Problems with PDF print driver and built in PDF export / publish

Jim Canale

Wondering if anyone here has had these weird problems converting paper space views to PDF output.  

The first attachment shows a screen shot of the layout tab.  The border of the template is 10" x 7.5".   I'm printing to letter size (11 x 8.5"), and have selected "extents" and "center on page".  So the output of the print driver (PDF Complete) should have 1/2" margins all around.   The second attachment is the output from PDF Complete.    The margins are screwed up, and some dimensions are not the same line weight, or faded.  (I checked, and all my dimensions are on the same layer, the same line weight, and color 7.     Additionally, the drawing is sometimes rotated 90 degrees, and other times not.     (I could not generate an example of the rotation today.)

Bricsys support told me to use the built in PDF Export or Publish tools.  They generate the correct margins.  But I'm still having problems with the dimensions.  In many cases, the dimension and extension lines are dark, but the dimension text is faded. This is really obvious on the second page output from the Publish tool.

Please note that my 2D views are in model space.    I put viewports in my paper space templates to center and size the views.   I don't leave my 2D generated views in paper space, because I've had problems dimensioning in paper space.   (That is another story.)   

I have two versions of BricsCAD installed - V14.2.17, and V15.3.05, and the problem is evident in both.

Joe Dunfee

In general, I have found PDF output to be a very frustrating process, and am really not satisfied with the current output for 3D items, though 2D is OK. I also have issues with the reliability of paper space dimensions.

I will throw out some very obvious potential causes for margins being different.  

  Are you sure your margins are draw the same on both files?

  Are you sure your print scale is the same on both files?

As for faint objects.  My past problems with faint objects has been related to the use of any rendering style other than wireframe or legacy hidden.  The problem viewports are all raster images when they get put onto a PDF, and the resolution of that image is a major factor in how good they look.  The file size can also get extremely large.

-Joe

Jim Canale

Joe,

Thanks for your reply.   To answer your questions...  These PDF's were all created from the same *.DWG.   I've been using the same template for years, and I've measured the border.  The plot area has always been "Extents", and the plot scale "Fit print area to size of page".  The visual style is "2D Wireframe".   

Bricsys support didn't have anymore ideas, and has closed the original SR.  I may open a new one.   I've asked our IT manager to update to V16 to see if that makes a difference.  But I doubt it.     And I also asked him to install another PDF print driver to see if that one handles the margins better.  

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Regarding margins:
None of the PDFs show equal margins. Check if your border (title block?) has in fact got the proportions you mention.

Regarding the faded dimensions:
There must be something different about these dimensions. Try using the _FLATTEN command.

Jim Canale

Thanks for your reply Roy.    The border of the template is as described -10" x 7.5"   Print output is set to center the printout on the page.

Are you implying that the dimension lines and dimension text would be on different elevations?  How would that happen?   I will have to wait till Monday to try the FLATTEN command on the 2D objects, as I have to leave work.  

Roy Klein Gebbinck

My guess at this point is that the dimensions are not exactly co-planar with the XY plane of the WCS. Using the _FLATTEN command should solve that. Note: make sure the WCS is current when you invoke it.

Joe Dunfee

 I am now recalling that I did used to have issues with a PDF output being offset from where it should be.  I recall that it was not just a small amount, but rather perhaps half-way off the page.  This was on a version a few releases before v14.  I think I simply ended up using a different PDF print driver.  I don't think it was PDF Creator that I was using when the problem showed itself.

Sorry, I can't offer anything but reassurance that you aren't the only one to whom this has happened.

-Joe

Jim Canale

@Roy Klein Gebbinck:

My guess at this point is that the dimensions are not exactly co-planar with the XY plane of the WCS. Using the _FLATTEN command should solve that. Note: make sure the WCS is current when you invoke it.

Thanks Roy

John Gaunt

I have had the offset problem just as Joe describes, it would be hard to tell what else was wrong when you can't see much of it.
My solution was also to swap printer drivers (using Nuance now).