Rastar Image into WF4 Drawing

[hubbardm]

I've run into this twice in the last two weeks. I had better figure out a good way to do this.

We have some OLD PDFs that we need to get into a ProE drawing. So it's not a vectorized image. I have Imagination software by Spicer to work with. There are all kinds of options. I could probably be hunting a month.

So what I am trying to do is rastarize the image and bring into into ProE so that we can delete parts of the drawing if we want.

Anyone done this before?

This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.

[kimndave9]

What do you mean "delete parts?" PTC doesn't have image editing capability in its drawings.

x

[MikePhillips]

A company I worked for in the past did this using Adobe Illustrator. I
believe we imported the PDF into Illustrator then exported it as a DXF so
that it could be imported into ProE. Then individual lines/arcs/circles and
so on could be modified/deleted. Sorry I can't be more helpful other than
to let you know it can be done.

Mike Phillips
Raytheon GBS

[ptc-1077260]

I have done some "hack" drawings by converting PDFs into a DXF file and then opened into Pro/E. Depending on the need, I would have just edited the DXF at the detail drawing or sometimes used the drawing as a skeleton model to recreate a 3D model and then make a drawing.

[mpeterson]

Mike,

Here are a few things to consider, but might not be what you want to hear.

Some have already mentioned using Adobe Illustrator to open/import a PDF and then export a DXF to use in Pro/E. I would try this out before making plans to use this as a fix for all your cases. I say this because I have worked the other direction of exporting a DXF or PDF in Pro/E and open it up to use in Illustrator and it can be a mess due to the export creating hundreds or thousands of small segments for lines and curves. Thus if needed in Illustrator for creating artwork or other reasons I have usually used the imported file as a template and then recreated the lines art in Illustrator. Some simple things do work like times I have exported a rectangle to size to give to a designer for them to create artwork like a product name or logo. Modifying the small segments can be rather time consuming, but depending on what is desired in the end sometimes better to recreate than dealing with tons of small entities that are not tied together. I'm not saying it
won't work, but try it out first.

My question is you do not need to use the associated part anymore and just need a changed drawing? If the part is used in your models/assemblies I would bite the bullet and remodel and recreate the detail drawing. I realize that takes time, but depending on the complexity and usage could be worth it or not.

If you really need to take a short cut I would find a way to modify the raster file in Adobe Photoshop (maybe a light version) or some other less expensive program to make your changes and then import in the raster file if possible. I see where that is possible in drawings, but have had problems with that in the past so not sure how that works or not and especially if trying to make a truly scaled drawing.

If I have the time and resources I would remodel the part in Pro/E and redetail not knowing your specific needs and constraints. Good luck finding other software and or methods to import and change in Pro/E and if you do find a good solution please repost because many of us would be interested in the software and methods.

Good Luck,
Mark A. Peterson
Design Engineer
Varel International
-

[StephenW]

At a previous employer, I used spicer imagination to convert PDF to DXF. It made a lot of small entities but it was somewhat editable in pro/e. If I was an autocad user I am sure it would have been much easier in autocad but since I don't know jack about autocad, I simply did my edits in pro/e drawing mode.

I was not efficient or easy but it was capable. Unfortunately I don't know what options I used upon import.

[GlenWisham]

Dear Proecad User List;

Over the years we have learned that you can add raster format images into
vector format Pro/E drawings many ways.

In the olden days you could just drop a JPEG or TIFF or BMP... but no more,
Microsoft put a stop that many years back when they dropped OLE support in
their image viewers. With commonly loaded software on the modern PC, you
can however still drop a PDF, Word, Excel even a PPoint file into a Pro/E
drawing. If that file contains a JPEG, TIFF or BMP it will be visible in
the drawing and it will be editable to the extent that the Acrobat or
Office product that you used, can edit the picture.

You in essence have another program embedded and running inside your Pro/E
drawing/session.

As far as editing, you are able to do so, but you will be using the code
from what ever tool manipulates PDF, Word or Excel files on your machine.
This means you could create a drawing that your associates and partners may
not see or use, if they do not have software on their seat to manipulate
that type of file.

I have asked and answered this very same question many times over the last
30 years that I've used vector format cad systems and the platforms they
run on. I have learned every once in a while the specific recipe needs to
be tweaked a little, but the basic embedded part has always stayed the same
and the effectiveness and use has always depended on what other software is
loaded and sometimes how it's configured on your particular machine.

Respectfully submitted, again
Glen R Wisham
Engineering
EW Design and Analysis
Space and Airborne Systems
Raytheon Company

+1 805.879.3359(office)
+1 805.879.3017(fax)
561.3359(tie line)
-

6380 Hollister Avenue
Goleta CA 93117-3114 USA
www.raytheon.com

Follow Raytheon On
TwitterYouTubeFacebookLinkedIn

Raytheon Sustainability

This message contains information that may be confidential and privileged.
Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive mail for the
addressee), you should not use, copy or disclose to anyone this message or
any information contained in this message. If you have received this
message in error, please so advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete
this message. Thank you for your cooperation.

[JonathanHodgson]

If you do go down the route of editing the raster image, I can recommend Paint.NET (www.getpaint.net<)">http://www.getpaint.net>) as a free and above all intuitive image editing program.

If you have a Photoshop licence and the training to use it then all well and good, but I've found Paint.NET infinitely easier to work out, as a casual user, than GIMP, which is the other free alternative.

(I was a Paint Shop Pro fan back in the day, but I'm pretty sure that's no longer free at least for commercial use.)

HTH,
Jonathan