How to change a jpeg to a manipulable digital file ... suggestions?

[Tim Boger]

Suspect I'm missing the obvious here but haven't figured it out yet .... the picture / drawing was sent to me by a client for me to turn (2) chandelier bodies on my lathe, I want to duplicate the shape into a program like sketchup or if there is a better program so I can have a more detailed, tweakable drawings.

What do you guys suggest?

Thanks,
Tim

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[Tom Wilson66]

I have done this by importing the jpg into a cad program ( I used AutoCAD, but other cad programs could work, as long as you can import the jpg file). Then I traced the lines in the jpg using the cad program. From there, you can manipulate the drawing as needed.

[Tim Boger]

I have done this by importing the jpg into a cad program ( I used AutoCAD, but other cad programs could work, as long as you can import the jpg file). Then I traced the lines in the jpg using the cad program. From there, you can manipulate the drawing as needed.

Hey Tom,

I had begun to do just that, but trying to make a "useful" and controlled line with a mouse seems about a effective as trying to scratch my butt with a back hoe.

Tracing is the only option I could figure out.

Thanks for your feedback.

[James Combs]

Tim, I have done the pic in CAD thing but I didn't try to trace unless it had a straight line. I just drew it over top of the pic using the appropriate cad tools, like box, circle, ellipse, etc. The pic that you show I would draw one half(one side) of it then mirror that half for the other side. Should be fairly easy for that shape. Could do an Autocad file for you if you like. Just PM me an email address if you want.

[Michael Mills]

I don't know much about computer graphics so I would do as I have before.
Get a pack of graph paper from the office supply (8.5X14 if possible, but probably just 8.5X11 available) and print it out.
You should be able to figure out the scale pretty easily.
I assume it is just a hand sketch and the end result will vary slightly due to inaccuracies in the sketch.

[David Delo]

google jpeg to dxf converters. there's a bunch of free downloads.

[George Troy Hurlburt]

I use Corel Graphics Suite. The draw program has a tracer that converts photos into vectors. A free program is Inkscape that will also work.

[Thom Sturgill]

Here's a .dxf file and zipped: 310275 That is if the attachment works.

[Tim Boger]

Thanks for the tip George, I'll have a look at Inkscape.

Tim
I use Corel Graphics Suite. The draw program has a tracer that converts photos into vectors. A free program is Inkscape that will also work.

[James Combs]

Tim, here is a snap shot of an autocad version, just need to verify the dimensions that are on it that were not on the jpg. Got your PM, sorry about the delay it did take a few minutes to create the drawing.

Edit: All the added dims are guestimates.
310276

[Tim Boger]

Hi James,

It's perfect, the guesstimates are subjective anyway as there no other dimensions to compare it to.

Thank you very much for your help!

Tim
Tim, here is a snap shot of an autocad version, just need to verify the dimensions that are on it that were not on the jpg. Got your PM, sorry about the delay it did take a few minutes to create the drawing.

Edit: All the added dims are guestimates.
310276

[Tim Boger]

Thank you Thom, really appreciate your help !! I hope to make some decent money on this project.

Thanks again,
Tim
Here's a .dxf file and zipped: 310275 That is if the attachment works.

[James Combs]

Hi James,
It's perfect, the guesstimates are subjective anyway as there no other dimensions to compare it to.
Thank you very much for your help!
Tim
No problem, glad to be of help. You can send my consulting fee to...:rolleyes::D;) BTW, appreciated the AutoCad360 link.

[Darryl Hansen]

go to scrollsawvilliage.com and check out the tutorials on Inkscape and Gimp.
both are free and the turials super for what you are doing. Sawers us them to manipulate photos and so forth.

[Tim Boger]

Great tip, heading there now!

Thanks Darryl
go to scrollsawvilliage.com and check out the tutorials on Inkscape and Gimp.
both are free and the turials super for what you are doing. Sawers us them to manipulate photos and so forth.

[Tom Wilson66]

iIf you nave AutoCAD, try the command "spline". With this you can trace any curved line by picking appropriate points along the jpeg line.


Tim, I have done the pic in CAD thing but I didn't try to trace unless it had a straight line. I just drew it over top of the pic using the appropriate cad tools, like box, circle, ellipse, etc. The pic that you show I would draw one half(one side) of it then mirror that half for the other side. Should be fairly easy for that shape. Could do an Autocad file for you if you like. Just PM me an email address if you want.