Off Topic: Cad Service for Vessel Drawings.

Ken Moore · Apr 19, 2005

Hi List,
This post is way off topic, but I hope someone can help anyway.
We have many older (hand drawn) drawings of vessels, reactors, tanks etc... I'm looking for a reasonably priced cad service to redraw them into Autocad, no design work required. Simply transfer existing hand drawings to digital format. We have the software and expertise in house, but lack the time.

I'm sure I could get lots of hits on google, but I'm looking for a word of mouth recommendation.

thanks,
Ken

Lancie1 · Apr 19, 2005

Ken,
It is interesting that you need this service. A place I work for sometimes is considering getting into the business of converting old drawings to the AutoCAD format. There are many companies that do this already. There are also hundreds of software programs now that can convert raster (scanned) drawings to vector (AutoCAD) files with varying degrees of completeness. Here are some of the more likely ones from a Google search:

http://www.rasterex.com/index.asp?type=news&nID=35

http://www.dartmap.com/cad_faq.htm

http://www.knowledgestorm.com/search/keyword/Autocad%20conversion/GAW03T/Autocad%20Conversion?AdLink=Y

http://www.bcad.com/software/raster_des_05.htm

http://www.decisiongraphics.com/software.htm

http://www.hallogram.com/hijaakpro/index.html

http://www.infomist.com/cad.htm

http://www.arborimage.com/dm2kweb.htm

http://www.novedge.com/Wizard1_Step1.asp?Ftype=2D

Tom Jenkins · Apr 20, 2005

WE use a program called DesignCad. 90% of the capabilities of AutoCad for 10% of the price, does 3-D, very easy to learn and use, and imports/exprts to DWG format.

http://www.imsisoft.com/prodinfo.asp?t=1&mcid=190

testsubject · Apr 23, 2005

Ken,

If you do not mind going out of state, I will be free after May 6. (School ends for the semester) I am well versed in AutoCAD (I am presently using ACAD 2005). I would be happy to do some side work over the summer. PM me and maybe we can work something out.

Bob

elevmike · Apr 23, 2005

I'm not real sure about this but I think there are converstion tools to take a JPG or Tiff image and convert it to AutoCad. If this is true, then maybe you can take the drawings to Kinko's and have them scanned on to a CD, then convert them.

Just someting to look at.

testsubject · Apr 23, 2005

The thing that I have found with most raster to vector converters is that they are not "100%" and typically the drawings have to be almost redrawn to regain the level of precision needed. If the drawings are not going to be use to take measurements of off, then a raster to vector package is okay.

Bob

CaseyK · Apr 23, 2005

Somehow, I didn't expect Bob to spend summer break doing autocad. But then, he is old. Wait, he's younger then me. Now I have to figure out what I will be...Wait, I don't have a summer break.

NOT FAIR, NOT FAIR!

Bob gets a summer break and the rest of us don't. Yeah, I know, he still has a real job.

May 6, I hope he restocks that fridge in the garage for the party. For all those attending, directions are easy. PM me for a map.

elevmike · Apr 23, 2005

So Bob, did you make it through the year without getting into trouble with one of thoes coeds?

wanrover · Apr 23, 2005

testsubject said:
The thing that I have found with most raster to vector converters is that they are not "100%" and typically the drawings have to be almost redrawn to regain the level of precision needed. If the drawings are not going to be use to take measurements of off, then a raster to vector package is okay.

Bob

I agree.
I have tried numerous converting applications over the years, but every time i ended up in redrawing the orginal, because the result never ended up to my expectations and standards to a cad drawing.

Tim Ledwith · Apr 24, 2005

I've had the same problem importing scanned drawings into AutoCAD, you can't edit, make any changes or dimension them. If you want full functionality, you'll have to get them redrawn.

Look around for somebody who already draws similar equipment, they might be able to modify one of their existing drawings to suit your equipment. This will save you time and dollars.

Tim.

testsubject · Apr 24, 2005

elevmike said:
So Bob, did you make it through the year without getting into trouble with one of thoes coeds?

No I didn't get in trouble but I sure thought about it...

I keep telling the "kids" in my class, "If I was 20 years younger and single there would be a lot of satified girls barely walking around here."

LOL

kc9ih said:
Somehow, I didn't expect Bob to spend summer break doing autocad. But then, he is old. Wait, he's younger then me. Now I have to figure out what I will be...Wait, I don't have a summer break.

LOL. funny thing about age. There is always someone out there who is older than you are...hehe.

I would spend my summer doing sidework at night. I have a tuition to pay for!

Speaking of which, Mike, still looking for someone to update all your prints? I can be very reasonable for standard CAD gruntwork. (hint, hint)

I told you my location was a secret. If word gets out everyone will want to come...

Bob

elevmike · Apr 24, 2005

Bob, There are thousands of BLUE prints, (about 45 years worth), that I want to scan and place on a Hard drive. We're not looking to change the data, but just to make it easer to find and retreave. I'm looking for a used large blueprint scanner for this purpose. I imagine it'll take months..maybe a year to do them all. I'd be dead by the time they were all re-drawn into A-cad. My nephew, and maybe my oldest daughter is going to come in during summer break to sort and re-file everything. When that's done then the scanning will start..

Lancie1 · Apr 24, 2005

You guys are a little behind the curve. There is a whole generation of new capabilities every 18 months. The latest raster-to-vector conversion programs CAN do decent conversion jobs, and you can edit the results because they have the same vector lines as AutoCAD drawings, except I haven't seen any yet that can separate a scanned drawing into different layers. The converted scanned drawing is all on the same layer, but there are different line widths. It is not to difficult then to manually separate the components into layers if that is needed.

Off Topic: Cad Service for Vessel Drawings.

Ken Moore

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Lancie1

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Tom Jenkins

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testsubject

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elevmike

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testsubject

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CaseyK

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elevmike

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wanrover

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Tim Ledwith

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testsubject

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elevmike

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Lancie1

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