SOLIDWORKS: From PDF to 3D Model

Do you have a PDF of a drawing that you would like bring in to SOLIDWORKS? Perhaps you have legacy data or client information that you need to convert to 3D, and all you have is a PDF. If you could just bring that information into SOLIDWORKS...it would save you a lot of time, and that would be awesome! In this Blog you will learn a mind-blowing yet simple technique that will save you time going from PDF to 3D in SOLIDWORKS!

We have several newer videos that show reverse engineering from a sketch picture. This workflow also works for a screenshot of a PDF drawing.

Reverse Engineering from a Picture

Sketch Pictures and Style Splines

Autotrace (Automatic trace method)

[hawkridgesystems]

To fill in some of the missing steps of this video, here are some other resources you may want to check out:

Reverse Engineering from a Picture

Sketch Pictures and Style Splines

Autotrace (Automatic trace method for images)

[badmoney]

I love ho he went from an image to a complete surfaced 3D model in 2 seconds and explained nothing of the process of getting there which should have been the main subject of this video according to its title.

[sarveshpandey]

But we have to redraw each line again .is it true???

[timbreraguitars]

I AM DIFFICULTY TO MAKE ARMREST AND REPAIX THE BACK. CAN YOU HELP ME?

[harvijaysinhgraj]

I search many people made part from sketch. But I Can't can you make Video on it. How to made part like Awm Sniper, Car etc. I try but Not Happened. So Which steps i have to follow.

[nearth]

Excellent! Thanks for that awesome vid.

[wasi]

You skip very important and dificalt part of sketch. Tracing is not easy. Not every pdf can be traced. Not every pdf can be easly converted to 3d. Could you show us how u traced it.

[JohnAndrewMetza]

I am sorry, but you skipped a few steps. Students can be tripped up by a missed step or poor explanation. You have to know your audience before constructing a lecture. For example, you created a new part and a sketch on the front plane. Then magically there is a button on the toolbar called sketch picture and you click it. If someone doesn't know how to use the sketch picture tool, they probably won't have this icon on their toolbar as it is not loaded by default. If you would've taken 30 seconds show how to add this icon you probably could've saved a lot of time of 15K people trying to find this tool.

[muhammedyuce]

Its not redesing its just stole someone desing and not honorable