MalaysiaGIS.com

JEC Designbuild Sdn Bhd, a company that specialises in data conversion and geographical information system (GIS) solutions, has made available ProVec 3.5, a cost effective raster to vector conversion software, and DeSKan Express, a large format (A0) desktop precision scanner.

JEC Designbuild's director Thomas Jacques said the software and scanner from Australia's Abakos Digital Images Pty Ltd, work closely to offer a complete scanning solution and vectorises documents up to A0 size for a fraction of the cost with comparable quality and accuracy.

ProVec 3.5 helps convert paper documents into digital format, allowing users to archive, store, incorporate document management systems, preserve old drawings, update and modify data, and have fast document retrieval and data analysis, Jacques said.

He added that the software now has an optical character reader (OCR) suite of tools with new and improved line style, weight, circle and arc recognition.

By converting raster scanned (pixel) images of drawings into vector lines for use in computer-aided design (CAD)/GIS/LIS, amplitude modulation (AM) or frequency modulation (FM), ProVec saves hours of time-consuming redrawing or manual digitising that would otherwise tie up valuable CAD and personnel resources.

In addressing the issue of time-consuming processes for obtaining the best parameter settings, ProVec 3.5 has an in-built parameter setting assistant which guides the user through the various setting options.

This interactive assistant, along with a preview mode, allows even novice operators to easily set the parameters to achieve a high-quality output vector file, according to Jacques.

Other features of ProVec 3.5 are the unique preview mode, user defined separation of raster data to layers, map transformations (rubber sheeting) including Helmert, Affine and Projective, raster editing, filter facilities and colour printing of raster layers after separation.

It accepts major digital formats from GIS and AutoCAD applications such as PCX, RCL, RLE, CIT and TIFF Group 3-4. The output formats include DXF (ASCII & binary), DGN, Arc/Info, PROGIS & PROGIS WINGIS and MapInfo.

The software comes with a doggle to protect it from being pirated.

On the scanner side, Jacques claimed the DeSKAN Express is an unique scanning system that provides the world's first truly portable large-format scanner. The system can be packed into a carton and easily transported.

The scanner supports the drawing or map size of A0. However, a smaller model which supports A1 size is also introduced.

Jacques said with the DeSKan Express, the scanning process could be made extremely simple. "The scanner moves down on a cradle in a specially calibrated guide which is manually moved at the end of each strip scanned."

He explained that once all the strips have been scanned and saved, the advanced software automatically joined them together using complex mathematically joined them together using complex mathematics algorithms. The end result is a single, seamless image.

Another benefit is that the document remains in a fixed position while the scanner moves over it. This is particularly useful when mapping old and delicate documents that may be creased, in poor condition or on old materials such as linen and parchment.

The DeSKAN Express comes with new features such as the automatic scanning function, adjustable cradle, and improvements in colour image quality.

In the latest release, the DeSKan Express 4.5 is capable of 600 dots per inch (dpi) optical resolution scanning in 24-bit or 8-bit colour, eight bit greyscale or black and white.

"It supports all the Windows platforms," Jacques said, adding that the scanner also works with AutoCAD release 14 which comes with digital scanning features.

The standalone pricing is US$2,500 ((RM$9,500) for ProVec 3.5 and US$2,800 for the DeSKan Express. The bundled pricing will be US$4,4000 for an A0 size scanner and US$2,200 for an A1 size scanner.

More details about the products can be found at the JEC Designbuild Website, http://www.jec.com.my.