I'd appreciate any help folks can give me.
It took me what seemed like hours to create my main layout track plan in mimic panel form, the intention being to put it onto a memory stick, take it to a stationer's in town and get them to print me 2 or 3 copies on A1 paper.
However, I was so tired by the time I'd done it I saved it as a jpeg in error, and the only way I could get it onto the forum was to make it a .png file.
I'm not sure what a stationer would need in the way of a file - maybe a PDF? :dunce:
Could anyone convert the file below to such a thing please?
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/62/264-150318095152-629412220.png)
The upshot could help me in this endeavour...............
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39156.msg497384#msg497384 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39156.msg497384#msg497384)
:thankyousign:
Load it into windows paint and save as pdf ( there is a drop down box to select file types
Send me an email and I'll send it
Nrobinson att cix dot co dot uk
Quote from: Railwaygun on March 15, 2018, 10:56:48 AM
Load it into windows paint and save as pdf ( there is a drop down box to select file types
Send me an email and I'll send it
Nrobinson att cix dot co dot uk
Thanks Nick.
On my steam driven laptop there is no option from 'Paint' to pdf so I'll mail it you
I'm trying to get it to full screen but my pooter skills are on a par with my electrickery ones :-[
If you download the free version of CutePDF it installs a printer driver that enables you to select PDF as the 'printer', so you can print to a pdf file.
Have you checked they actually want a PDF? Png/JPG may be fine...?
Agreed, I'd be amazed if a printer couldn't handle a PNG! They may prefer an image to a PDF anyway if they have to resize it at all...
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 10:51:37 AM
I'm not sure what a stationer would need in the way of a file - maybe a PDF? :dunce:
The clue lies in that bit, chaps. Until I get into town with something on a memory stick I don't know what format they'd want. It's not likely to be until next week anyway as I have nothing else to go for.
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 08:19:36 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 10:51:37 AM
I'm not sure what a stationer would need in the way of a file - maybe a PDF? :dunce:
The clue lies in that bit, chaps. Until I get into town with something on a memory stick I don't know what format they'd want. It's not likely to be until next week anyway as I have nothing else to go for.
I would put your jpeg on , as well as your png , and if I can upload them, my PDFs wot I have just made !
BUT
the picture you posted of your track plan is very small in pixels surrounded by quite a large white area, do you want that white included as well.
A very small picture like that when blown up to A1 I would guess is going to be very fuzzy. A1 is huge! nearly 2ft by 3ft is that what you want ?
PS I think I have uploaded jpeg to the forum in the past, certainly it takes jpg which is the same thing so you shouldnt need to convert it to png.
A problem of converting pictures between formats jpeg -> png-> pdf can cause loss of original printout size information.
So you would need to check that out with your print people, might take quite a few A1 runs (at cost?) to get it sorted out.
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 08:29:55 PM
BUT
the picture you posted of your track plan is very small in pixels surrounded by quite a large white area, do you want that white included as well.
A very small picture like that when blown up to A! I would guess is going to be very fuzzy. A1 is huge! nearly 2ft by 3ft is that what you want ?
I am trying to end up with the track plan filling the screen but my computer skills are virtually non existent. Firstly I tried to attach the file to a post but the forum will only accept pdf attachments, so I had to upload what I'd saved (badly) as a photo into my gallery.
I don't want all that white area and I don't want it fuzzy. The size of A1 is also under discussion here....
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39156.msg497448#msg497448 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=39156.msg497448#msg497448)
Sorry, but I'm seeking help/advice on 2 fronts at present - computer and DC wiring
The diagonal lines in the panel diagram haven't come out very smooth? Rather than using Paint to draw things like this, use something which uses vector graphics and saves the details of the shapes and lines used. You can then go back and edit the design, resize and move things around whenever you need to. You'll get better smoother graphics this way especially if you find you need to resize to get the best quality print for your control panel. You can then render the image at whatever size you need.
I've always used Visio for this sort of thing (control panels, wiring diagrams etc.) Recently in my office we've been using Draw IO which works in a similar way to Visio and is free.
https://www.draw.io/ (https://www.draw.io/)
As far as a printing house is concerned there's no advantage in saving the image into a PDF. For rendering the image, you may find GIF or PNG formats are better than JPEG for something which is a diagram rather than a photo (the latter being a "lossy" format which looses quality and definition)
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 08:42:57 PM
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 08:29:55 PM
BUT
the picture you posted of your track plan is very small in pixels surrounded by quite a large white area, do you want that white included as well.
A very small picture like that when blown up to A! I would guess is going to be very fuzzy. A1 is huge! nearly 2ft by 3ft is that what you want ?
I am trying to end up with the track plan filling the screen but my computer skills are virtually non existent. Firstly I tried to attach the file to a post but the forum will only accept pdf attachments, so I had to upload what I'd saved (badly) as a photo into my gallery.
I don't want all that white area and I don't want it fuzzy.
Sorry for the delay, bit of domestic intervened!
You didnt need to convert your jpeg to png to do it via the gallery.
Ok I have deleted the white and put it in a pdf
Do you have an ordinary A4 printer to practice these dark arts on before you spend money in town?
Quote from: ntpntpntp on March 15, 2018, 09:08:18 PM
find GIF or PNG formats are better than JPEG for something which is a diagram rather than a photo (the latter being a "lossy" format which looses quality and definition)
Yes, agree, jpg/jpeg very bad !
Trouble is we cant recover that and no way of fixing the fuzz for A1 :(
Thanks, but as a 6 year old probably has better skills than me you lost me after 'Rather......'
I will try the 'draw.io' and see if I can get it. It took me long enough to use SCARM (I can't understand Anyrail) and I'm still getting used to doing things in 'Paint'
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 09:14:06 PM
You didnt need to convert your jpeg to png to do it via the gallery.
Ok I have deleted the white and put it in a pdf
Do you have an ordinary A4 printer to practice these dark arts on before you spend money in town?
I do, Malcolm. I have an Epson inkjet
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 09:18:59 PM
SCARM (I can't understand Anyrail) and I'm still getting used to doing things in 'Paint'
I do, Malcolm. I have an Epson inkjet
You could have used SCARM to do it and saved the plan as a BMP lossless picture (BMP ? not sure what the latest versions can do )
Good on the epson, so see how you get on with printing your orig jpeg and if you dare ! my PDF :)
tother way of doing it is to chop it up into A4 bits to make a composite A3 or A2 and see how much fuzz sneaks in.
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 09:25:41 PM
You could have used SCARM to do it and saved the plan as a BMP lossless picture (BMP ? not sure what the latest versions can do )
I can't see how to do that in SCARM, Malcolm, as I just wanted straight lines not trackage. The idea is to use the plan to place studs, switches etc on the control plan.
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 09:25:41 PM
Good on the epson, so see how you get on with printing your orig jpeg and if you dare ! my PDF :)
tother way of doing it is to chop it up into A4 bits to make a composite A3 or A2 and see how much fuzz sneaks in.
The A4 print off of your pdf is pretty damned good and not too fuzzy at all. :thankyousign:
I can accept a certain amount of fuzziness as I can use 3mm pinstriping tape to cover the lines if necessary, but I'm starting to feel as if A1 might be pushing things too far and thus I may have to have more than one control panel :uneasy:
The last bit about chopping things up is just totally beyond me :dunce:
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 09:33:33 PM
can use 3mm pinstriping tape to cover the lines if necessary,
The last bit about chopping things up is just totally beyond me :dunce:
I nearly suggested doing it with tape ( me being not expert in modelling ! ) but didnt dare post ! LOL!
courage mon brave, I am sure you could chop ! but if not I can probably volunteer someone here on the forum to do it for us :) :)
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 09:40:06 PM
I nearly suggested doing it with tape ( me being not expert in modelling ! ) but didnt dare post ! LOL!
I'd need something to follow when laying the tape or I'm bound to make a right pig's ear of things ::)
To save your track plan from scarm to jpg or bitmap etc. select File (top left) then export and choose the type from the drop down list it may also give options as to resolution I can't remember now.
Just checked scarm it gives option for jpg bitmap and emf files no option to change resolution.
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 09:43:26 PMI'd need something to follow when laying the tape or I'm bound to make a right pig's ear of things ::)
All becomes clear :) :thumbsup:
Ok, fingers xx, two PDFs and with a bit of a following wind one may be the left half and the other the well guess :) so they should go side by side to make an A3 ( we might have to get into landscape vs. portrait, do you know about they, if it all goes legs up on us. ! )
I suppose we stick with PDFs for now shall we? sort something else later praps
Mick I have a 3ft x 2ft slab of slate and a big 4" nail
:D
That's as far as my computer skills get me!!
If your happy with the look printed out at A4 have a look at https://rasterbator.net/ upload your image decide how many sheets of A4 you want the image to take up and download the resulting pdf which you then print out on your printer
Quote from: themadhippy on March 15, 2018, 10:35:02 PM
If your happy with the look printed out at A4 have a look at https://rasterbator.net/
Nice find ! but where is the fun
GIMP rules :)
is it just me or is that a bit of an unfortunate name ?
PS I know what rasters are, I once worked on a 405/626 converter in the days just before Beeb2 was born.
Quoteis it just me or is that a bit of an unfortunate name
from there faq's
QuoteThe name rhymes with...
Yeah, it does. We were young non-native English speakers back then and didn't realize how obvious it is especially to native speakers. So we're stuck - and ok - with it now.
Quote from: MalcolmAL on March 15, 2018, 09:40:06 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on March 15, 2018, 09:33:33 PM
can use 3mm pinstriping tape to cover the lines if necessary,
I nearly suggested doing it with tape ( me being not expert in modelling ! ) but didnt dare post ! LOL!
Pinstripe gets my vote!
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/62/5885-150318232900.jpeg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=62977)
Quote from: themadhippy on March 15, 2018, 11:23:31 PM
from there faq's
Thank you, pleased that it isnt just me. I dont think they are stuck with it, suggest to them a good publicity spree, with a mutual giggle on
their front page and change it to rastomiser , well it is free ? no prob
Is this of any help?
So, assuming all went well printing and stitching those two A4s side by side to produce an A3
here is a quad of A4 to make an A2
EDIT Oh well it would have been 4 but I am not allowed :(
Is it a per post limit or today or that's my lot ?
try again :
EDIT oh good !
EDIT2 assuming the A3 and A2 went well then I may be persuaded to do an 8fold way to an A1 2morrow
but for now a glass of amber nectar calls --- meanwhile someone might have stuffed it all into one of these other clever vector and/or rastor thingumies for you. :)
Thanks to everyone for their help, particularly MalcolmAl who solved the very first pdf problem and his subsequent fractions of the track plan.
@Big bad John (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=5248)
I'm well used to exporting SCARM to pdf and then pdf to Paint (if I need) but, as far as I know, SCARM does not allow a simple line drawing to create a mimic diagram, John.
@exmouthcraig (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=5099)
I sometimes feel I have ascended to that level ;D
@ntpntpntp (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=5885)
I'd like to use the tape to cover the lines on the plan so am not too bothered about fuzzy lines as long as they are no more than 6mm wide! (I thought the tape was 3mm but it's 6mm)
I think we have solved the computer issue for now and the consideration needs to be what size control panel is practical/manageable and this is in the DC wiring section.
Thanks again to everyone :beers:
Quote from: newportnobby on March 16, 2018, 10:11:42 AM
I think we have solved the computer issue for now
:thumbsup:
If you have any problems stitching the PDFs to you final size choice give me a shout and we can attack your original jpeg.
Then you can easily rotate or resize them to fit in your 'Paint' or similar picture prog.