[GRASS-user] Getting vectors from postscript files

GRASS GRASS user
1

I have a large and layered PDF map which I'd like to get into Grass-GIS, preferably without tracing the vectors by hand - there are hundreds!

I've been looking at various ways to extract the vectors - in particular using tools like pdf2ps, pstoedit and fig2dev - to try and get the data into some kind of usable format. However, the best I can seem to do is to get an SVG (scalable vector graphics) file that contains the relevant vectors.

Is there a tool that will let me import vectors from either PDF, PS, or SVG into Grass-GIS?

Richard Chirgwin

2

Richard Chirgwin wrote:

I have a large and layered PDF map which I'd like to get into Grass-GIS,
preferably without tracing the vectors by hand - there are hundreds!

I've been looking at various ways to extract the vectors - in particular
using tools like pdf2ps, pstoedit and fig2dev - to try and get the data
into some kind of usable format. However, the best I can seem to do is
to get an SVG (scalable vector graphics) file that contains the relevant
vectors.

Is there a tool that will let me import vectors from either PDF, PS, or
SVG into Grass-GIS?

CorelDraw can convert import SVG and export DXF, which can be read
with v.in.ogr.

Inkscape is supposed to be getting DXF export, but I don't know the
current state of progress.

--
Glynn Clements <glynn@gclements.plus.com>

3

Glynn Clements wrote:

Richard Chirgwin wrote:

I have a large and layered PDF map which I'd like to get into Grass-GIS, preferably without tracing the vectors by hand - there are hundreds!

I've been looking at various ways to extract the vectors - in particular using tools like pdf2ps, pstoedit and fig2dev - to try and get the data into some kind of usable format. However, the best I can seem to do is to get an SVG (scalable vector graphics) file that contains the relevant vectors.

Is there a tool that will let me import vectors from either PDF, PS, or SVG into Grass-GIS?
    
CorelDraw can convert import SVG and export DXF, which can be read
with v.in.ogr.

Inkscape is supposed to be getting DXF export, but I don't know the
current state of progress.

Thanks Glynn - Since I'm a Linux user, I'll have to try and wrangle Inkscape ... Its main problem at the moment is that the SVG is too big for it, so I need to figure out some way to slice up the image beforehand.

Cheers,
Richard

4

On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 11:44 PM, Richard Chirgwin
<rchirgwin@ozemail.com.au> wrote:

I have a large and layered PDF map which I'd like to get into Grass-GIS,
preferably without tracing the vectors by hand - there are hundreds!

I've been looking at various ways to extract the vectors - in particular
using tools like pdf2ps, pstoedit and fig2dev - to try and get the data into
some kind of usable format. However, the best I can seem to do is to get an
SVG (scalable vector graphics) file that contains the relevant vectors.

Is there a tool that will let me import vectors from either PDF, PS, or SVG
into Grass-GIS?

In the past I had some success with pstoedit:

http://www.pstoedit.net/pstoedit/

pstoedit -f dxf mapfile.eps mapfile.dxf

Fails for you? Possibly (don't remember), I used ps2eps (written by
Roland Bless [1])
to generate EPS from PS first.

Markus

[1] http://www.tm.uka.de/~bless/ps2eps

5

Markus Neteler wrote:

On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 11:44 PM, Richard Chirgwin
<rchirgwin@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
  

I have a large and layered PDF map which I'd like to get into Grass-GIS,
preferably without tracing the vectors by hand - there are hundreds!

I've been looking at various ways to extract the vectors - in particular
using tools like pdf2ps, pstoedit and fig2dev - to try and get the data into
some kind of usable format. However, the best I can seem to do is to get an
SVG (scalable vector graphics) file that contains the relevant vectors.

Is there a tool that will let me import vectors from either PDF, PS, or SVG
into Grass-GIS?
    
In the past I had some success with pstoedit:

http://www.pstoedit.net/pstoedit/

pstoedit -f dxf mapfile.eps mapfile.dxf

Fails for you? Possibly (don't remember), I used ps2eps (written by
Roland Bless [1])
to generate EPS from PS first.

Markus

[1] http://www.tm.uka.de/~bless/ps2eps

Markus - Thanks! Works brilliantly ... now I just have to work out how to just get the vectors I want, and life is going to be good ...

Cheers,
Richard Chirgwin