AutoDWG PDFin AutoCAD Plug-in:

Convert PDF files to DWG and DXF formats with high quality and ease of use, this plug-in is designed to work seamlessly with AutoCAD versions from R14 to 2022.

Quick Start

Converting PDFs to DWG/DXF files has never been easier with our plug-in. Simply follow these three easy steps:

Please wait a few moments while the program processes your file. Once the conversion is complete, you'll be notified that it's done!
You'll be pleased to see that the converted file looks great and is editable. However, some touch-up work may be needed as PDF files may lose certain details that are irrevocable, as PDFs do not contain layers. Nevertheless, using our converter saves you a significant amount of time compared to redrawing the entire file from scratch.

 

Settings and Options

Our plug-in offers a variety of settings and options to customize your conversion process, including:

In the "General" tab, you can find various options to customize your PDF to DWG conversion process.

• In the PDF preview area, you can easily switch between pages by using the "left" and "right" arrow buttons. This allows you to quickly navigate through the PDF file and preview different pages before proceeding with the conversion process.

• To convert a PDF file, simply browse and select the desired PDF file from your computer using the file selection option provided. This allows you to choose the specific PDF file that you want to convert to DWG format. Once you have selected the file, the conversion process can be initiated.

• To customize the conversion, you can select specific pages from the PDF file that you want to convert. By default, the converter will convert all pages of the PDF file. However, you can choose to convert only a few pages, which can save time, especially when dealing with large PDF files with multiple pages, such as datasheets with over 100 pages.

  To select specific pages, simply enter the page numbers in the designated area, separated by commas. For converting sequential pages, you can use a hyphen between the page numbers to indicate a range.

  For example, if you want to convert pages 1, 3, 5, and a range of pages from 10 to 15, you can enter "1,3,5,10-15" in the page selection area. This allows you to precisely specify which pages you want to convert, providing flexibility and customization in the conversion process.

Options in the 'Advanced' tab provide you with advanced control over the PDF to DWG conversion process, allowing you to fine-tune the output file according to your specific needs and preferences.

• Scale correction:

  Enter the desired scale to correct the drawing scale in the output DWG file. This allows you to ensure that the converted file is in the correct scale based on the original drawing scale in the PDF file.

• Retain solid entities:

  Check this option if you want to retain solid entities in the PDF file and maintain the same appearance in the converted DWG file. This ensures that solid entities in the output file will look identical to the original PDF file.

• Save outer lines of solid entities:

  Select this option if you want to only save the outer lines of solid entities in the output DWG file. This can help reduce the file size and improve the loading speed in AutoCAD, while still maintaining the overall appearance of the solid entities.

• Keep line width:

  Check this option if you want to retain the line width information from the original PDF file in the converted DWG file. This allows you to preserve the line thickness of the original PDF file in the output file.

 

Command lists

Our plug-in includes the following commands:

PDFIn	Opens the PDF import dialog box.
PDF2DWG	Converts each page of the PDF file to DWG or DXF format individually.
PDFInMenu	Adds the PDFIN menu to the AutoCAD main menu.
PDFRegisterIt/PDFReg	Registers the PDFIN program.
AutodwgPDFHelp/AutodwgHelp	Opens the AutoDWG help file.

 

FAQ

Question 1: I typed "PDFin" in AutoCAD command line, but it prompts "Unknown Command".

Possible Solutions:

Step1:

Make sure you have the full version of AutoCAD installed, as PDFIn is an AutoCAD ARX plugin and will not work with AutoCAD LT. If you are using AutoCAD LT, please download and install the stand-alone version of PDF to DWG Converter that is compatible with your version. If you purchased the wrong version, please contact us to alter your license for a fee.

Step2:

If the plugin still won't install, try loading it manually using the AutoCAD command line:

(1) Navigate to the program installation folder where PDF to DWG Converter is stored (by default it should be installed in c:\Program Files\AutoDWG\PDFin). Find and run the program "autoload.exe" and launch AutoCAD again.

(2) Try the command "PDFin" again. If it still doesn't work, type "ARX" in the command line, then press "L" to load. Navigate to the program folder where PDF to DWG Converter is installed and select the appropriate ARX version that matches your AutoCAD version. See the table below for reference:

PDFImport215.arx/PDFImport215_64.arx	AutoCAD 2015/2016
PDFImport213.arx/PDFImport213_64.arx	AutoCAD 2013/2014
PDFImport210.arx/PDFImport210_64.arx	AutoCAD 2010/2011/2012
PDFImport27.arx	AutoCAD 2007/2008/2009
PDFImport24.arx	AutoCAD 2004/2005/2006
PDFImport2x.arx	AutoCAD 2000/2002
PDFImport14.arx	AutoCAD R14

 

Question 2: Why does my converted drawing look jagged or like a picture, and why can't I edit it?

There are two types of PDF files: Raster PDF and Vector PDF.

Vector PDF files use mathematical equations to draw shapes using points, lines, and curves. These are usually created by CAD programs, or by converting CAD drawing files into PDF format. PDFin can create clear and editable DWG files with Vector PDF files.

On the other hand, Raster PDF files are images made up of tiny squares of color information known as pixels or dots. These are typically scanned documents or photos in PDF format. PDFin can only bring the image into the background of AutoCAD for drafting purposes. The lines and other details in the image cannot be edited or removed.

If you want to trace the bitmapped image as vector line segments, you can try using AutoDWG PDF to DWG stand-alone version, which has raster to vector conversion capability. However, the quality of the converted result depends on how good the scanned images are. You can contact us for a file conversion evaluation and license alteration.