CadLapPDF to CAD conversion for survey documents
Tracing a scanned plat produces a picture; entering it produces a survey. We rebuild record plats, filed maps and old surveys as layered DWGs by keying in the record bearings, distances and curve data, so the geometry closes and can be rotated onto your field work.
| Source | PDF, scan, photo or paper original of the plat, survey or record map |
|---|---|
| Purpose | What the redraw is for: base for retracement, exhibit, archive, client request |
| Your standards | Layer standard and template if the output should match your office files |
| Drawing | Layered DWG with boundary geometry entered from the record calls, not traced |
|---|---|
| Closure | Closure report on the entered geometry; discrepancies in the record flagged |
| Fidelity | Text, tables and notes re-typed, not image-pasted; symbols rebuilt as blocks |
| Plot | PDF matching the original's layout where wanted |
Entered, not traced
Raster tracing is fine for pictures and useless for boundaries. Our redraws key in every bearing, distance and curve from the record document, then close the figure. When the record itself does not close, and old plats often do not, you get the misclosure stated and the suspect call identified, which is exactly the information a retracement needs.
Where the document is degraded, OCR output is verified by a human against the image character by character for the calls that matter. A 3 that became an 8 in a distance is the whole job gone wrong, so that verification is never skipped.
Batch archive conversion
Firms sitting on decades of paper use us to convert archives in scheduled batches, priced per document class rather than per surprise. Converted files are named and layered to your filing convention so the archive is usable, not just digital.
Turnaround and confidentiality
Production runs overnight US time. Standard jobs return within 24 hours and larger scopes within 24 to 48 hours; we confirm the window for each job before starting. Your projects are processed under job numbers inside a controlled environment, and nothing you send is reused or shown to anyone else. How we handle your data.
Common questions
Can you convert handwritten or poor-quality scans?
Usually, yes. Degraded documents take longer because every call is human-verified against the image. If a value is genuinely illegible we mark it as such on the drawing rather than inventing it.
Do you georeference the redraw?
On request. The entered geometry can be rotated and translated onto your coordinate basis or held on an assumed basis exactly as the record stands, whichever the job needs.
What about old subdivision plats with curve data missing?
Missing elements are computed from what the record does supply where mathematically determinate, and flagged as computed. Indeterminate gaps are flagged for your decision.
How is this priced?
Per document, after we see a sample page. Batch archive work is quoted per document class with a schedule.
What is the turnaround?
Single documents are usually back within 24 hours; batches run to an agreed schedule.