I need to convert drawings to a web pages.

[EdDanzer]

I need to convert drawings to a web pages. Is there a simple way to get a respectable image that is not too large to down load (50k or less)? Currently I play with TIF export resolutions, and scale, then import them into Corel Draw or Photo Paint, resample and save as a JPG or GIF. Some pages take hours to find a solution. I need to do over 100 pages in the next year.

 

[looslib]

Try

http://www.pdf995.com

It is a free (but has pop-ups) PDF generator that loads on your system like a printer. Just select File-Print-PDF995 and you have a PDF file.



"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[TheTick]

There is a JPEG export option. You need to toggle it on in the add-ins Go to "Tools--> Add-ins" and toggle "Solidworks JPEG".

There's no double-lock defense; there's no chain on my door.
And I'm available for consultation,
but remember your way in is also my way out

 

[SBaugh]

PDF -

http://www.bluebeam.com

As for the Jpeg option in SW03 you don't have to turn on a Add-in. Just pick Jpeg from the Save as type menu when saving.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
When in doubt, always check the help

 

[EdDanzer]

The JPG file generated in SolidWorks are terrible. You get a screen print (72 dpi) that is usually the wrong size, does not scale, and has no compression options.
PDF files end up very large if the text needs to be readable, and they don't paste to web page to use as a thumbnail or a button. I have FrameMaker, the PDF files will be 2 to 6 times larger than can be done as a JPG or GIF with additional work.
Most sources say that most web pages that take longer than 10 seconds to open on a 56K modem will not be viewed. Images should be less than 50K and thumbnails less 5K.
We have a program called Full Shot to do screen capture and it gives better results than SolidWorks, but it has no compression when saving, and text on drawing pages does not scale to be readable without several tries.
Drawing pages with bills of materials or other text seem to be the most difficult to work with.

 

[rocheey]

welcome to the real world :/

if you save as a vector format, you have the high resolution but slower load times. If you save as a raster format, you either have small, but low-res images, or large, high-res images.

Its a trade-off.

Have you checked out e-drawings? If you save a one-page e-drawing, with no shaded data, using compression, you can have have an html file of 10k ....

 

[TheTick]

I've made some good side $$$ helping folks with this sort of thing. Basically, CAD and graphics (Adobe, etc.) are like Dutch and German: if you don't know either, they both sound about the same, but they really are quite different.

From the sounds of it, you pretty much are doing what I would do, which is groom the images in a graphic-specific program like Corel. I'd definitely give Adobe Photoshop a gold star for this application (even the "lite" version).

I have not tried any of the SW-specific add-ins (PhotoWorks?).

All this machinery making modern music can still be open hearted.

 

[SBaugh]

I use Screen capture (print Screen - Keyboard) and paste it in Paint Shop pro. Then take it from there and crop out the model and save it. There I can adjust the DPI and compression state. Just a lot easier.

I would point you to my site because all the image files are made that away, but the site is down for right now.

Best Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
When in doubt, always check the help

 

[JNR]

rocheey - ah... the voice of reason!
Reminds me of a joke (ignore the sexist content - you could re-write it for any situation. In fact, ignore the joke if you are pushed for time).

The Husband Store - 5 floors - Ya only get one chance. Once you enter a floor you buy or it's goodbye. Floor one door says (Men with good high paying jobs.) Oooooh... great but the next floor must be better... Floor 2 same plus love kids. Floor 3 like 2 plus helps with housework. Floor 4 like 3 plus very romantic. Floor 5 - This floor is empty and just to show that women have unrealistic expectations of men. Thanks for shopping, have a nice day.

Point is, rocheey is right. You can't have high res graphics (pixel based) files representing vector images (look, Mom, no jaggies!!) AND have small files at the same time. For every pixel you have to define if it is off or on and what color it is. There are many compression techniques, but the data is still relatively large (and longer line/more pixels). A vector of any physical length is just Start-point/End-point/Color (and you can still compress the file). Sometimes reality is a hard mistress.

Ya like the equal opportunity thing there girls? Hey, sometimes we get too serious - I like to keep things light and fun. Seriously, come to think of it I don't recall many (if any) posts from the ladies. Either they are smarter then we are and don't need the help or there is a sad lack of females in our professions. (Sorry guys, but both are probably true.....)

 

[TheTick]

re: raster (pixel) images of vector graphics

That's another thing I like about PDF images generated through a print engine. They are vector images, so you don't end up with a screen full f fuzz when you zoom in.

 

[Theophilus]

looslib,

I love the PDF generator you referred us to (PDF995)--very versatile for a freebie. Thanks!




Jeff Mowry
DesignHaus Industrial Design

http://www.designhaus-i-d.com

 

[JNR]

PDF's are indeed cool for this purpose for a number of reasons. We also use them a lot to send electronic drawings to some vendors. (Before you all make the obvious comment, there are specific reasons for not using eDrawings in these cases. One customer thinks eDrawings is "too complicated" (!?).)

However we have the full-up Adobe software, but it captures stuff the same way by a pseudo print driver. It is spendy to put on every system just for this , so we only have it on a few. But it does have some additional advantages. I will definitely look into the freebie though, thanks.

3/4 of all the Spam produced goes to Hawaii - shame that's not true of SPAM also.......