I've got a problem and a question all in one. I've done a lot of drawings the old fashioned way - with compass and ruler. I want to scan them into my computer and then convert them for use in a CAD program like AutoCAD or TurboCAD. Is there any way to do this and then dimension the drawings? or am I bound to learning to draw in a CAD program before I can put my drawings to use?

You may be able to scan them in at a 1:1 and save them as a .jpg, .bmp etc. Then use Corel draw's "Trace" program (or similar) to trace the raster image (.jpg, .bmp ) to a vector graphic and/or a dxf file. Your CAD program will pull in the .dxf file and then you can edit it.

However, all of the trace programs that I've used still require a fair amount of tweaking after the trace.

If you have nice clean drawings on a solid color paper (not graph paper) it will work best.

AutoCad will allow you to import Raster images directly into the drawing.
Sooooo.... You might be able to scan it in at 1:1, save it as a jpeg file, open up AutoCad and create two layers. Call one picture and the other trace.
Make the "picture" layer active and insert the scanned image in this layer.
Then switch to the "trace" layer and manualy trace over the scanned drawing.
After you have finished the trace, you can delete the scanned image from the picture layer (saves space) or turn the picture layer off so the image is not displayed (larger file).


Either method isn't too pretty, but it might work for you...
Good luck

Thanks KK, it seems like I may as well just get use to a CAD program and re-draw everything. Now to find my digital drawing pad...

TurboCad will do it too. It was one of the first ones to do it with CorelTrace. It was quiete cheap too.



Wolfgang

You can also use Wintopo to convert to vector after scanning the drawing to an image.

If you have access to Linux or Unix, then Inkscape can import drawings and export to SVG. Then use svg2dxf to get a drawing. SVG2DXF runs under linux/unix. While in Inkscape, you can tidy up your drawing or change it, then export.

SVG2DXF.zip is available at http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~squiresm/

Thanks for the information. CoralTrace doesn't come alone, only in a suite of programs now and costs about $400.00. Don't have Linux and the reason being, there isn't that much 3rd party support out there for the things I do.