Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
DIGITIZERS ON AUTOCAD FOR THE MAC
Digitizers are not supported in AutoCAD for Mac.
Importing a Raster Image
If you have a scanner and you'd like to use it to import drawings and other images into
AutoCAD, you can take advantage of AutoCAD's ability to import raster images. There are
many reasons you may want to import a scanned image. In architectural plans, a vicinity map
is frequently used to show the location of a project. With the permission of its creator, you can
scan a map into AutoCAD and incorporate it into a cover sheet. That cover sheet can also con-
tain other images, such as photographs of the site, computer renderings and elevations of the
project, and company logos. In architectural projects, scans of older drawings can be used as
backgrounds for renovation work. This can be especially useful for historical buildings where
the building's owner wishes to keep the original architectural detail.
Another reason for importing a scanned image is to use the image as a reference to trace
over. You can trace a drawing with greater accuracy by using a scanned image. Now that the
price of a scanner has fallen below $100, it has become a cost-effective tool for creating a wide
variety of graphic material. In this section, you'll learn fi rsthand how you can import an image
as a background for tracing.
Choose Tools
Palettes
Reference Manager on the menu bar, or press
-7 to open the
Reference Manager palette (Figure 13.1), which lets you import a full range of raster image fi les.
FIGURE 13.1
The Reference
Manager palette
allows you to
import raster
images.
