Discussion: GeoPDF --» EPS --» DXF --» OCAD?

I'm creating a quick map for a community event.

I downloaded a 7.5-minute quad in "GeoPDF" format. (It has a 10-foot contour interval -- good enough for what I'm working on). I used Adobe Acrobat Pro to export the GeoPDF's contour layer to EPS format, then I used the "pstoedit" utility to covert the EPS file to DXF format, which OCAD can import.

BUT -- I'm totally confused by the options in OCAD's Import dialog. Specifically, the scale option (should it be the scale of the original map, 1:24,000, or the scale of the map I'm creating, 1:10,000?), and the last option about units (it says "___ per mm", or something like that...).

Does anyone have any pointers for the DXF import process? I've experimented with different settings, read the OCAD help file, and googled a bit, but I can't seem to figure it out...

(I'm using version 9 of OCAD, BTW.)

Map scale - the scale of your map, not the original.

Units - it's asking you how to translate the coordinates of your data to coordinates that OCAD can understand. Do you know what coordinates your original map was in? If it's something like (39.975833, -105.143889), ie. degrees, then you're going to have to convert it to something OCAD can handle or use the coordinates options down the bottom to rescale it...someone else may have a better idea on this one, but try selecting 'Other' and using a figure of 86,500,000 (approx. width of 1° in Colorado? Dodgy++)

If your coordinates are more like (487713 4425085) then leave it set to "GIS (1m/unit)".

The first thing that may trip you up is that it'll import it to coordinates that may not match what you're looking at - click the 'Entire Map' button to make sure you're looking at whatever it's imported.

If all else fails, send me the file to the addy in my profile and I'll have a look. :)

addy is Australian for "neighbourhood"

IN this part of Australia it is short for the Bendigo Advertiser.

THANK YOU, Juffy! I'll give that a try.