Expert: Bill DeShawn - 5/19/2004

Question
Please tell me that how can I convert a pic in jpg. or gif. formate into lines and arcs in autocad.

Thanks.
Nasir.  

Answer
AutoCAD used to have a PCXIN command that brought in cartoon-like images and would change the drawing into lines and arcs if the RIEDGE system variable was set correctly.  That is no longer supported.  Now the Image Manager is the only tool to bring images into the drawing (besides drag and drop).  Bitmap images (*.bmp) can be converted to JPEG or GIF from Windows Paint (formerly known as Windows Paintbrush (pbrush.exe or mspaint.exe depending on the OS).  GIF conversions cause Windows Paint to lose color information.  A better tool is Hijaak from IMSI.  Hijaak was purchased from Quarterdeck a few years back and hasn't changed at all.  It is still on version 5 and still very effective.  It will even convert to DWG or DXF, but cannot read a DWG any newer than R12.  I use HIJAAK at home and work for quick conversions and to view formats that I get from time to time that with normal Windows software, I would be unable to see.  PASTESPEC doesn't convert images into lines and arcs and solids anymore like it used to.  For the most part, images print quite well within a drawing now and really don't need line and arc conversion in order to be read on a drawing.  Image printing has improved greatly over the years.

By the way, Hijaak can be found here:
http://www.imsisoft.com/faminfo.asp?fam=4

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Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn