Commissioned work
Have your photo converted to DXF
The part is in front of you and there is no drawing for it. Put a ruler next to it and take a picture — that becomes a dimensionally accurate DXF file you can have the part remade from.
A photo becomes a DXF file by de-skewing the image, scaling it against a known reference dimension and then redrawing the contour in CAD. A photo carries no dimensions of its own — it only gives proportions. Whether the result fits therefore comes down to a scale photographed alongside the part, or an edge you measured yourself.
What makes a photo usable
The accuracy of the DXF file depends almost entirely on the photo. Perspective can be calculated out; missing sharpness cannot. Six points separate a file that fits first time from a week of questions.
| This makes it inaccurate | This makes it accurate | |
|---|---|---|
| Camera position | Held at an angle from the side | Square-on from above, part in the centre of frame |
| Scale | No reference object in the shot | Folding rule, steel ruler or caliper right beside it |
| Background | Wood grain, carpet, patterned tablecloth | Plain and high-contrast, white paper for instance |
| Distance | Phone close over the part, wide angle bends the edges | Step back and zoom in instead |
| Light | Flash and a hard cast shadow along the edge | Evenly lit, shadows outside the contour |
| Position of the part | Bent, on edge or half covered | Lying flat, nothing on top of it |
The ruler in the shot is the most important item on the list. Without a reference we only know how the edges relate to each other, not how big they are — the contour is then right but the part may come out ten per cent too large.
What you receive
- A DXF file with closed contours, ready to cut on laser, plasma, waterjet and milling machines.
- The image de-skewed and scaled to 1:1 in millimetres against your reference dimension.
- Edges straightened, holes as true circles, radii as arcs — not a traced wobble.
- Symmetry restored wherever the part is meant to be symmetrical.
- On request also as DWG, or in an older DXF version if your machine requires one.
What we need from you
One measured dimension raises the accuracy of the result more than any amount of image processing.
- A sharp photo taken square-on from above, the whole part in frame.
- A reference dimension: a ruler in the shot, or an edge you measured with a caliper.
- For holes, the measured diameter where it has to be exact.
- Material and sheet thickness, as far as you know them.
- The cutting process — laser, plasma, waterjet or milling.
How it works
Four steps from photo to finished file. Nothing is charged until you accept the quote.
Upload the photo
You create an account, upload the photo and tell us the dimension we should anchor the size to.
Fixed-price quote
We check whether the shot supports the accuracy you need, ask for a second photo if necessary, and send a binding quote.
Approval and prepayment
You accept the quote and receive an invoice with VAT shown. Work starts once payment arrives.
Delivery of the DXF file
The finished file is ready to download in your customer area. If a dimension is out, it gets corrected.
What does it cost?
The price follows the drafting time, and with a photo that depends heavily on the shot. A flat sheet on white paper with a ruler beside it is done quickly; a part photographed at an angle on a patterned tablecloth takes noticeably longer. You receive a binding fixed-price quote up front.
- Simple part
- €30–€50
- Medium-complexity part
- approx. €100
- Highly complex part
- approx. €200
The price depends on the design time required and is calculated individually for each order.
Request a free quoteFrequently asked questions
How accurate can this get from a photo?
With a part lying flat, photographed square-on and with a reference in the shot, we are usually within a few tenths of a millimetre — accurate enough for laser and plasma cutting. Without a reference only the proportions hold, and then every absolute figure is a guess.
What can I use as a reference?
Anything of known length: a folding rule, a steel ruler, a caliper, at a pinch a coin — a two-euro coin measures 25.75 millimetres. Better than any object in the shot is an edge you measured yourself and wrote down for us.
Is a phone photo good enough?
Yes. Any phone of the last few years has resolution to spare. What matters is not the megapixels but the camera position, a plain background, and not getting too close — at wide angle the edges bow outwards.
My part is bent or three-dimensional.
A photo yields a flat contour. A folded sheet can be unfolded if you give us the bend angle and radius; a freely shaped part cannot be captured reliably from a photo. Write to us before ordering in that case — there is usually a way.
Should I send several photos?
Please do. One overview shot square-on from above plus close-ups of the holes and cut-outs helps more than a single image at maximum resolution.
Related
A different kind of source, or the background reading: