New user struggling to re-size j-peg of floor plan. Please help!

SketchUp
1

Hi I am trying to import n architect’s drawing to do a furniture layout on. I only have a .pdf which seemed to be very fuzzy when I imported it. As such i did a Screen Grab and imported it as a j-peg. Still quite fuzzy but better.

To re-size it to scale I have re-watched a Harwood Podcast tutorial (about a zilion times!) which says that to re-size it you click at one end of a line with a known dimension with the tape measure and when you click the other end, you can change the dimension in the dimension box and then voila it is supposed to ask if you want to re-size the object. I have been able to input the dimension but it does not ask me if I want to resize. Then if I try and click on anything with the tape measure it doesn’t seem to measure/give a dimension any more. FYI I’m on a Mac.

Any ideas? I feel like I’m going to have to re-draw the plan from scratch if I can’t crack this.

Would really appreciate some help.

Thanks in anticipation!

2

  1. draw a line with the line (penci)l tool over the part of the image that you know the dimension

  2. use the tape measure tool to measure the line you drew

  3. enter what the length should be

3

Hey there, this forum post might help you out: How do I resize JPG floor plan images in SketchUp 2017? - #5 by davidverger

4

Great yes just drew a line and and it worked - hoorah! Thank you.

Do you happen to have any ideas for improving the fuzziness of the imported screen shot/ .jpg. I need to draw a furniture layout on top of this plan and really didn’t want to have to re-draw the whole plan as well. Any ideas please?

If impossible to get less fuzzy I could probably handle the fuzziness of it if I could at least erase some of the architect’s notes etc. Is there anyway of being able to do that by grouping etc.?

Thanks!

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5

Thank you also for replying!

6

Unfortunately, the fuzziness is in the raster image you imported. So, there is nothing you can do to sharpen it in SketchUp. SketchUp is not an image bitmap editor like Photoshop, so it also does not provide a way to erase selected parts of an image. Sorry!

7

If I manage to obtain it in a .dwg format though I should be fine?

8

Any format that is real geometry not an image and that you can import to SU should be ok. In fact, text is ignored by many imports so that might clear up your issue with architects notes.

9

Up to a point. Your profile says you are using Make 2013. Make doesn’t have a built in DWG importer. However, there is a free plugin available on Sketchucation Plugin Store which imports most but not all DWG object types.

10

Right! That was why I used the phrase “that you can import to SU”. I probably should have been more explicit.

11

you can also get a PDF2CAD converter… I use it about twice a week. Or get the original DWG from the architect.

If you have photoshop or similar you may be able to import the PDF, then delete out unwanted stuff, then save as a JPG.

12

Thanks all. I’ve actually downloaded Make 2017 now and am currently in my free trial of Pro so should be fine with DWG’s? Can Make 2017 import DWG’s if I end up going back to that at the moment after my trial. Like the idea of Pro but just setting up my new business and funds are tight at the mo.

bmike - do you know if there is a free PDF2CAD converter for Macs. I can see some available but they seem to convert to DXF files rather than DWG.

I like the idea of trying to delete the unwanted stuff in Photoshop but yes unless I get my hands on a DWG my PDF will still be fuzzy.

Thank you

13

There’s an option in 2017 to use ‘maximum texture size’ Preferences>OpenGL settings . I m not sure if was there before. It would most definitely enhance the jpeg

14

Thanks all. I’ve actually downloaded Make 2017 now and am currently in my free trial of Pro so should be fine with DWG’s? Can Make 2017 import DWG’s if I end up going back to that at the moment after my trial. Like the idea of Pro but just setting up my new business and funds are tight at the mo.

bmike - do you know if there is a free PDF2CAD converter for Macs. I can see some available but they seem to convert to DXF files rather than DWG.

I like the idea of trying to delete the unwanted stuff in Photoshop but yes unless I get my hands on a DWG my PDF will still be fuzzy.

Thank you

15

I use this on Mac:

Works great. I think they have a trial period.

You can import the PDF at a decent resolution in photoshop or similar, then delete what you don’t want, then save as JPG.

Make sure you turn this on:

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It might still be fuzzy, depending on how large the plan is… no way around it.

16

Thank you for your advice. Should I still turn on the Use Maximum Texture Size even though it is warning me as attached? Do I need a high end graphics card?

17

Try it , and see the change in the drawing . Once you’ve outlined the jpg you can turnit of. It won’t damage your graphics card …
You might wanna check your card in the ‘about this Mac’ pop-up and update your user profile

18

OK will give it a go - thanks!

I’ve updated my profile too. Thanks for the advice.

19

Thanks all! The maximum texture size helped. Will look further in to PDF2CAD convertor also but the max. texture was good enough for this particular issue.

20

Another option for converting PDF files to DXF files is Inkscape. It free but also needs XQuartz.app. (on a mac). I just downloaded the trial version of PDF2CAD. I find it a lot easier to use than Inkscape and may well be worth the $200.00.

Dave