topic Re: Need help vectorizing pdf in Data Management Questions

Need help vectorizing pdf

mattweber — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:08:22 GMT

I am working on a project for the local police department and have to vectorize a map of the police sectors. I have converted it from pdf to jpg. When I attempt to use arcscan the raster does not appear in the drop down menu, when I go through ERDAS>convert>raster to features I receive an error that the raster does not contain thematic data. Am I missing something that should be obvious? Anyone that has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated
mw95yv
wittenberg university

Re: Need help vectorizing pdf

PatrickTaurman — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:45:23 GMT

Hi mw95yv,

Please watch the following Web Help videos, and let me know if this does not address the issue.

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/tutorials/arcscan/ArcScan_1_1.htm

Re: Need help vectorizing pdf

JohnSobetzer — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:11:32 GMT

Matt: Here's something that might make the process easier. If the pdf has layers in it, you can limit which ones display in the pdf at any time, and save that as a jpg and only those layers will be in it. This can reduce your clutter considerably when using ArcScan. If you have a lot of layers you might even turn on different layers and save to jpg for use in Arcscan.

In addition if you have a color pdf you can convert it to grayscale, then save it as a pdf, then when you open it in ArcMap you can use the classify option and limit it to 2 classes, and then make the "white" one no color.

I would have thought that by now there would have been readily available software to convert the individual vector layers of a pdf to a vector usable in other programs, potentially even georeferenced vectors, but I can't find any. I saw suggestions of creating eps or wmf files (you could use Adobe Pro, Inkscape) and then opening them in ACD (formerly Denebas) Canvas, but I don't have the latter. Maybe some other user has more information on doing this.

Re: Need help vectorizing pdf

DonovanCameron — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:37:57 GMT

If you can't get passed this issue after saving the raster using discrete values, there is always WinTopo that gives comparable results.

If you want, d-load a 30-day trial of adobe illustrator cs5, you can open the PDF in illustrator, then export to a CAD file (dwg or dxf, can't remember exactly) retaining all vectors.

That CAD format (as well as the WinTopo results) can then be opened in ArcGIS for spatial adjustments (lining up to existing data/control points). I am sure that Adobe does not carry over any georeferencing information if it was in the original PDF when converting.

Also check out this idea: Georeference PDFs in ArcMap

Re: Need help vectorizing pdf

mattweber — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:40:23 GMT

Hi mw95yv,

Please watch the following Web Help videos, and let me know if this does not address the issue.

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/tutorials/arcscan/ArcScan_1_1.htm

The video has me going in the right direction, how do you symbolize rasters as bi-level? I think that I understand what to do after that but getting there is the problem

Re: Need help vectorizing pdf

PatrickTaurman — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:14:30 GMT

If you raster is single band 1 bit, just use the Unique Values renderer. Otherwise you can change to the Classified renderer, and make 2 classes.

Re: Need help vectorizing pdf

CarlosRibeiro — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:11:50 GMT

I would try the software Able2Extract. It does make a fairly good job converting PDF to dxf or dgn. It's the most consistent solution I ever found for this task.

ArcScan is limited to binary (0,1) images thus your solution for converting PDF to JPG won't work 😞

Regards,

Carlos Ribeiro
Dept of Forest Engineering
Fed. University of Vicosa
Brazil