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Embed Tif Without a Path or OLE

18 REPLIES 18
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Message 1 of 19
Acemon
2951 Views, 18 Replies

Embed Tif Without a Path or OLE

I want to embed a Tiff (raster image) in my drawing without using Attach, Xref or as an OLE object. I've done a fair amount of searching but haven't found the "correct" answer.

 

I'm using AutoCAD Map 3D 2012 on a company system. I create hybrid drawings by attaching a pdf or tiff but it requires a path to the graphic object, which makes things very difficult on a highly managed server system. If the drawing is moved to a different location, the image doesn't move with it and now the hybrid drawing is blank. As such, the image must be embedded without an external path.

 

I can't use etransmit. I can't use an OLE. I was told about IEMBED and I actually managed to make it work (once) but can't recreate it. I haven't been able to find a useful procedure or instructions for IEMBED.

 

I'm not a new AutoCAD user - been working with in for about 20 years - but this is a situation I haven't run into before and a command I can't seem to figure out.

 

Any help on embedding a raster image will be greatly appreciated.

18 REPLIES 18
Message 2 of 19
antoniovinci
in reply to: Acemon

No way, sir: Autocad is a vector based software, not a raster editor.

Given that OLE is never a good idea, because of the resulting size, put your imagery on the Lan server, or on a FTP one, then _MAPIINSERT it.

Message 3 of 19
Acemon
in reply to: Acemon

I might agree but I (somehow) made it work last Friday. Attached is a copy. The IEMBED command is supposed to be the correct method but I can't repeat the results.

 

I'm at a large company. The server configuration was created long before I was hired, so I can't change how the file management system works. Having an image file in the same folder as a cad drawing isn't an option. The powers that be know an xref'd drawing can be bound, so they want a tif or jpg attachment to work the same way.

Message 4 of 19
braudpat
in reply to: Acemon

 

Hello

 

Welcome to the Autodesk/AutoCAD forums !

 

+1 with Antonio

 

Eventualley you can put your JPG/PNG/TIF/ECW/SID files besides the Main DWG (in the same folder)

so it will be very easy to find it/them and move it/tehm WITH the Main DWG !

 

No problemo with XREFs, Images, etc, if they are ALL in the SAME folder ...

 

Bye, Pat

 

Patrice ( Supporting Troops ) - Autodesk Expert Elite
If you are happy with my answer please mark "Accept as Solution" and if very happy please give me a Kudos (Felicitations) - Thanks

Patrice BRAUD

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Message 5 of 19
Acemon
in reply to: braudpat

Unfortunately, that's not a option here. I cannot store an image file of pdf in the same location as the drawing itself. When drawings are distributed to engineers, the tif or pdf does not automatically move with them. The result is a blank drawing and an irritated engineer.

 

IEMBED is supposed to allow an image file to be embedded within a vector drawing. I was able to successfully embed a tif image on Friday but can't duplicate it today.

 

Take a look at the attached drawing. It has a raster image embedded within.

 

 

 

 

Message 6 of 19
antoniovinci
in reply to: Acemon

If you don't wanna load the image upon copy-and-pasting nor OLE technique, I think the best option is the FTP server.
As long as you have Internet access, the raster will be available always and everywhere.
Check the small attachment out, with a 4 Mpixel photo inside.

Message 7 of 19
Acemon
in reply to: antoniovinci

FTP server is not an option.

OLE is not an option.

Cut-n-paste with a path is not an option.

Internet access is not an option.

 

The image must be Embedded within the drawing. "IEMBED" is an AutoCAD command. I made it work once. Were you able to look at the sample I attached? If you look at the xref dialog box, you can see the image name and it shows the image is embedded.

 

Here is a link to a different discussion where users have been able to successfully embed a tiff (but are having other, non-embed related issues).

 

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/DWG-TrueView/Embedded-Tiff-Issue/td-p/2838977

 

Thanks

Message 8 of 19
braudpat
in reply to: Acemon

 

Hello from France

 

Image Embedded will expose you at many problem !

 

I have loaded your Test DWG and test it with a few French ACAD,

please try to select the image with yours ACADs then use the command LIST !

 

I freeze with MAP 2012 + SP2 , MAP 2013 + SP 2.1 , ACAD LT 2013 + SP2 , MAP 2014 + HotFix 1

 

FUN: French Software don't accept US Embedded Images !?

 

There is NO solution for me !!!

 

Good Luck, Bye, Pat

 

Patrice ( Supporting Troops ) - Autodesk Expert Elite
If you are happy with my answer please mark "Accept as Solution" and if very happy please give me a Kudos (Felicitations) - Thanks

Patrice BRAUD

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Message 9 of 19
Alfred.NESWADBA
in reply to: Acemon

Hi,

 

>> "IEMBED" is an AutoCAD command

Sorry no, it's a Raster-Design command, not an AutoCAD one.

 

>> I made it work once

SCNR: You told us now always "...not an option", but never described what is not working, what did the command area report when you start command _IEMBED? If you don't give us info's about what happens on your system we can't help as we don't see what you are typing, moving with the mouse, seeing on your screen, ...

BTW: why is _ETRANSMIT not an option?

 

And just to make sure about the command _IEMBED itself: you read the help-docu:

You can save bitonal images within a drawing to simplify file management.

So you don't get all raster-types into the drawing with that command!

 

>> FUN: French Software don't accept US Embedded Images !?

I guess it's not language depending, at least for me AutoCAD also crashes with AutoCAD 2014 English and same with Civil3D2014 German. I see that option a little bit unstable at all.

I even don't know what happens with plain AutoCAD (having Raster Design not installed/or the object enabler).

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS ... www.hollaus.at ... blog.hollaus.at ... CDay 2024
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(not an Autodesk consultant)
Message 10 of 19
braudpat
in reply to: Alfred.NESWADBA

 

Hello

 

+3 with Alfred

 

I crash too with ACAD Archi 2010 and with ACAD Civil 2011 !

 

Your object is :

                   Nom DXF:           AECIDBEMBEDDEDRASTERIMAGE
                   Nom de la classe:     AeciDbEmbeddedRasterImage
                   Nom de l'application: AECIIB
                   Autodesk Raster Design 2012

 

So with a Raster Design installed on ACAD, MAP, CIVIL, AA, etc, it would be OK

but almost NOBODY has Raster Design installed over AutoCAD Software !

 

Bye, Pat

 

Patrice ( Supporting Troops ) - Autodesk Expert Elite
If you are happy with my answer please mark "Accept as Solution" and if very happy please give me a Kudos (Felicitations) - Thanks

Patrice BRAUD

EESignature


Message 11 of 19
NateMoore
in reply to: Acemon

This could be the key bit to keep in mind from the help: "You can save bitonal images within a drawing to simplify file management."

 

If the image isn't bitonal, you can use IDEPTH to change it.



Nate Moore, GISP
Geospatial Premium Support Specialist
Global Services
Autodesk, Sarl
Message 12 of 19
Acemon
in reply to: Acemon

I appreciate the help and responses from all of you. Let me see if I can address some of the comments.

 

Etransmit won't work because it's an internal issue within the server configuration. As an example, if I create a hybrid drawing (using a command such as Attach), it creates a path within the drawing. That drawing is created on my local drive, which shows the path within my computer and my server allocation. When it is uploaded/transferred to the all-company user drive, the path is lost because I'm unable to load the image before everything gets uploaded. When other people try to open the document, the image is no longer attached. The company's work-around was to create a pdf and upload that to the server buut they want the functionality for others to open the actuall drawing. It's not the way I would do it, but it's what my boss and upper management want.

 

The image files themselve are monochrome, created when the original document (typically an old hard copy drawing) is scanned. I can take that image and open it in a viewer, such as Windows Photo Viewer, then do a right-click and copy the image to the clipboard. Another option is to open a pdf and export the image as a tif. Either way it's a black & white image.

 

I can take a tif and open it in Windows Paint, then copy and paste but the results are the same.

 

The message I see at the command line when I try to use IEMBED is "1 image(s) filtered out, 0 image{s} embedded". I'm unable to select anything.

 

Raster Design is an Autodesk product and should perform what we need. As I mentioned before, I was able to successfully embed one image but have not been able to replicate it. If I can do it once, I should be able to do it again.

 

I just tried IDEPTH on an existing tif and it virtually removed most of the image. Yuck.

 

Our I.T. department is going to re-install Raster Design this morning and see if it helps. If it doesn't, my boss and his boss will have to decide how to address our server issue. They were told Raster Design would do what they want and are annoyed that it doesn't. I'm just the guy at the computer and don't want to be blamed for issues I can't control.

 

Regardless, I'll keep trying and if/when I make it work, I'll post the results.

 

Thanks again to all.

Message 13 of 19
antoniovinci
in reply to: Acemon


Acemon wrote:
if I create a hybrid drawing (using a command such as Attach), it creates a path within the drawing..

Click on TRANSMITTAL SETUPS in the Etransmit window, then MODIFY, finally PLACE ALL FILES IN ONE FOLDER...

Message 14 of 19
Alfred.NESWADBA
in reply to: Acemon

Hi,

 

>> when I try to use IEMBED is "1 image(s) filtered out, 0 image{s} embedded"

Then the raster-file you inserted is not a one-bit bitonal file.

Show us one of the files that does not work, that show that message during _IEMBED.

 

>> I'm just the guy at the computer and don't want to be blamed for issues I can't control.

Nobody is blamed here in the thread. But you got tips for how other would work and the way you (your company!) decide to work is not a usual one (and has limitations like you currently see). So if you speak with your boss(es) thing about using _IMAGE or _MAPIINSERT to reference the raster-files and set the path ("relative" or "absolute") that fits better to your needs. I guess more than 80% have their rasterfiles in ohter folders than the drawings, but archiving a project directory is then only a definition of "move whole folder" and a defined structure of where dwg's are and where rasterfiles are ... so that the relative path is also valid after archiving/moving the project folder.

And to get it to the customer ==> _:ETRANSMIT is built exactly for that issue, to transfer also files that are referenced in my master-dwg.

Again, please don't see that as blaming, it's just the way how most people work (with success).

 

Good luck, - alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS ... www.hollaus.at ... blog.hollaus.at ... CDay 2024
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(not an Autodesk consultant)
Message 15 of 19
Acemon
in reply to: Alfred.NESWADBA

I never saw or felt any blame here, just people being helpful and offering suggestions. It's merely my boss (a very nice guy) who will be irritated that I can't do what others told him was possible.

 

I'll show him the results and offer different options and let him make the choice. He's the knight - I'm merely the squire.

 

Again, I appreciate all of the help and the time expended by others to help resolve this vexing problem.

 

-Ace-

 

Message 16 of 19
dgorsman
in reply to: Acemon

If he wants a better explanation of why it can't be done, have him try to play a BluRay disc in a DVD player.  While you might be able to hack something together to get the DVD player to read the data, ultimately its not designed to operate that way and its far easier to just use a DVD.

 

Sometimes you just need to accept the software has a specific work process and you need to work within those bounds.  Its one of the harder things to present to managers who aren't technically adept.

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 17 of 19
braudpat
in reply to: dgorsman

 

Hello

 

For dgorsman : I appreciate very much your Humour !

 

Bye, Pat

 

Patrice ( Supporting Troops ) - Autodesk Expert Elite
If you are happy with my answer please mark "Accept as Solution" and if very happy please give me a Kudos (Felicitations) - Thanks

Patrice BRAUD

EESignature


Message 18 of 19
jedenton
in reply to: braudpat

late post,,,,try making a new layer 'tif' and the color white, put your .tif file on this layer...when u do the iembed command it should not say there was any filtered out,,,,just one embedded...if it does delete the .tif and check ur xref manager and detach...start over inserting .tif file and put on tif layer,,iembed should work then.

Message 19 of 19
jedenton
in reply to: Acemon

late post,,,,try making a new layer 'tif' and the color white, put your .tif file on this layer...when u do the iembed command it should not say there was any filtered out,,,,just one embedded...if it does, delete the .tif and check ur xref manager and detach...start over inserting .tif file and put on tif layer,,iembed should work then.

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