Hi Reeve,
PDF Import takes this thread in a different direction, and it's a big topic.
PDF is an 'intermediate' format - whatever application originally generated the data in a PDF file did so in a different native format and that application will support a format that
can be imported. So if someone sends a PDF that has been generated by, for example, AutoCAD, we recommend that you request the original DWG file. This skips the 'middleman' and means you can import the original, unconverted objects.
If the author is unwilling to supply the original file format there are many tools available to convert from PDF to DWG/DXF;
Aide CAD is just one example.
You may meet with different levels of success depending on the conversion tool that you use and the contents of the particular PDF file; because it's an intermediary file format it is impossible to know how much of the original (e.g. DWG) data has been lost or changed in the conversion to PDF.
However the PDF was generated, the author of the original data is always able to provide a format that is better for use in other applications, especially where editing is required, and the first and best approach is to get the original, unmodified data.
Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com