Warbird Tom

I have a couple of disks of plans which were given to me but they are all in Tiff format. Can these be imported into Acad so I can scale them up and down?

parabellum

when in doubt, convert.

convert to format the ACAD can handle easily.

don't have a convertor?

get Paintshop Pro

www.jasc.com


you can try it for 30 days, i believe, you can convert all you want for 30 days.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

I have done this quite a few times now. Even worked from one of those near miniature 3-views from a magazine.

You first need to look at the plans in some graphic form, like using Adobe Photoshop or Micrografx Picture Publisher. Twist, crop and resize to your desires, as Autodesk does not incorporate this feature in the versions I have used. The buttons and logo is there upon setting the picture, but many do not work.

You need to alter the image, before importing. It is also best to import just the material you need, due to the regeneration factor. Crop or make courser, but in anyway you can make the image files carry less K, then the better. If you have a 8-16 graphics card in your computer, this will lessen the regen, but still involve a few more seconds than just plain.

On Autocad versions R-14 and later, it is a simple matter to IMPORT or place and OLE object via the FILE pulldown menu. The big problem is when you get the image into the drawing. First thing is not to distort it. You can grab one corner and then the X-Y proportions you tediously set in Photoshop goes to hell. Capture it, or move it via the center only to avoid distortion.

Simpliest routine I found was NOT to import it, but XREF it into the main drawing. Open up a new blank drawing and import the image there, but also place it on a uniquely named layer. Don't touch it too.

Then, open up your working drawing, and XREF in that other drawing which only contains the image. You can then rotate it, and resize it as a whole, and without distortion. You also can turn on/off the file containing the image. You cannot XREF in the actual image, but you can XREF in the file which contains the image. Don't INSERT the file nor image, as you are pretty well sunk then as the immage cannot be altered if found defective.

If all you are interested in is taking a look at the plans, just open them up in the Microsoft Kodak format. Provided you have a plotter, they can be run off there too.


Wm.

Warbird Tom

Thanks Coosbay, I have version 2000, and I can muddle my way through it. Your directions make sense and I will give them a try.

dannost

My Feedback: (4)

In version 2000 it is very easy. Go to the insert pull down menu. Choose Raster Image. It will let you insert Tiff files as well as others. Simply pick the file you want, then pick a point in the drawing. After you pick a point, it will ask for the scale factor which can be typed in or you can stretch the mouse to size. Just stick it in at any size. Then use the scale command. The prompts are as follows, with a description following:

Type "scale".
Select objects:
pick object by edge to select it
Specify base point:
Pick a point anywhere
Specify scale factor or [Reference]
Type "r", this selects reference.
Specify reference length <1>:
pick a point at one end of a line that you know the exact length of
Specify second point:
pick the other end of the line
Specify new length:
enter the length of the line (make sure your units are set to what you want, ie architectural)

The image resizes to be exactly the right size. You can zoom in and out while you do this to get very precise.