited by

                If you are technically minded, you can also try Ghostscript, that is a free Postscript/PDF clone, and some free plugins to that (pstoedit, if I remember right) to convert a vector PDF or EPS to a DXF.

                Anssi

                securi adversus homines, securi adversus deos rem difficillimam adsecuti sunt, ut illis ne voto quidem opus esset

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                • G Offline
                  Goggin
                  last edited by

                  @anssi said:

                  If you are technically minded, you can also try Ghostscript, that is a free Postscript/PDF clone, and some free plugins to that (pstoedit, if I remember right) to convert a vector PDF or EPS to a DXF.

                  Anssi

                  I'm technically minded, but will that have any advantages over using GIMP to convert to JPG? Will a DXF file have better line resolution?

                  Thanks.

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                  • kenK Offline
                    ken
                    last edited by

                    I use this program, which will convert PDF to DFX if the PDF was made by printing and not scanning. Some cost, but not much compared to the time saved.

                    http://www.cadkas.de/downengpdf11.php

                    Ken

                    Fight like your the third monkey on Noah's Ark gangway.

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                    • AnssiA Offline
                      Anssi
                      last edited by

                      @goggin said:

                      I'm technically minded, but will that have any advantages over using GIMP to convert to JPG? Will a DXF file have better line resolution?

                      If the PDF is vector-based, importing it to SU as a DWG or DXF file would let you use the geometry in the file directly as a base for modelling, importing converts the linework directly into edges in SU. Even if it is not as good as having the original CAD file to model from, it would be more accurate than re-drawing it all by eyeballing from a raster image.

                      Anssi

                      securi adversus homines, securi adversus deos rem difficillimam adsecuti sunt, ut illis ne voto quidem opus esset

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                      • G Offline
                        Goggin
                        last edited by

                        @anssi said:

                        @goggin said:

                        I'm technically minded, but will that have any advantages over using GIMP to convert to JPG? Will a DXF file have better line resolution?

                        If the PDF is vector-based, importing it to SU as a DWG or DXF file would let you use the geometry in the file directly as a base for modelling, importing converts the linework directly into edges in SU. Even if it is not as good as having the original CAD file to model from, it would be more accurate than re-drawing it all by eyeballing from a raster image.

                        Anssi

                        I'll try this, but is there a way to know in advance if the PDF is vector based or not? I expect that it was created by exporting from AutoCad (or something similar).

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