Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!tj
From: tj@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Terry Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Graphics Conversion Software
Message-ID: <1989Jun20.112614.9013@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Date: 20 Jun 89 15:26:14 GMT
References: <26075@beta.lanl.gov> <1493@naucse.UUCP> <7674@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Reply-To: tj@gpu.utcs.UUCP (Terry Jones)
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services
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Checksum: 57803

The original request was for TIFF and PC Paintbrush files to HPGL or DXF
format. 

The two are fundamentally different beasts. The TIFF and PC Paintbrush
are bitmap files and the DXF (CAD) and HPGL (plotter) formats are
vector formats (standards? defacto standards?) that have, to my knowledge,
no provisions for bitmap data. 

The real question comes down to how do I get scanner files into CAD files
and there are in fact a few software products that do this but it is
a very complex task and these programs cost mega bucks. 

Now with some manual intervention you can use Corel Draw on the PC to trace
these bitmap files into vector files BUT Corel does not have export to DXF
format. Now Corel WILL theoretically output from Windows to an HPGL plotter
and Windows can redirect output to a file which might get you an HPGL
format of a TIFF or PCX file. But what do you REALLY want to do with
these files... HPGL files can be included in desktop publishing packages
but you aren't going to get to a CAD program with them.

tj