Is it possible to properly convert from pdf to cad?

JohnBoy

Hi,

We have a set of construction drawings for a new build that were produced a number of years ago by an arch tech who we were working with.

Unfortunately the man who did our drawings is no longer working. We are now finally in a position to start looking seriously at the build, but need changes made to the drawings.

We have the drawings in pdf format, whatever package exported them seems to have done it in a vector format as you can see it rendering in adobe and also no matter how far you zoom in, the drawing never pixellates.

So is it possible to have these drawings reverse engineered into viable CAD files or will whoever we work with going forward have to re-draw from scratch?


We're trying to get our hands on the CAD drawings but I'm losing hope to be honest.

looking at the file properties, they were produced using Adobe Distiller 9.0 to pdf version 1.5



any thoughts/advice?

sydthebeat

any reversal from pdf to cad would be a nightmare for anyone to work on at this stage.
trying to recreate the layers, pen thicknesses etc would all have to be done on an individual line basis and would take age.
it would actually be quicker to redraw.

even if you get your hands on the cad drawings, they may not be very useful depending on what regs they were designed under, and what changes must be made in the meantime.

most professionals would, at this stage, find it preferable and easier to actually restart and redraw in their own cad style.

JohnBoy

That doesnt surprise me, these types of file conversions rarely work well, twas just a thought

Drawings are from 2009 and covered the Part L regulations, has much changed since then?

sydthebeat

JohnBoy wrote: »

That doesnt surprise me, these types of file conversions rarely work well, twas just a thought

Drawings are from 2009 and covered the Part L regulations, has much changed since then?

Yes.

Gumbo

JohnBoy wrote: »

has much changed since then?

Ohh Yes!

Have you lodged a commencement Notice yet?
Have you got an Assigned Certifier engaged yet?

biketard

OP, there's a chance you could open it in Illustrator and then File>Export it to DWG or DXF, but as mentioned by sydthebeat, the conversion is unlikely to be what you'd hoped.

JohnBoy

kceire wrote: »

Ohh Yes!

Have you lodged a commencement Notice yet?
Have you got an Assigned Certifier engaged yet?

No, and No.

We actually no longer have planning, the man in question is doing that as a favour for us, he's met the planners and they see no reason why we wont be re-granted the permission with our new percolation test.


I'm aware of the new signoff regime alright, but what sort of stuff has changed in terms of the actual building itself in the last five years. I have gotten out of touch with this stuff since our first run at it.

sydthebeat

JohnBoy wrote: »

No, and No.

We actually no longer have planning, the man in question is doing that as a favour for us, he's met the planners and they see no reason why we wont be re-granted the permission with our new percolation test.


I'm aware of the new signoff regime alright, but what sort of stuff has changed in terms of the actual building itself in the last five years. I have gotten out of touch with this stuff since our first run at it.

yes, enough to have your design relooked at.....

RITwing

There are free internet programs which convert PDF files into sort-of autocad files. Everything ends up on one layer and no pen control.

AutoCAD itself has an "underlay" function which allows you to insert the PDF and then "trace" over - that is the technique I would prefer if I had to make edits to layouts that are genuinely settled.

However given the time that has passed and the regs that have been introduced - Part L 2011 in particular - I think you may well be looking at a start over situation as others have said.

Supertech

RITwing wrote: »

There are free internet programs which convert PDF files into sort-of autocad files. Everything ends up on one layer and no pen control.

AutoCAD itself has an "underlay" function which allows you to insert the PDF and then "trace" over - that is the technique I would prefer if I had to make edits to layouts that are genuinely settled.

However given the time that has passed and the regs that have been introduced - Part L 2011 in particular - I think you may well be looking at a start over situation as others have said.

Careful with the online programs. I used one recently which I had used before and ended up with an annoying virus on the PC.

Bellu

I don't think there are some software like this. As I know there are PDF Converter like this to converter PDF into word, text, excel, pages, image... But no PDF to CAD.

sydthebeat

Bellu wrote: »

I don't think there are some software like this. As I know there are PDF Converter like this to converter PDF into word, text, excel, pages, image... But no PDF to CAD.

there are plenty actually