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Softcover Ships Scan2CAD v7.5 for Raster to Vector Conversion

CAMBRIDGE, England. April 19, 2006 - Softcover International, a supplier of advanced professional vectorization software, today announced the release of Scan2CAD v7.5 for automatically converting scanned paper drawings into DXF files for editing in any PC CAD program.

Scan2CAD v7.5 is a three-in-one solution for the scanning, raster editing and raster to vector conversion of technical drawings and diagrams, schematics, maps, site plans, sketches, artwork and CNC profiles. It converts monochrome (1-bit), grayscale (8-bit) and color (24-bit) raster images into monochrome or color DXF files for export to any PC CAD, CNC, or GIS, etc, design-type program.

Scan2CAD v7.5 now allows a raster image to be included with the DXF file as an attachment in a user-specified color. If the DXF file is opened in a CAD program that can accept attached raster images, like AutoCAD LT, etc, the DXF and raster image files will open correctly overlaid. This provides CAD users with a convenient raster background for editing Scan2CAD's vectors against and or tracing-over the image in CAD.

Scan2CAD v7.5 opens all popular raster file types, like .BMP, .CAL, .JPG, .PNG and .TIF, etc. It will open all sizes of scanned images, from a postage stamp or smaller up to A0 / E-size or larger. Images can be acquired via a TWAIN interface from scanners like the 36" Contex Hawk-Eye, etc, or directly via dedicated drivers that support professional large format scanners, like the new 40" Colortrac SmartLF Cx 40.

Scan2CAD v7.5's scanning is supported with Simple and Adaptive Thresholding integrated as a standard raster editing tool. Thresholding automatically cleans dirty raster backgrounds while at the same time strengthening the foreground drawing detail. Drawings which are cleaned and strengthened with thresholding offer the user the prospect of much better vectorization results. Scan2CAD v7.5 is one of the first raster to vector converters to offer this indispensable raster clean-up tool as a preparatory aid to enhanced conversion quality.

Among Scan2CAD v7.5's usability improvements are new preview window dialogs that allow the user to see in detail the effect of a raster editing function on all or part of an image. The new preview windows have full zoom and pan support and a positioning mini-Birdseye View. Following requests from AutoCAD users standard AutoCAD-style mouse scroll-wheel support for zoom and pan actions is also included.

The new preview window dialogs make the process of removing speckles, filling holes, thickening lines, etc, and enhancing images using Simple and Adaptive Thresholding quicker and more intuitive. For example, by moving a slider bar small speckles followed by increasingly larger ones can be seen to dynamically disappear from the raster image within the Despeckle preview window dialog. Once the required editing effect is achieved the slider bar setting can be applied to the entire raster image or just a part of it.

Straightforward color reduction of technical drawings, maps and artwork is another benefit of the new preview window dialogs. Since 1999 Scan2CAD v5 users have been able to automatically reduce 16.7m color images down to 256, then reduce them further using an automatic or user-defined process. User-defined color reduction had to be done within the confines of the Color Palette. In Scan2CAD v7.5 users can now select multiple colors directly from a 256 or less color image displayed within the new Reduce Colors preview window dialog. By taking colors from the "real world" Scan2CAD v7.5's color selection and reduction is made more accurate and more flexible, as well as faster and easier.

In a well scanned and clean image Scan2CAD will recognize lines, including arrow lines, continuous and dashed lines, lined hatch patterns at different angles, arcs, circles, Bezier curves and text (OCR) where the individual characters are clear and separated and in the same orientation. Scan2CAD v7.5 also offers an OCR font training capability based on neural network artificial intelligence.

Scan2CAD v7.5's core raster to vector conversion capability sees improved arc, circle and Bezier curve recognition. In particular, it now has more accurate recognition of shallow, almost flat curves, like those found on the wings and fuselages of aircraft and the hulls of ships.

Scan2CAD v7.5 can be automated to tidy-up the contents of a folder of dirty raster images and or vectorize them. It can do this as a Batch Run or using a more powerful, updated command line option which now has the ability to automatically Deskew or rotate raster images. New keyboard shortcut keys have been added to make Scan2CAD quicker and more productive to use, largely as a result of user feedback.

Scan2CAD v7.5 also includes a multiple raster and vector editing Undo capability.

The program is available with an optional CD and a comprehensive 342 page manual.

All of Scan2CAD v7.5's raster editing features are available for FREE in the evaluation version. The restriction in the evaluation version is that only part of the vectorized image can be saved and exported as DXF. Attached raster images will be exported in full. The Scan2CAD evaluation version is therefore a handy, free raster editing program with the ability to attach and export a raster image within a DXF file to PC CAD programs, like AutoCAD LT, etc.

Among Scan2CAD's users are 1000s of professionals AEC and electro-mechanical design SMEs and multi-nationals. The new St Louis Zoo sculpture designed by the renowned US metal sculptor, Albert Paley, shows the application of Scan2CAD in art and CNC.

"Properly used new Scan2CAD v7.5 is fully capable of challenging more expensive products to an automatic raster to vector conversion quality shoot-out! Recent multiple copy sales successes in the US and the UK and elsewhere indicate that when discerning AEC, CAD, IT and FM professionals look for price and performance in an automatic raster to vector converter Scan2CAD is an obvious choice. It does exactly what they want at a multiple copy price that's easy to justify. It offers strong, best-of-class scanning, raster editing and raster to vector conversion benefits at a price that's attractive to both SME's and corporates", said Steve Hannath, marketing director of Softcover.

About Softcover International Limited

Softcover International Limited are leaders in professional raster editing and raster to vector conversion. Founded in 1991, Softcover is based in Cambridge, England, a region of British excellence in science and technology. With Scan2CAD in its 10th year of consistent software development Softcover have prospered without charging exorbitant prices for a product that is as good as and often better than products that cost more. Softcover's award-winning Scan2CAD is used in over 80 countries worldwide by architects, engineers, surveyors, manufacturers, etc, and by governments, local authorities, the United Nations, NASA and many Fortune 1000 and Blue Chip companies.

www.softcover.com

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