[SOLVED] convert to dxf? Thanx!

[dougmack]

Does anybody know of a free program that will convert either bmp or pdf to dxf?  Either Linux or Windows would be OK--I can
always get it back to Linux if I can get it to dxf somehow.  Yes, I have looked in Google.  $79 is the cheapest I found, and that
seems rather high for a single home-brewed pc board for ham radio.

Thanx--doug

[demilord]

open synaptics and search for    pstoedit

[Just18]

Have you tried   autotrace ?

[dougmack]

Thank you, guys.  I had not heard of either of them, and the search function in Synaptic didn't find them. (Maybe I had the search
criteria wrong?)  Anyway, I'll try one or both. I'm going to try and put the file into QCad.  It will be my first experience with this
AutoCad clone.  From there, I should be able to scale the bmp to the specified outline dimensions and make a print.

--doug

[Just18]

Search for    dxf  .......  and then read what the info says about the packages 

[dougmack]

Cannot use pstoedit, it doesn't like a pdf file that was converted from bmp.  A batch of errors came up.  So trying to use the
original bmp file in autotrace.  This is the command and the error:
[doug@localhost ~]$ autotrace input-format BMP -output-file sm0vpo.dxf -output-format dxf -preserve-width /home/doug/Pictures/15w-pcb/15w-pcb.bmp
Usage: autotrace [options] <image_name>.
(Too many <image_name>s.)
For more information, use ``-help''.
I printed out the help file, but I don't see the error.  According to the man file, the input filename should be last, as it is.  The output filename is what I would like to call it; I don't know if that's a problem. I don't know whether the filename it doesn't like is the input or the output.  I've tried to keep the options in the same order as in the man file.  I don't know if that's necessary. 
If you're familiar with this program, could you please advise?  thank you.

--doug

[Just18]

autotrace input-format BMP -output-file sm0vpo.dxf -output-format dxf -preserve-width /home/doug/Pictures/15w-pcb/15w-pcb.bmp

Try

Code:

autotrace  /home/doug/Pictures/15w-pcb/15w-pcb.bmp  -output-file sm0vpo.dxf

After that start adding other options .....

[dougmack]

That worked, Just18, thank you.  I have to see what I can do with the file in QCad, or import it into AutoCadLT in Windows.
I haven't used QCad before.  Anyway, the question I asked is answered.  (Don't know why it didnt work before, but a lot of the options appear to be superfluous.)

--doug

[wedgetail]

dougmack

You may be interested in looking at DraftSight you can see my expereince  here:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,99957.0.html

I was AutoCAD LT user and wanted a Linux based option similar, at the time I decided to go for VariCAD as the best option but it is 3D based an it was a hard learning and it is $$$ and it is not listed as working in PCLOS, but it does.

However I stumbled on DraftsSight, it is not in the repo, it has been asked for some time ago but I think there could be some problem. It is free when you go to the DraftSight site, ie you get a free trial for 30 days, then you must register else it stops. The registration is just to send an email address and you get a code and you are away again.

As I said it is not in repo yet but it does work, there may be a bit of a fiddle to get it to work as I had but there might not be. Depends on your custom OS system setup (I think?) In my opinion it is well worth it.

I was longing for AutoCAD LT compatibility with all my old drawings, especially as small grou is starting some electronics work and we want to be able to exchange mecanical drawings, and the chief designer is not changing from Windows, simple reason he is familiar with it and it works for him.  So far it seems we have no trouble I can read all his .dwg or .dxf and I can return both .dxf or .dwb.

A few days ago I thought I had problem, I had sent the drawing to him in DWG2010 format or something. When returning to AutoCAD R12 versions no problem. 

There are QCad, LibreCad both quite interesting but QCad is strictly 2D (last time I looked) LibreCAD I think is similar, it is also very small, this is why I think it is strictly 2D (but won't insist )

DraftSight is closer to the 3D families than I expected, since I am already using 3D modeling that also had interest but I have not tested it yet. I battling to re-adjust to the new environment.  DraftSight of course has to be a bit different but I am quite happy with it as it took my old template drawings where countless hours were spent setting up layers etc (makes you break out in a sweat just thinking about it).

Well worth setting up a simple test system running an OS specially for it on another partition. I have mine running in KDE-mini on my workhorse, Was meant to go on another partition but being in a hurry it just seem to have found a seat here and is doing great.

You can join a Forum for more help, I have not yet done so as I read the small scripts (what 95% most likely never do, I did not feel comfortable with the legalese here so I am biding my time)   

[menotu]

This command line method worked

convert filename.bmp filename.pdf

and

convert filename.bmp filename.dxf

and

convert filename.pdf filename.dxf

[dougmack]

Thank you for the information.  Somehow, I did get DraftSight, I don't remember what I did, probably got the rpm and went from there.
It's more like ACLT than QCad is.  I could not figure out how to scale a drawing like you can in ACLT.  There must be a way, I just
didn't put in the time on it.

One of the programs suggested "converted" the bmp into dxf or dwg (I forget which) but it filled in all the blank spaces that were in the
pcb layout, so I will have to first scale the drawing to the proper size, then mark all the holes, then draw the pads freehand.  I see that
since your post there are a couple of other suggestions and I'll certainly try them first!

Meanwhile, I found a deal on AutoCad, and I'm not averse to working in Windows when that's appropriate.  I just don't like it as a
steady diet.  In "simplifying" the user interface, they have made it very difficult, at least for me, to find and move files, make
directories and install files on them, etc.  The last Windows that worked well was 98--until it bluescreened, that is!

--doug