PDF export

benjamin schlanz

I know that there are already some topics about this, but nothing recently for v16.

1) PDF Export generates files with big size that need a long time loading in adobe reader. Also trying to reprint with the adobe pdf print dialog gives a blank page in the end.
2) Is there any option to not export all the layers in the pdf but to size them down to one like with adobe pdf print? (although that is not the problem with the file size i think)
3)PDF export takes quite some time in comparison to printing. Only reason i use it is for bigger layout sizes, that arent support by adobe pdf print
4) PDF Export doesnt export the layout as seen in bricscad. for example in the layout the drawing is on the right down corner. when i export it centered in the middle. and also stuff outside of the layout are exported.

Cheers

Joe Dunfee

If the CAD drawing includes rendered viewports those viewports are sent out as raster images, which will explode file sizes of a PDF file. Any viewports with any settings but 2D wireframe or Legacy Hidden will do this. There is no solution within the DWG world, even with native Autodesk apps.

There are other CAD programs that have figured out how to output a vector image of a rendered viewport, but to my knowledge, none are in the DWG world.

In my v14, there is the option to export, or not export the layers of a drawing.  This and other PDF options are in the Export Settings part of the program, and not with the page set-up.

-Joe

benjamin schlanz

.) Since i am only drawing 2d i only have 2d wireframe viewports. Still i have file sizes of 2mb instead of 150kb.

.) You are right, the layer option is there. in the german version its not translated well.

.) How does adobe pdf distiller do it? wouldnt the same thing be viable for "export"?

.) Still doesnt explain the problem with the layout not being printed right.

David Waight

Benjamin,

You can export pdf with no layers if you go to: File, Export Options, and click one of the options in: pdf layer support.

Can you clarify if you are using export or print to pdf, just so we know what method you are using.

If you attach your drawing and the resultant pdf we can have a look and see possibly what is happening.

If your drawing is confidential just make one up and make sure it has the same problems as the original before you post it.

A screen grab of your print settings would also help so we can see what scale and page size etc. you are using.

We probably won't have the exact same printers available but it would give us a starting point.

Regards,

David

benjamin schlanz

Hi.

I use "PDF Export" as written in my first post. With the print dialog there is no problem.
I cant send you the original drawing, but i made a file that  has the problem with the layout borders.
As for the Problem of Adobe loading the file very slowly etc. I tried to make an "exportlayout" but it crashed.
the whole file has 1.7mb and 55000 objects, so not so much.

print dialog.png

export dialog.png

743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge.dwg

Roy Klein Gebbinck

1. File size: I believe that the PDFs generated by BricsCAD have a higher decimal accuracy.
4. Layout shift: Try changing your PdfZoomToExtentsMode (Zoom zu Grenzen).

David Waight

Benjamin,

Thanks for the files; the first thing that happened was when I opened the drawing initially I got the Annotation Scale warning, (see attached png).

Secondly, your drawing in Modelspace seems empty, so I can only assume it is consisting of xrefs which aren't loaded.

Finally, out of the two images you attached, what result are you hoping to achieve, as I can't determine if you want the large dimensions included in the pdf or not.
I'm sure you are aware that in the plot area section of the print setup you will need to use the Window option to select what you need outputting as you have multiple viewports and that everything you want is within the paper size you have selected.

Sorry if I am telling you things you already know.

David

Annotation Scale Warning.png

benjamin schlanz

Hello.
@david:
1) I deleted the content of the drawing since it is confidential, it was just to show you about the layout problem with the dimensions.
2) I dont want the dimensions in the export, i only want what is on the white paper, the same output as if i would print.
@roys solution with PdfZoomToExtentsMode did the trick!

3) The annotation warning is another problem, i can fix the warning again and again but the error will still show up.
4) As for the problem with the long export times, raising mtflags to 7 and whipthread to 3 did the trick here.

The problem that still persists is the long pdf loading time and the file size.
@roys: Is there any way to change the decimal count? I really just need the same quality as would be in an adobe pdf print output.

Jason Bourhill

Hi Benjamin,

From looking at the drawing file it looks to be quite complex, with a lot of things going on. It has a mix of Xrefs, PDFs, Images, from layer naming it looks like the drawing has been recovered on occasion. There also is a large amount of objects in the drawing that have had their visibility state turned off. Any one of these could be a factor on the generation of your PDF and its performance.

Attach the drawing 743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-RESETVIS, where I've turned the visibility of the hidden drawing objects back on. I used the RESETVIS command in the attached LISP to do this. Given that you posted only a portion of the drawing, I would suspect that your original source (including the XREFs) will have a lot more of these objects. In the drawing 743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-REMOVED I removed these hidden objects.

Printing the drawings using PRINT and PUBLISH (with PDF option), I saw a drop in the file size of the PUBLISH PDF for the drawing where I had removed the hidden objects. It looks like these objects get included, even though they are invisible. I would recommend that you raise a support request, providing your original source files for analysis.

In regards to setting your layout up for printing. I recommend that you create a PAGESETUP, and apply it to your layout. Also the easiest way to use EXPORT to PDF is via the PUBLISH command. To do this simply select PDF from the 'Publish to:'  drop down in the top right of the dialogue. PUBLISH will use the PAGESETUP applied to your layout by default.

On annotation scales, these will be getting pulled through by your attached xrefs. You can get rid of them on opening the drawing, but until you clean them out of the xrefs, they will just keep on getting pulled through. In your xrefs you want to run SCALELISTEDIT and remove any unused scales.

Regards,

Jason Bourhill CAD Concepts

743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-RESETVIS.dwgCCL-HideTheHelp.lsp743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-RESETVIS (V16 PDF Creator).pdf743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-RESETVIS (V16 PUBLISH PDF).pdf743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-REMOVED.dwg743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-REMOVED (V16 PUBLISH PDF).pdf

PublishToPDF.png

743_W_161202_RHsz_Kellerabgänge-REMOVED (V16 PDF Creator).pdf

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@Benjamin:
If the 'Adobe PDF Print' software indeed doesn't support large paper sizes, or custom paper sizes, why don't you use a different virtual printer that does?

Vaidas Guogis

 Agree with Roy. I can suggest you to try CutePDF which I'm using for years.

Joe Dunfee

 There are trade-offs when using a printer driver, vs. a native PDF export.  Many PDF printers convert all drawings to raster, resulting in larger file sizes, and fewer options, such as turning line weight on/off when viewing. No layers options on printer drivers.  I have, on v14 also had differences on how OLE objects are handled.

In general, the native PDF should be the initial choice, and then hunt for a PDF printer driver if you have to solve a problem with the native one.  Different PDF printer drivers have differnt behavior and settings.  Personally, I've use PDF Creator and BullZip. But, I also know there are other ones that are not free, and do a better job and offer more options.

-Joe

Joe Dunfee

A bit more info.  My main issue with my PDF printers (currently PDF Creator) is that layouts on the same drawing seem to get random rotations.  Some are portrait, even though the page setup says landscape.  I use PDF X-change Pro's page rotation command to automatically rotate all the portrait pages to landscape.

I just recalled that Adobe itself supports DWG files.  Adobe Pro can import DWG files directly, without any CAD program being involved.  So, I am quite surprised that you are finding paper size limitations with their printer driver. Some printer drivers permit you to limit the choices of paper sizes.  For those of us in the U.S., it make sense to eliminate all the European paper sizes. Can you edit you list of paper sizes?  

By the way, I did a few minutes searching and came across a few pages that may be of interest.

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/322770.html

http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/files/2010/10/Top_thirty_tricks.pdf

-Joe

kontzBern

Sorry for interrupting, as long as the discussion seems to be abandoned for two years so far, yet don't you have Adobe Acrobat Pro for such purposes? At least it would help with decreasing file size and fixing the layout. I used this tool for some time edit-pdf.pdffiller.com, maybe a half a year. But yet, its price is just slowly below the one of Adobe and Acrobat Pro seems more convenient because it's a software tool, after all