convert

08
Mar
2022
Top 7 Ways AutoCAD Conversions Helps Architect Firms

Top 7 Ways AutoCAD Conversions Helps Architect Firms

DWG Conversions Will Change Your Architect Business

Architects are as busy as ever. If you have your own architect firm, freelance, or are part of a team, AutoCAD conversions can help your company in many ways. Adding AutoCAD conversions to your workflow can increase productivity, and profits. Here’s 7 ways AutoCAD conversions can help you as an architect.

Architects using AutoCAD in office.
Architects looking at plans in AutoCAD

1. It will make your workflow quicker

Ever have a remodel where you are redrawing old plans from 20+ years ago? Have that sheet scanned, and sent to us for a fully-layered AutoCAD conversion. You will receive a vector DWG file, and you can quickly make your changes.

2. Clean up hand drawn plans

Many of our customers hand-draw plans, and they find it easier and has more character than CAD drawn plans. The problem is, often they work with others who only use CAD. We can convert your hand-drawn plans to CAD, so you can collaborate with other industries, including interior design, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structural engineers.

site plan blueprint to AutoCAD
Scanned site plan blueprint converted to AutoCAD.

3. You can take in more work

Now that you are not drawing everything yourself in CAD, you can take in more work, while we do a much of the AutoCAD work. This is especially useful for remodels, so you can make your changes, additions to the home, accessory dwelling unit (ADU), office, hardscape, landscape, decks, pool, electrical, or plan change. Check out this article on how this saves you time and money.

Get a quote

4. Redline changes

We can make changes to your plans. Simply grab a red pen, or make comments in the PDF specifying the changes you need, and we will make the changes. For example, you can circle walls, doors or windows you would like removed. Curious to how Convert2AutoCAD compares to other services that claim to perform the same service? Check out this article.

Architectural redline changes

5. Friendly customer service

We are located in Del Mar, California. This makes it easier for you to work with us, from the United States. We are easy to communicate with, and you will not have to worry about langue-barriers, or time zones. We are available to you Monday – Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM Pacific Time. Feel free to contact us or give us a call at 858-755-5134.

6. Fast turnaround

We are capable of getting your PDF converted to CAD in as little as 24-hours! As an architect, we know sometimes you have tight deadlines. This is why we offer expedited processing, so you can meet your deadlines with your clients, contractors, or municipalities.

7. Your architect competitors are using it

We have been offering this service for more than 20 years, and have amassed over a thousand customers and have converted over 100,000 pages. It’s a very good chance you could be bidding against another architect that will be using our services for the project. This lets them bid lower, and have a faster completion time. We want you to remain competitive as well.

Architect with paper plans working on laptop

Conclusion

Architects have much to gain, and nothing to lose by having Convert2AutoCAD in their workflow. It can save you money and time, and help you take in more work. Send us your plans for a quick quote to convert to AutoCAD.

Posted by Michael Mellor in AutoCAD tips
06
Apr
2021
CAD Conversion Services Compared

CAD Conversion Services Compared

Are all CAD conversion services the same?

When searching the internet for PDF to CAD conversion services, you will find there are many free options. You can upload your files, and within seconds, you can download the CAD file as a DWG or DFX file, which is simple and fast, but will this service help your workflow? These services can be found on websites like CloudConvert, Zamzar, and AutoDWG. I encourage you to go to those websites, and give it a try. Take a look at the CAD files you receive.

The difference is accuracy, layers and usability

I am guessing you need a file you can actually edit. This means vector lines, shapes, hatching and text. Here’s what you get from these services.

Here’s the original image we are starting with

Blueprint plan to be converted to AutoCAD.
Scanned to PDF before converting to AutoCAD. I am using the same 300ppi full resolution PDF for each conversion.

Convert2AutoCAD.com

Convert2AutoCAD is the best PDF to CAD conversion service. This service includes vector lines, shapes, text and hatching.
Our Convert2AutoCAD CAD conversion services provide a real finished product. All layers can be edited, and they are accurate.
Service NameFeatures and sample
Convert2AutoCAD.comPros: Fully layered, vector, drawn by expert drafters, typed text, accurate, includes both model, and paper space, based in San Diego, California, and offer support over the phone or email.
Cons: Service is not free, and it takes at least 24-hours

Zamzar File Conversion – DWG

Zamzar CAD conversion service. Here is the same file converted to DWG by Zamzar PDF to DWG Conversion. As you can see, it's not very usable.
Here is the same file converted to DWG by Zamzar PDF to DWG Conversion. As you can see, it’s not very usable.
Service NameFeatures and sample
Zamzar PDF to DWG ConversionPros: Free, and instant.
Cons: Image is only outlined, no vector lines, or shapes, does not use layers, paper space is not used, and text cannot be changed.

CloudConvert PDF to DFX

CloudConvert PDF to DWG missed most of the details of the plans. It also only allows for DFX output, and not DWG.
CloudConvert PDF to DWG missed most of the details of the plans. It also only allows for DFX output, and not DWG. I would say this is the worst of the CAD conversion services.
Service NameFeatures and sample
CloudConvert PDF to DXFPros: Free, and instant.
Cons: Image is only outlined, no vector lines, or shapes, does not use layers, paper space is not used, does not output to *.dwg files, and text cannot be changed.

AutoDWG Free PDF to DWG Converter

AutoDWG is a distant 2nd place behind Convert2AutoCAD. It does offer a better file than Zamzar and CloudConvert, you would have a difficult time using the files for any professional design.
Service NameFeatures and sample
AutoDWGPros: Free, and instant, uses separate layers, has paper space.
Cons: The layers don’t seem to make sense, many details lost, has trouble reading text, not suitable for remodels, or edits.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a professional design, that’s ready for immediate changes, the only choice is Convert2AutoCAD. You will receive accurate DWG files, using vector lines, layers, shapes and text. If you are looking for a free, immediate CAD file, where accuracy and editability are not a priority, we recommend AutoDWG. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Posted by Michael Mellor in AutoCAD tips
30
Jul
2020
How to Convert PDF to CAD?

How to Convert PDF to CAD?

Hint: it’s easier thank you think!

Do you have some PDF plans that you would like converted to fully layered, vector CAD files? This is much easier than you might think. There are services out there that claim to offer this service, but what they actually do is just use animated software to turn your raster pixels into dots in a DWG file. They do not actually create lines or layers in AutoCAD. One example of a service that does this is Zamzar. Go ahead and try it! You will receive a CAD file that is unusable because you cannot make changes, and everything is on a single layer. Thanks, but I actually need to edit this.

Why don’t these services offer layers?

The easy answer is, because they can’t use layers. Services like Zamzar and EasyPDF just use automated software, and that software can’t always detect lines and different objects (walls, windows, landscapes, hardscapes, dimensions, text, etc.) from one another. It’s not the fault of the company, they just offer a free service that works in a matter of minutes. Yes, you can open the file in your favorite CAD program, but there is little way to edit, unless you just want to use the file to trace over.

Okay, so how to I convert my PDF to a CAD file with layers?

So you want to edit the file? You need a service that redraws the PDF in CAD with professional drafters. Those drafters need to redraw your lines, and hatchwork so that you can quickly make changes. It may take a little longer than the services listed previously, but in as little as 24-hours, you could have a DWG file you can actually edit! You can start by submitting your PDF file to to this link for a quick quote. You will receive a quick price quote, and estimated time of completion.

PDF to CAD

Send over your PDF plan to have it converted to fully layered vector CAD file.
Send Your PDF
Posted by Michael Mellor in AutoCAD tips
18
Feb
2020
PDF to CAD DWG

PDF to CAD DWG

Converting your PDF to CAD Online

What is PDF and CAD?

PDF to CAD is a revolutionary online service that involves skilled drafters to deliver a precise AutoCAD file, for your business. PDF is the print industry standard for document scanning, sharing and printing. It long overtook formats like TIFF and JPG a long time ago, with it’s fine detail, great compression, and font embedding capabilities. You may have PDF files of plans that you need to remodel, or would like to archive. CAD is the industry standard for architectural and engineering design. Developed by AutoDesk over 35 years ago, it is now the benchmark for vector design. It can include blocks and layers.

A personal touch

We take your PDF files and redraw them in AutoCAD. That’s right, a real human draws your files. This lets us separate the layers like doors, walls, hardscape, dimensions, and so on. Convert2AutoCAD does not just run it through software and output the file. The advantage is huge. You can now make changes to specific walls, and doors easily. This leaves you with a clean file that will look professional for years to come. PDF to CAD is a service that will make you money.

Have a professional vacation rental listing

This service can also be useful if you are an Airbnb host, who need floor plans for your listing. The professional floor plans will lead to more reservations, and more income for you. You can even roughly hand draw a plan, and we can have give you a professional looking plan on JPG, PNG, or GIF. Your short-term rental will make you more money, with a small investment in a professional floor plan. This gives your Airbnb or Tripadvisor vacation rental a higher chance of staying booked.

Essential for remodels

Are you an architect, contractor or interior designer that does remodels? Take old plans and have them converted to vector by us, to give you a fast and easy way to make changes. This can save you lots of time, allowing you more time to take on more jobs. Remodels have never been so easy.

Quick turnaround and affordable

We have a turnaround time in as little as 24 hours. This is an incredible feat, given that some designs are very complicated. Pricing is very reasonable, starting at only $85 per sheet. We can also handle large bulk conversions of over 100 sheets. To get a fast, free quote, submit your files.

Differences between PDF and DWG

Here is a chart explaining the two file types, and what they are used for

PDFDWG
File extension*.pdf*.dwg
UsesPrint, web documents, and illustration.Drafting, designing, engineering, illustration.
Line typeRaster or vectorVector
DeveloperAdobeAutodesk
MIME type application/pdf application/acad
application/x-acad
application/autocad_dwg
image/x-dwg
application/dwg
application/x-dwg
application/x-autocad
image/vnd.dwg
drawing/dwg
Programs Adobe Acrobat
Ghostscript
Ghostview
Xpdf
gPDF 		Adobe Illustrator
AutoCAD
Autodesk DWG TrueView
CorelCAD
ConversionConvert PDF to DWGConvert DWG to PDF

We convert other file types to DWG

  • PDF to DWG (Adobe)
  • GIF to DWG
  • PNG to DWG
  • PLT to DWG
  • TIF to DWG
  • TIFF to DWG
  • PDF to DXF
  • RRD to DWG
  • DXF to DWG
  • DGN to DWG (Bentley Microstation)
  • JPG to DWG
  • PPT to DWG
  • SKP to DWG (Google Sketchup)
  • DWG to SKP
  • RVT to DWG (Autodesk Revit)
  • DWG to RVT
  • PSD to DWG (Adobe Photoshop)

Get Started

Send your file to have converted to CAD

Convert to DWG

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Posted by Michael Mellor
19
Jul
2018
5 Ways to Grow Your Business

5 Ways to Grow Your Business

There are so many fun things to do in the summer. We all want to have fun, but grow our business at the same time. Here are some things you can do to improve business this summer.

  1. Reinforce your brand with signage. We can help you with signs at your job sites, and offices. Your business will benefit from custom signs. We print our signs in-house and can help you with design. We can print on a variety of materials such as foamcore, gator board, coroplast, and even plexiglass acrylic. Check out the options here.
  2. Send direct mail. I know, you’re reading a piece of digital marketing, and not a mailer, but let’s not dismiss the effectiveness of direct mail marketing! Direct mail marketing tends to be more trusted, and is more likely to be viewed. We can help you with your mailers and even add all the mailing addresses. You can read more about direct mail vs. digital marketing here.
  3. Business cards are still essential. They are not going away. I always keep at least 10 business cards in my wallet. We can set you up with a design, and print business cards for you. Here are some statistics on business cards designs. Also, be sure to get out to as many networking functions as you can.
  4. AutoCAD conversions. This is one of our fastest growing services. We can take your old plans, and give you a fully layered AutoCAD file. This is a game changer for architectural, engineering, construction, and any other design firms. This saves you so much time, and can be done in as short as next business day. We even offer discounts for bulk orders. Send over a file, and we can get you a quote right away.
  5. Vehicle and window graphics. Increase your visibility. We can add your logo, slogan, and contact information to your vehicle. At Del Mar Blue, we have a digital vinyl cutter, and can add lettering and logos to vehicles, glass, and smooth walls. We have done it on our vehicles and the windows of our headquarters. Check out some examples we’ve done here.
Posted by Michael Mellor
09
Jul
2018
How this service can make you money

Don’t you wish you could take on more jobs, while doing less work?

Well you can! Literally, you can have jobs done while you sleep, making you more money!

Much of the architects job consists of redrawing plans, for remodels. For years, the procedure was to get old plans from the city or county, have them scanned at our local reprographics shop, import them into AutoCAD, and redraw over the lines. This was a tedious, costly, and time consuming process, that is now totally avoidable. Architects charge between $75 and $150 per hour. This makes it very expensive to redraw plans, that could take many hours. Imagine sending off PDF plans, and having them available the following day. This service can make you money!

We supply you with layered files

We know importing a PDF into AutoCAD is easy. This service goes much more beyond that. We will give you a fully layered DWG file, using industry standards in pen weight, layer name, and layer colors. Each drawing is done with precise accuracy. You can start working right away.

Even ugly old plans?

This service can also be used for ugly, presentable paper plans that are hard to read, and unpleasant to touch. This includes old blueprints, sepia, mylar, and vellum plans. We have the capability to scan sheets up to 36 inches wide. You will be given a file that is clear to read, and very presentable. Take old hand drawn plans, and have them turned into modern AutoCAD files. If you would like for us to scan your plans, contact us and we will make it happen.

How long have you offered this service?

We have been offering this conversion to AutoCAD service for over 15 years. We have hundreds of happy customers including architects, engineers, plumbers, landscape, interior designers, machinists, electricians, counties, cities, water districts and drafters.

How do we do it?

We take your scan, and redraw it in AutoCAD by our expert drafters. This is a manual process, and is not automated with software. There is an actual human, redrawing your plans! This ensures accuracy and quality.

What does it cost?

We are pretty straight forward with our pricing. We charge by the sheet size. You can find our pricing here.

I have files that I want converted. How do I get them to you?

You can send the files with through or online order form. We will get right back to you with a quote, and estimated time of completion. If you have any questions, you can always reach us by calling (858)755-5134

 

Posted by Michael Mellor
14
Jun
2018
Converted tattered old site plan to AutoCAD

This old blueprint was converted to a AutoCAD DWG file

This service is a difference maker

We had a customer come to us with a very old, tattered blueprint that he wanted to have converted to AutoCAD. This happens a lot, and many times, the customer is unsure if it can even be done., well, it can be done! I took the old plan, and scanned it on our black and white scanner, and had one of our expert drafters redraw it in AutoCAD to a DWG file. As you can see in the image above, the plan on the left is the original scan of the blueprint. The image on the right is the resulting AutoCAD file. The customer was very pleased with the result, and was able to start his design project right away.

Fast

This service is normally a 3-business day turnaround. We also offer 24-hour turnaround for only an extra $30 per sheet. You will not be able to hire a drafter for less than our prices. Our service is fast, and accurate. We guarantee our work, if the result is not what you expected, we will make the changes for free. We do more than residential, we also do commercial, retail, government, medical, municipal, utility, golf courses, hotels, parks, roads and bridges.

Money and time saved

Our customer was very happy with the result. He was able to start the remodel design on the home, and sent the AutoCAD file to his landscape architect to begin designing the new landscape. Using the topography lines, he was able to add in trees, a deck, and retaining walls. Instead of redrawing plans, you can send the work to us, giving you more time to design. If you would like to use this service, contact us today. We can answer your questions, and get you a fast quote.

Posted by Michael Mellor
22
May
2018

From hard to read, to blueprint scans, to clear, legible AutoCAD files

Here is an actual conversion we did for a customer. As you can see, the original scan is a hard to read floor plan, with lots of noise, and dark spots. This is common when scanning old blueprints. Our customer is doing a remodel on the house, and instead of redrawing the whole house from scratch, they saved a lot of time by having us convert their PDF to an AutoCAD DWG file. Now they can make changes to the walls, doors, windows, and fixtures. This service is also good for elevations, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, structural, and landscape plans. You can then work on it with AutoDesk AutoCAD, or any other CAD program that accepts DWG files.

Here’s the scanned blueprint floor plan

Original PDF scan that we used to convert to PDF

Original PDF scanned floor plan that we used to convert to PDF (click to enlarge)

As you can see, the scan is difficult to read, many lines are light, and there are a lot of blurry text. We took the scan, and redrew it in CAD.

Here is the AutoCAD DWG file

DWG AutoCAD file we were able to return to the customer so he could begin the remodel.

DWG AutoCAD file we were able to return to the customer so he could begin the remodel. (click to enlarge)

Layered

As you can see, this is a drastic difference. Our customer was given a professional, vector image, that is broken down into layers as  you can see in the image below:

Colored PDF with layers

Colored PDF with layers (click to enlarge)

The customer was extremely happy with the final product. The conversion took 24-hours, and the cost was less than $200. The customer is an architect, and said that “this would have taken me much longer, and cost me a lot more money.” We are happy to help out the construction industry take on more work. If you are interested in using this service for your construction or printing/reprographics company contact us.

For printing and document services, check out Del Mar Blue.

Posted by Michael Mellor
14
May
2018
How Converting to AutoCAD Can Save You Money

Who doesn’t want to save money?

As they say, “a dollar saved, is a better than a dollar earned.”  This is very true for converting your files to AutoCAD. Here’s the ways using this service can save you money.

We know you are in this business to make money. Hiring a drafter is expensive, and you often have better things to do than to redraw old plans for a remodel or addition. Here’s a few reasons why this service not only can save you money, but can make you money.

  • Drawing one page from scratch can take 4 to 24 hours, that can cost you a lot of money.
  • Average hourly rate of an architect is $35 to $75 per hour.
  • We provide fully layered AutoCAD DWG files, that you can begin your remodel design right away.
  • This can be used for architectural, structural, engineering, plumbing, mechanical, shop drawings, as-built, calculations, details, kitchen, landscape, topographic, elevations, floor plans, sections, and any other type of plans you may have. We work in both imperial, and metric measurements.
  • We can also work with you to make design changes to plans, and a rate of only $30 per hour.
  • You can concentrate on design and business development, instead of redrawing plans.
  • Reprographics companies can offer this to their customers with a special rate.
  • Take on more jobs by having us handle a lot of the drafting.

As you can see, this service can help your company by giving you a jump start on your design and remodel projects. This service has helped out hundreds of our customers. Have the advantage over your competition. We can convert PDF, PLT, TIF, JPG, GIF, and even paper plans to fully layered AutoCAD DWG files. If you would like a free quote, Email us now.

Convert2AutoCAD is a small business residing in Del Mar, California. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Posted by Michael Mellor
06
Jun
2017
Converting to AutoCAD can save you a lot of money

Converting to AutoCAD can save you a lot of money

Hiring a draftsperson or architect to convert your plans can take 8 to 24 hours, at $100 to $130† per hour.  That’s a total of $800 to $3,120! Typically, we can do the same for $100-150 for the whole page, and can return the file to you in 24-hours!* This can end up saving you lots of money, and many thousands of dollars over a year.

†drafting service costs from costowl.com
*rush 24-hour service available for an additional $30.

Posted by Michael Mellor
03
Apr
2017
Conversion with layers

Conversion with layers

At Conver2AutoCAD, we will convert your files and keep everything in separate layers.  Keep your title, walls, landscapes, dimensions, text, structural, and landscape all on separate layers with colors using best practices.

Posted by Michael Mellor
05
Apr
2017
How do we convert to AutoCAD?

How do we convert to AutoCAD?

How do we convert to AutoCAD?

Hint: it’s not just done in seconds with software

One of the most common questions is, “how do you do it?” We take your file and redraw each line in AutoCAD.  This is much much more complex than simply using software to convert the the image to vector.  This ensures a quick, and accurate AutoCAD file, that can be manipulated just as it was designed by an architect or engineer. We can convert any type of plan, including architectural, landscape, interior, engineering, plumbing, electrical, and schematics.  This is also a good way to clean up hand drawn plans.

How this saves you money

Some people will say, “well I can do that on my own”, and that is true, but we do it for only $85 to $150 per page. That rate is very affordable for a project that can take you many hours. You cannot hire a drafter to redraw your plans for the price that we charge. This gives you more time, and higher profits. We can also do this for large jobs. We can have them done in batches of 100 for you, every month.

We convert the following types of plans:

  • Architectural
  • Structural
  • Engineering
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • Grading
  • Landscape
  • Mechanical
  • Shop Drawings
  • Topographic Maps

We work with the following industries:

  • Construction
  • Building
  • Surveying
  • Health Care
  • Government
  • Education (Universities, K-12, Colleges)
  • Biotechnology
  • Software Development
  • General Contracting
  • Defense
  • Coastal Commissions
  • Airports

We work in all Autodesk applications. Convert2AutoCAD is a small, independently owned company located in Del Mar, California. No job is too small or too large. Contact us for a fast quote today.

Posted by Michael Mellor