What is Hybrid

The term hybrid denotes a combination of both raster (scanned) and vector (CAD) drawings. "Hybrid editing" means accessing both raster and vector data simultaneously in the same drawing . Changes can be made within either environment. Information can be exchanged back and forth between the two distinctive formats. This approach offers the most efficient method for modifying the old drawing within the new drawing.

There are many advantages to this approach. Deteriorated drawings can be scanned, cleaned up, and stored in raster. Modifications can be made to the drawing in raster, or areas of the drawing can be converted into CAD vectors, as it becomes necessary. This combination of raster and vector data can also be plotted and stored.

Working in a hybrid environment allows the use of the scanned drawings immediately. Decisions to modify, plot, or vectorize can be made as needed. Investing time and money to convert existing drawings can be done on a "just in time" basis.

Raster vs. Vector

CAD Systems use vector files, and scanners produce raster files. What is the difference? Raster files are fundamentally different than vector files.

If you draw a line with your CAD software, it is stored as a vector primitive. The software knows the starting and ending points, and the line thickness. The line is "intelligent" because any part of the line knows that it is part of the line, and knows what the rest of the line looks like.

When a drawing is scanned, it is broken down into row after row of dots, or pixels. A scanned line is "dumb", because it is made up of dots forming the shape of a line and the dots do not know that they are part of a line. For scanned data to be used and modified like CAD vector data, it has to be made intelligent.