software for scaling photos

[digbylix]

Hi Everybody
Just joined and wonder if anyone can help me? I have a book (Handbook on The Steam Engine by Haeder & Powles, 1902) which is jam packed with fantastic designs for stationary steam engines with details of state of the art (at the time 1902) bearing, Piston, valvegear, govenors, etc as well as boilers, feed pumps and the likes. I am assuming that the book is out of copyright, ie. 70 years after the death of the author but that is not really my main concern. I Would like to scan the said book ann produce some working drawings for some scale models and would like to know if any of you could help me find any software which would allow me to create drawing from such scans. I've spent many fruitless hours on the internet trying to no avail.
Your Hopefully
Paul

[steam4ian]

G'day Paul

Others may be able to help but I don't think there is much available. I have drafters do lots of drawings. At present I have a project where the previous drawings are in PDF files which are not a CAD file. The drafters are having to redraw the relevant bits.
I understand you can do a raster input but then it can't be manipulated in CAD, but I suppose you could "trace" over it.

Regards
Ian

[digbylix]

Cheers Ian
I do have photoshop CS3 and from what I gather there could be a way of doing it through that but It's well beyond me (It takes me all my time to turn my computer on) any computer working is left to my beloved but she knows even less than me about CS3.

Thanks Paul
PS G'night Cobber

[Deeja]

I don't think there is any program to do what you want. Redrawing is probably the best. But one program which may prove helpful is the open source (free) GIMP (www.gimp.org/). and is available for Windows, Mac, Linux etc. Manual too.

Very powerful manipulation available including correcting barrel distortion, changing perspective etc, apart from the usual image tricks.

The interface may at first be a bit strange but worthwhile learning. Good for formatting photos which then can be traced over (manually or in CAD) to make a plan/drawing.

Some programs have ability to trace edges, but results vary with the original quality available.


David

[Noddy]

You can turn scans of drawings into cad files using scan2cad. They give free triall period, so you can try it before you buy.

It is possible to get a lot of accurate scale info out of a single [camera rather than scanner] photograph too, google "photomodeler" and take a look at some of their tutorials. I have a copy of their old freeware "photomodeler light" which they are no longer supporting. I'd be happy to pass a copy on to anyone who is interested.

Using multiple photographs taken from different positions it is possible to build up very accurate 3d models and extract accurate measurements from them.

Photomodeler is the "cheap" end of the market for this.

For a look at the higher end, adamtech.com.au/3dm/Analyst-HeritageMapping.html

I've been trying to justify a copy at work (to get fracture measurements on high and unstable quarry faces) but at around $40,000 US for the package I need, it's taking some doing.

Keith

[paul]

I have an idea - scan and post here a SIMPLE drawing from the book and I'll see if it works.

[digbylix]

Hi Paul

I've scanned the drawing but can't fathom out how to post it to you.

Please can you tell me how.

Thanks
Paul

[mackintosh]

Hello Paul
This may be to simple but could you scan in the drawing and increase the percentage when printing it out. May take some trial and error.
Bob

[gilesengineer]

Occasionally I need to do the same thing, and as I use autocad, I simply lift and drop the photo onto the autocad 'model space', and trace over it. When I've got all the detail, I simply either erase the picture, or lift what I've drawn off of it, and scale it to whatever...
That's how I did the Class 20

[paul]

Here's a very quick example using digbylix's original scan. As you can see the dimensions are in CM but could be in inches/mm/lightyears whatever. It took about 3 minutes to do - most of that was getting the bitmap the right size to begin with.

So this is what I did:

1. Dropped the image into OpenOffice Draw and drew a 1" (well 2.54cm) blue square for reference.

2. Decided the engine should have a 1" dia bore, so resized and repositioned the bitmap until the bore was the same size as one of the sides of the square. Deleted the square as it was no longer required.

3. Zoomed in on various bits and used the dimension tool (with vertical/horizontal constraint) to insert the measurements shown.

It seems to me that this would give a reasonable result provided that:

• The scan is decent quality and size and 'square' (this image is slightly rotated so for example the bore isn't truly horizontal.
  
• You don't want to work to an extremely small scale and know or have decided upon some reference size (like I chose the bore)
  
• You don't mind fiddling around with odd radii and working out thread sizes etc.
  

There are probably CAD programs that will let you drop in a bitmap, and manipulate it in the same way, I'm just used to OpenOffice (which is also free ).

Like I said, once the bitmap is the right size the rest is easy - you could try it on a drawing with known dimensions to see how accurate this method is.

[albert]

Hello Paul,
Go to Google downloads select "Picasa",this is a free and good general photo download.
Albert

[simonwass]

I have a program called DrawingRuler. It was a free download but has now disappeared, its only a small file so can email it to anyone who would like it.
Basically you open a file and pinpoint 2 reference pixels and state the distance between the pixels. From then on you simply click on 2 points and it tells you the distance between them.
Only works for flat scans or good side on photos.

[ianmac]

i am playing with jdraft.

import image and trace over it.



the documentation is superb!

www.sparetimelabs.com

[simonwass]

Jun 18, 2008 3:57:01 GMT ianmac said:

i am playing with jdraft.

import image and trace over it.

the documentation is superb!

www.sparetimelabs.com

That looks useful even knowing I shouldnt scale from drawings!
Is it a free download , just looked and yes it is, its even better now!
Been to that site before (for the furnace pages) and didnt spot 'jdraft'.

[digbylix]

Hi
Downloaded jdraft on your advice from downloads.com (a great site for downloading all sorts of things as it is very safe and well respected site as a lot of companies direct you there to download their products Adobe & Nikon to name but 2.) but as I tried it the message registry no longer valid came up so I can only assume that I have already tried it in the past, but thanks anyway.
Cheers Paul

[paul]

Seems to me that tracing=re-drawing=lots of work+room for error. You have the drawings, you just need the right dimensions. I think my method is at least as accurate as tracing and a lots less work.

[ianmac]

I also had been to the web site for the foundry stuff ;D

The resistration is free you need to Kusti and send him you name email addres and PH.....i

download the manual which i suggest you do..it is in pdf format and about 70 pages.

Read from front to back! the software just comes alive

paul wrote

"Seems to me that tracing=re-drawing=lots of work+room for error. You have the drawings, you just need the right dimensions. I think my method is at least as accurate as tracing and a lots less work."

I disagree.... depends on what you want to do, i want to draw the items so i can get them laser cut. cad is as accurate as you want it to be. if you have old plans that are in a bad and you cant get them reproduced than this is the next best option.

there is room for error when redrawing them by hand as well

[paul]

I wasn't suggesting any redrawing Ian, I simply suggested resizing the scanned image then marking out dimensions. If you need to create a precisely scaled outline of the part that's a different matter entirely

[ianmac]

;D