near impossible vector job

[The Vector Doctor]

He said that he was having a friend redo it using some CAD program - he sent me samples of what he had done so far (dwg and dxf files) and already had 4 hours invested so far. I told him that I thought a CAD program was better suited for this from the very first email and I used Illustrator which was not ideal for this.

He could not understand why Illustrator would be any harder than a CAD program, but I disagree. Don't they have a lot of built in tools to make rounded corners, and all the various map related drawing tools easier? I have never used a CAD program, but it must be a bit different than how Illustrator would do it. Isn't it akin to pounding in a nail with the end of screwdriver - yeah it can be done, but it's not the best tool for the job.

He said that CAD programs also used vector tools and should be the same.

 

[iSign]

Isn't it akin to pounding in a nail with the end of screwdriver - yeah it can be done, but it's not the best tool for the job.

He said that CAD programs also used vector tools and should be the same.

...yeah, & hammers also work on screws...
he must be pretty bright to have that all figured out already & us fools in the graphics industry don't even know that yet

 

[OldPaint]

all sign programs are CAD programs!!!! COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN SOFTWARE......but ARCHITECTUAL CAD programs are more specific to topography and building components.
iam a draftsman....trained and worked as one till mid 70's.
no computers then, iam da boss with a mechanical t square and table!!!!hahahahahahahahahaha.
ive played with some ARCHETECTUAL CAD PROGRAMS...and they got a hell of a learning curve.....

 

[gerald]

It's much, much easier in Autocad. We use it a lot now, just because I hired a guy that is good with it. It is very good at scaleing and it has many of the architectural shapes that are drag n drop. Buildings, land plots, roads, utilities ect.. This would still be a lt of work though.

 

[Pro Image]

all sign programs are CAD programs!!!! COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN SOFTWARE......but ARCHITECTUAL CAD programs are more specific to topography and building components.
iam a draftsman....trained and worked as one till mid 70's.
no computers then, iam da boss with a mechanical t square and table!!!!hahahahahahahahahaha.
ive played with some ARCHETECTUAL CAD PROGRAMS...and they got a hell of a learning curve.....

Didn't know WV hillbillies knew how to Draft........lol..........Last time i use a mechanical T was in 1991...........got burned out in college.......I had studyed drafting for 4 years before college (vocational program) just couldn't take anymore of it.....I never work in the real world but was top of my classes all though school........................I might have to pic me up a old T and see if I can still remember how to pull a #5 pen line with out running the ink under the scale.............lol

 

[OldPaint]

hell thats modern, if you ever need that pen shapened....iam da man! spent many weeks learning how to get em so the ink wouldnt run away.......and when i went to school for it...we INKED ON BLUE OIL CLOTH!!!!!!

 

[Cadmn]

well I was a draftsman & introduced one company into the computer age Then taught on college level & 2 different cad programs autocad & microstation(used for nuke generator plants)& it would definately be easier in cad with someone that knows his way around. with cad you can create your own icons easily & point & click then drawing layers or linetypes can hold certain colors
did contract work for a city putting in pipes for water gas & sewer in cad

 

[Westcoast Sign Guy]

IF your the Eric I'm thinking of, Is it possible a "Steve" sent you that drawing to take up your whole day or week

Sometimes I think I just kill myself

 

[visualeyez]

I know this post is a bit late, but thought i would chime in with my comments and possibly find out whatever happened with this project.

I have scanned in maps of this size before and seamed them back together, but it would be much easier with one of those large format scanners.
Anyway, there are ways in photoshop to manipulate the levels and key in on certain color values (which can then be assigned workpaths and are fully vector). And if this image was printed at 300 resolution, that is more than sufficient for a quality seperation and vectorization. I think it could be pulled off in under 2 hours, depending on the quality of the original (however it is hard to tell the scale of the actual resolution from the sample provided).

With access to a scan or the original, I would take on this project pro-bono because I really enjoy challenges such as this. Pushing the limits is how you gain the knowledge your competitors lack.

 

[Replicator]

Just do a quick auto trace . . . It's almost perfect if you hold your head sideways and squint a little bit !

 

[visualeyez]

This attachment is 20 mins with the supplied work. Not perfect or sharp but fully vector and color editable.

 

[fozzyber]

There was a intergraph program I used to use called imaigneer and IRAS B. They did auto converting. it would work ok. I used to do stuff worst than than that useing a CAD program called microstation. and a 3'x5' calcomp digitizing table, all by hand....
it sucked. Today scan and trace in a GIS program. (like GeoMedia or ArcView) That one drawing your looking at about 20 billable hours. (engineering rates)

 

[Bigdawg]

although you jumped in a really old thread, I'm going to reply about that artwork... there is no way I would even CONSIDER handing that over to anybody. It looks like a 20 minute autotrace job and would be totally unacceptable at my shop. If a vendor or graphic designer tried to send that to me I would never have him or her do art for me again.

 

[Shovelhead]

One section at a time and I'd love to bang that out in a weekend.

 

[Tony Teveris]

I would say someone already has the vector file. No way was the original an image.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

This attachment is 20 mins with the supplied work. Not perfect or sharp but fully vector and color editable.

Uh, that's horrible. No one would accept that

 

[TheSnowman]

CRAP! Why do I never realize that these things are months and months old...oh, and by the way, if you consider that a good vector...WOW!

 

[sarge]

I agree autocad or or maybe even corel draw would work .. i do this kind of work on occations for the feds .. i charge $85 an hour and most folks wont pay it .. which is ok with me .. but then, money is money and a job like that could take 20-30 hours .. be a good project to train someone on autocad

 

[The Vector Doctor]

I agree autocad or or maybe even corel draw would work .. i do this kind of work on occations for the feds .. i charge $85 an hour and most folks wont pay it .. which is ok with me .. but then, money is money and a job like that could take 20-30 hours .. be a good project to train someone on autocad

Hard to find too many people willing to pay that rate or total.

 

[sarge]

i agree eric .. i used to do stickers or decals at street fairs and indian pow wows .. those are fast and furious deals .. but .. money is money .. i dont do the side shows any more .. i just have to much work now .. and with the way of business now, i want to spread my money my way .. so i am letting 4 employees go and downsizing .. doing more work myself and outsourcing some