Raster Editing and Raster to Vector Conversion:
Rasterex provides two options for Raster Editing and Raster to Vector Conversion. One of them – the RxAutoImage – is an ARX application running inside AutoCAD, turning AutoCAD into a true hybrid editor. The other one – RxSpotlight – is an equivalent solution for Windows.
Scanned drawings can be cleaned up, edited and modified with a set of sophisticated tools. The cleaned-up raster image can then be converted into vector information for further processing in CAD and GIS environments.
RxAutoImage works directly inside AutoCAD. It converts scanned drawings to vector information, and turns AutoCAD into a true CAD and GIS hybrid editor. Download free evaluation trial version.
RxAutoImage for AutoCAD is an ARX-application for AutoCAD. It combines the power of AutoCAD, intelligent raster editing technology, raster-to-vector and vector-to-raster conversions.
For AutoCAD users, RxAutoImage for AutoCAD offers support for corporate standards of scanned technical document processing, a well-known easy-to-use interface and a short period of training.
The last three AutoCAD versions are supported at any time, currently 2009-2011 in version R11, which reduces the cost of implementation of hybrid (raster and vector) technology.
Raster Correction Tools
RxAutoImage for AutoCAD has a variety of tools for quality enhancement and correction of color, grayscale and monochrome raster images. There are several filters for color and monochrome images, color correction, deskewing, four-point calibration, correction of linear and non-linear image distortions using the calibration procedure, crop, image resolution modification, rotation, and image resizing.
Color Separation and Binarization of Color Images
Color and grayscale images can be converted to several monochrome layers, for editing or raster to vector conversion. The new version of RxAutoImage for AutoCAD has tools to create raster objects by rasterizing vector objects to color, grayscale and monochrome raster, and merge monochrome raster images with color ones.
Raster Object Selection and Editing
The enhanced technology of the Intelligent Object Selection allow the creation of selection sets by means of AutoCAD-like tools – by picking a point; inside rectangular or polygonal areas; by crossed rectangle or polygon, by crossed line, etc.
Object snapping for raster objects is available in RxAutoImage for AutoCAD. It has the same look and feel of the AutoCAD OSNAP command. The current active snapping method is displayed as a pop-up marker at the center of the AutoCAD crosshair cursor. It is possible to combine several raster object-snapping methods together.
RxAutoImage for AutoCAD searches for vector and raster symbols (predefined sets of raster or vector objects) and replaces them with other predefined raster or vector objects.
Raster-to-Vector Conversion
RxAutoImage for AutoCAD recognizes and converts to AutoCAD vector objects, raster lines, arcs, circles, polylines, symbols, text and hatches. Raster to vector conversion is possible using either tracing or automatic raster to vector conversion.
Tracing (Interactive Raster-to-Vector Conversion)
To convert a raster symbol, line, arc or circle to a vector object it is necessary to pick a point on the source raster object. There are several options for how to treat the source raster object – to delete or to keep it. To convert raster hatching to a vector object it has to be crossed by a selection line. Arbitrary curves are converted to AutoCAD polylines. A color and grayscale image has a reduced set of primitives to convert to vector. They are: polylines, lines, arcs and circles.
RxSpotlight is the Windows-based solution for Raster Editing and Raster to Vector Conversion
RxSpotlight for Windows is the next generation of raster and hybrid editing software. Today most drawing information is stored on paper or aperture cards. By using scanning technology in combination with RxSpotlight for Windows, you can edit your drawings directly without having to convert them to a CAD format. RxSpotlight for Windows is an advanced program for raster, vector and hybrid editing, and raster-to-vector conversion of scanned raster images.
RxSpotlight for Windows is recognized for its superior editing and cleanup tools outside the CAD environment. RxSpotlight for Windows introduces true CAD-style editing of complex raster images. RxSpotlight for Windows is optimized for Windows 98/NT/2000/ME/XP/Vista and comes with many new and improved features.
Explore the power of superior raster editing tools!
The first true hybrid drawing editor and powerful raster-to-vector converter for any type of graphics: color, grayscale and monochrome.
RxSpotlight for Windows is a powerful hybrid drawing editor and raster to vector converter. Using RxSpotlight for Windows, you can edit, update and semi-automatically and automatically convert to vectors scanned maps, drawings, sketches and other graphics.
Hybrid drawings consist of a monochrome, grayscale and color raster images overlaid with vector elements. Multiple raster images can be loaded, and the number of raster images handled simultaneously is unlimited. RxSpotlight for Windows supports most raster formats.
Raster object selection in RxSpotlight for Windows makes raster editing as easy as vector editing.
Using RxSpotlight for Windows, conversion of raster lines into vector objects is simple. You can also opt to delete the original raster. Deleting an original raster line, arc, or circle does not destroy the continuity of any intersecting raster lines.
You can create raster copies of vector objects and add them to the raster image.
Clean up of raster noise is carried out using a selection of filters including: smoothing, thickening and thinning, speckle removing and hole filling.
Vector objects are created and edited using a selection of tools. Vector drawings can be imported into Spotlight or exported to AutoCAD DWG or DXF file format.
Raster Objects and Hybrid Graphics
Raster Object Selection enables you to select raster lines, arcs, circles using tools similar to those for vector selection (selecting by picking, window, polygon, fence, etc.).
Now this technology has been improved even more. A raster object selected by any object method, now has “grips”, which allows you to modify its configuration, and it has a set of modifiable properties similar to those of vector objects – line style, width, etc. Prior to the latest RxSpotlight for Windows version, only vector objects had such properties. Now the program treats raster and vector graphics in the same way – for true “hybrid” graphics.
Unlimited Workspace
The RxSpotlight for Windows workspace used to represent a set of raster files and a vector drawing linked through the file-workspace, containing a set of references. Now you can create a workspace as an integrated file containing both raster and vector objects. In the new version the workspace “is unlimited”- a raster image of any size can be always inserted into the current workspace. All RxSpotlight for Windows objects have a Z-value (Elevation) and a sequence order. The capability of saving a RxSpotlight for Windows workspace to the *.DWG format preserves this data. RxSpotlight for Windows uses a modern multi-document (MDI) interface that allows you to work with several workspaces simultaneously.
Working with color and grayscale raster images
You can crop color and grayscale raster images, change their resolution and scale, deskew them, and eliminate linear and nonlinear deformations using the calibration procedure. You can change brightness, contrast, hue and saturation, and adjust the color gamut of an image using a histogram, improve image quality, or apply a set of color filters (Blur, Unsharp Mask, Median). You can draw on these images and create raster objects by rasterizing vector objects to color raster, and merge monochrome raster images with color ones. The new versions now have functions that before were only applicable to monochrome raster images: for example, tracing (semi-automatic interactive raster-to-vector conversion) color and grayscale images.
New capabilities of semi-automatic raster-to-vector conversion (tracing)
In addition to simple graphic object tracing the new version can now trace raster shapes that correspond to vector templates. You just need to select a raster shape, and the program will try to recognize it and match it to an appropriate vector object – a sample from the loaded library – symbolic notations on scanned electrical circuits and process charts, maps, etc.
A significant enhancement to the polyline tracing is the new auto-detection of direction at intersections.. If you have not chosen a direction during a specified waiting interval, the program will continue tracing in the automatically defined direction by itself.