[GRASS-user] Vector drawings in PDF -> converting them

[John C. Tull]

Kurt,

I now have a pdf map from which I want to pull some vector data and  
use in a GIS. I am curious to hear about your workflow with this  
process. For me, I ran the command below and got a single-layer dxf  
file that does not seem to be amenable to useful work in a GIS  
environment. Would you mind sharing some details about how you work  
through the pdf to vector data process beyond getting the dxf file?

Thanks,
John

On Jan 19, 2008, at 9:42 PM, Kurt Heston wrote:

> John,
>
> Excellent!  Works flawlessly.  Just a little experimenting yielded  
> this command:
>
> pstoedit.exe -f dxf_s:-splineaspolyline roads.pdf roads.dxf
>
> Without the "-splineaspolyline" argument the DXF looks just like the  
> other conversions that didn't work.
>
> I now have a solution with the right licensing model.  Thanks for  
> the suggestion!
>
> --Kurt
>
>
> John C. Tull wrote:
>> I found this with a search of freshmeat.net. Perhaps it will work,  
>> and free. Let us know.
>> http://www.pstoedit.net/
>>
>> Cheers,
>> John
>>
>> On Jan 19, 2008, at 6:43 PM, Kurt Heston wrote:
>>
>>> Paul,
>>>
>>> That tool works GREAT!  I tried it, half expecting it to simply  
>>> discard what it couldn't convert like all of the open-source tools  
>>> I'd found prior, but it worked...and well.  All of the objects the  
>>> PDF had to offer came right over.
>>>
>>> Interestingly, Illustrator complains before it opens the DXFs the  
>>> tool produces, but Grass is delighted with them.  My guess is the  
>>> AideCad people are formatting the DXF using an older standard.
>>>
>>> Part of what I'm doing with the GIS project I'm working on is  
>>> trying to convince my client that OS is the way to go (they are a  
>>> non-profit).  Having to buy a product to do this part of the data  
>>> conversion with a non-GPL app doesn't help with that part of  
>>> things.  However, it's great to have something that works.
>>> Thanks for the suggestion!
>>>
>>> --Kurt
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