Exploding PDFs

[RickR]

Is this broken?

For years I imported PDFs and exploded them to get plain lines and text, from vector based files. Now I just get a rectangle, even with PDFs I create myself.

Are there alternatives beyond more pricey software?

[EAlexander]

Hi,

Not sure what the issue is, but just reporting that it is working as expected over here.

e.

[Benson Shaw]

@Rick - I think the process changed. It used to be: Import the pdf, Convert to Group, Ungroup to see the elements (Did I remember that correctly?) In recent versions that Convert to Group step creates a blank rectangle, so don't do that.

Following process works on MacOS, not sure about Win: Import a pdf or drag and drop (result is a PDF Page object), then Ungroup (result is a Group). If original pdf contained vector info, the group will contain several items including the vector info.

A pdf containing say, a text block and a green rectangle will import to vwx as a Pdf Page. Ungroup yields a stack of 3 objects:

• a blank rectangle with white fill.

•a bitmap displaying the green square and text. Bitmap has white fill in my tests.

•a group, containing a group containing:

•2 coincident vector squares - one is generated by the perimeter, the other is generated by the fill. Both will probably have white fill. Sorry, no green.

I can Copy/Paste text from pdf to vwx, but import pdf>ungroup always yields rasterized text on a bitmap. May be font related. I tried Arial and Helvetica, not others.

-B

-B

[SamIWas]

Is this broken?

For years I imported PDFs and exploded them to get plain lines and text, from vector based files. Now I just get a rectangle, even with PDFs I create myself.

Are there alternatives beyond more pricey software?

I don't remember getting text from exploded pdfs unless the text was changed to polyline in the original document.

[PVA - Admin]

It depends where the PDF came from and what was included, rasterized PDFs will give you just an image, vector/raster combo PDFs will give you linework as well as the image but no text and I think there is a third kind that includes everything as well as text but I havent found a method of determining which files are what type. Likely something like Photoshop or Illustrator could ID that PDF content but thats just a guess.

[RickR]

Got it, just Un-Group not Convert or other stuff. Now I feel silly.

Jim - I've noticed that if 'Snap to Geometry' works then you have vectors. Otherwise I just look for scanning artifacts. Nothing in the document properties seems to say.

[PVA - Admin]

Jim - I've noticed that if 'Snap to Geometry' works then you have vectors.

Correct. It will light up if it sees ANY vectors though, even if its only the partial geometry like in this example from the other related thread:

https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=226727#Post226482

I'm trying to find a way for it to be a bit more informative.