Is there a good way to import Linework that I've done in Autocad? All the methods I've tried seem to really reduce the quality. Can Illustrator handle this sort of import better? I typically like creating the linework for my logos, etc. in Autocad since i'm really familiar with the line functions in this program. Is it easy to do such linework in Illustrator?

Sorry - I may not have made it clear, I am trying to import the Autocad linework into Photoshop and not illustrator. My illustrator questions are secondary, wondering if I could do the linework in there easily (Having never used Illustrator) vs. AutoCad. I have access to Illustrator at school.

Aren't there any 'export' or 'save as' functions in AutoCAD that can create a file format that Photoshop that reads? So you start there, instead of trying to import native AutoCAD files in PS? Or am I thinking too simple?

I use quite a bit of autocad line drawings in ps/psp and I've had the same problem as well. First, make sure the display resolution is adequate. To export, you can use the saveimg or export commands. For simple drawings I'll export in a raster format, but for more intricate drawings I'll use a vector format like wmf. Either way, I zoom on what I want to export so that it uses as much of the workarea as possible.

save as / export might only produce pixelated results, you might have to electronicly trace the logo in illustrator to make it scale friendly. learning the way vector paths work in illustrator might be helpful. I'd find CAD hard. my asumption is that cad works like a graphics / drafting geometry set with a compass, set square' and such. I kinda applied those principles to make the logo provided ^^^ because of my limited knowledge of illustrator, I had to work in freehand for connecting 'stray' lines, to make the nautilus spiral connect. BUt do not fear there is help out there, even some of the 'pen tool' advice in our archives is vallid.

What I've found is that I can import the Autocad file directly into Illustrator, then copy that into Photoshop. Then I can do a selection of the inside of my line work and it has seemed to work ok. The export functions in Autocad definitely seem to produce pixelated results. Thanks guys.

If you import in Photoshop, most of the files will pixelate, cutting and pasting is beter yes. The docment you import in should have a rather large dpi to get clear lines. If you make a new document and import a .ai, .eps or .wmf file, make it really large! But if you have Illustrator, then you can do a lot of manipulation in that particular program. I do not know with what you want to end up with, but is sure is a powerful tool. If you grasp the basics of those darn Bezier curves you unleash a power that is unlimited. Unlimited scalable, that is too. Maybe you do not need Photoshop at all! I do have my share of Illustrator know-how, so if you have questions, do not be afraid to ask! Good luck!

If you can export to an Illustrator readable file (such as .ai), you can also import that .ai file into Phootshop, and rescale it without loosing clarity/detail. You finalize the bitmap at your desired size/dpi in Photoshop.

how does one import .ai into PS and keep it's vector form?

A rather original concept: copy - paste. :-) But in your preferences you have to set the preferences (pasteboard?) to AICB export, otherwise it will always be pixels. Then you will get a choice when you paste between pixels or paths. Like it used to be in the old days before Illustrator went all pdf under the hood.

Where do you set the preferences for "pasteboard"? I can't seem to find it?

If you use File: Place menu command, it allows you to resize the imported ai, to final desired size, -before- it gets converted to bitmap format, at the dpi of the pic it's now in. If you are going to use it within Photoshop, applying filters etc, it's going to have to be bitmap(raster) format anyway. Best bet is to save the original .ai file (which is very small anyway--vector compared to raster) in the same working folder with the .psd file it's associated with. Good working habit.

Ahh - file=>Place menu command is good to know! Thanks.

I have a Dutch version of the Illustrator CS, but if I remember correctly it was the same in the last version.

It is the last choice in the preferences drop-down menu...

Message edited on: 08/31/2004 09:52

One of the best ways I have found to import AutoCAD files without loosing detail is to print them to a file and open them in Photoshop. You will have a transparent background and the image will be at whatever resolution and size you set it for before printing. Unfortunately, I do not recall the exact method of setting up a "fake" drive to print to.

Do you have access to acrobat writer, if so print the file from cad as a pdf. when you open this in photoshop in should as for a resolution. They come in very clear. I sometimes colour cad drawings for a property developer and get them in pdf format like this.