saving a high quality TIFF from an eDrawing 2

[hamondale]

I have a need to save good quality TIFF images from eDrawings. I receive an eDrawing from a client, put it in non-shaded rendering (i.e. appears as a line drawing), manipulate into a view that I want, and then save as a TIFF. (Subsequently I threshold the TIFF with a photoeditor to convert it to B/W line art.)
I do not always get a good quality TIFF image when I save. Soemtimes some of the line detail is missing - certain lines are gone and/or curves are broken up intermittently. Other times I get a totally complete image. One client's images seem always good, the other's not.
These eDrawings are published from SolidWorks. (I am not a user of SW, and thus know little of its capability.) I have one hunch - does SW save files at different levels of mesh resolution or something else that could ultimately affect the eDrawing?
I have hunted all over the eDrawing help on saving TIFF files, but I have not seen any info. There does not seem to be any selectable options in saving TIFFs from eD.
Anyone who knows an answer or something to try would be a huge help. TIA
hamondale

 

[ctopher]

I have the same problem with TIFF's with 2004 SP3.0. I abandoned it and now use JPEG's. They are much cleaner. IF someone has a fix for TIFF's, I am also interested.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Check thread559-92728 and thread559-72443


from (the City of) Barrie, Ontario.

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Sorry, should have also mentioned that it is better to save your tif from SW drawing, rather than eDrawing. When saving use the Options switch to set Capture to Print & adjust DPI, etc.
eDrawing does not have these options.

from (the City of) Barrie, Ontario.

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.

 

[rocheey]

also, the CCIT4 format seems to do best with 'line art'

 

[hamondale]

Thanks CBL et al. You have given me some more leads to try. It looks like some options are in those other threads. They also lead to a find of

http://www.eprintdriver.com/

through google, which looks promising and has a trial download.
I have not had good results saving in jpg, ctopher. The images look "dirty" or mottled near the lines themselves. I've seen this effect in other jpgs when the compression is high. I don't see any option to adjust when saving jpg from eD and my jpgs always come out crappy. Something I'm not doing?
Regarding SW, I can't print or save from SW. I don't have it. Only have eD, so I can open SW files or eD, but that's my constraint. I can't justify getting SW either.
In case anyone is curious, and to get the big picture, the application here is to pick certain chosen views of a product designed in SolidWorks, convert them directly to slightly thicker line art (that part I've figured out), and use them as drawings in patent applications.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Why not have your clients send you TIF or PDF files made directly from the SW models or drawings?

from (the City of) Barrie, Ontario.

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.

 

[hamondale]

Thank you CBL, having client capture my images directly from SW can be done, but is not optimal. The thing about writing a patent application is that I don't always know exactly what view of a product I need, but I'll know it when I see it. So having the SW file to view with eDrawings is very helpful. I manipulate the product, virtually dissassemble and reassemble and/or section it until I see a view that shows certain features, and then I capture it. Preferably in a tiff that can be embedded in a lower end drawing app that lends itself better to meeting patent office drawing standards and being able to share the end file with others less well-equipped, for their review.
Plus being able to inspect the components list in the file is a huge advantage. If a client gives me a SW or eD file, I don't need much of a written description from h/h. I can usually figure out how it works from the complete model.
Ultimately, the fewer e-mails and file transfers between client and me = the lower the cost. (By now you may be wondering. No I'm not an attorney. I'm an engineer turned patent agent.) Apologies for this long-winded reply if it's not appropriate here.

 

[ctopher]

I know TIFF is suppose to be better, but my JPEG's are much cleaner than TIFF's when I insert into MS Word. TIff's are very fuzzy and can't read them. I don't know if it is my PC settings or SolidWorks....weird. If I want a very clean pic for Word, I'm better off printing directly from SolidWorks then scan into Word. I have the same issue with eDrawings.

 

[hamondale]

Thanks to all of you folks. The combined info from you all lead me to eprint at

http://www.eprintdriver.com/to_tiff/PDF-to-TIFF-ex.html.

I have tried the free download of their $99 print driver/file converter package and I've got the results I need. There are a lot of options I'm working through, but I can get complete unbroken tiff images at 150 - 600 dpi with a 1 bit per pixel depth (which I believe is simply a black/white image). Jpgs in 8 bit grey scale are also suitable. They actually don't look complete on the screen, but they are. (Maybe a video driver issue... I will check for latest driver.) The interface is very intuitive, much like any other windows printer.
There might be some other options out there, but I'll take this for $99 and get back to doing billable time. Thanks again.
Chow
Hamondale