bitmap to vector

working on an engraving project and I need a way to change bitmaps to vectors with out having to go through all the hassle of pasting an image into AutoCAD and tracing over everything

what file formats can you accept ??

there are several programs that do that -

also - look at autocad and see what file formats it will import.

MIcrosoft Visio outputs in several formats your auto cad might accept - there a many others -

check in the shareware for a converter program.

I have seen an article in Model Engineers Workshop Magazine in the UK about Scan 2 Cad software. Seems wery impressive.
Look at www.rastertovector.com

Regards Don

Try Wintopo, They do a free version on their web site.

http://www.wintopo.com/

Corel Draw also has a R to V convertor

John S

Ah yes "Bitmap to Vector" I posted a question similar to this on 4/30 in the "general" topic area. It is called "Vectorized logos" I got some feedback you might want to check-out. I have tried several methods, WINTOPO freeware off the net I wasn't very impressed it will only give you 10% of your logo unless you purchase the "professional version" Tried scan to cad not impressed had to do alot of clean-up and connecting to make it work, It would have been faster to just draw it from scratch. I also tried raster to vector without much luck. now I didn't spend alot of time with all of the different settings or filters so I can't say that these programs are no good.
The program that works best for me is called "Fontographer" cost $250.00. I start with the highest resolution bitmap I can get then import it into the program and it generates a true type font. I put this font into my windows font library or where ever my cad/cam program fonts reside. I then select that font in my cad/cam program and it shows up as an editable "vectorized" version of the original bitmap, clean, connected and ready to machine.
Jeff.

[This message has been edited by vortech (edited 05-14-2003).]

I, too, tried WINTOPO a year or so ago. Not impressed at all. I've have used Scan2Cad and with enough tweaking I could get simple bitmap images to vectorize properly. I never could get any of the complex scans I had to come out clean enough, though. I found a local sign shop that will do the conversion for me for about $10 per image. The software she uses is a proprietary program that came with the sign making equipment and it does a remarkable job. For the small amount of images I do, $10 each is a real bargain.

ahha.. bitmaps to vector.
I deal with this on almost a daily basis.
I have used Adobi Streamliner for windows ver 1.1 for about 10 years now,I occationally try something new, and have always come back to it. it allowes you to trace inline, outline or centerline and you can set a bitmap "tollerance".
You have to be realistic with what you scan or you will have a terrible time cleaning it up. Sometimes I just do it rough ( as scanned) and just use the badly vectorized image as sort of a templete to redraw image in coreldraw. I use coreldraw exclusivily for my sign drawings and then convert image to curves before exporting them to the cutter / plotter as eps files.
hope this helps somebody.
paul j. morrison