Multi-Sheet PDF Export
Hi All,
Does anyone else find it annoying that selecting the Setting option "Pdf _layouts _to export>[1] All in multi-sheet file" also causes model space to be included in the export? This must be a rarely required outcome and it means that the model space page must be deleted from the PDF if it is to be made useful. Also, it does not align with the description of the option, which talks only of "layouts" to be exported, which I would take to mean paper space layouts. Is this another of those cases of AutoCAD does this so BricsCAD must also do this, or am I missing an option somewhere, or a typical use-case?
Thanks
Jamie
Comments
-
Same thing here.
Seems like under "Export --> Export Model Space" there should be a 4th option - "Do Not Export Model Space"
I could not find a way to export only the layouts.
0 -
Are you using the Publish command to create the PDF file? I don't know about the Export setting you're talking about, but in the Publish window there's a pull-down list with an option to print layout tabs only. And a checkbox just above it to opt not to print the tabs of other open drawings. See attachment.
0 -
Hi Anthony,
I am using v19.2.11 and utilising the menu option File>Export PDF...
I believe this uses the internal PDF generator, but Publish (which I never use) looks like it makes use of printer drivers. I suppose I could use a PDF printer driver and then use Publish, but it seems like an omission in the software not to be able to export all layouts, but not model space, using Export PDF...@Gary: I think that the Export option you mention only applies to File>Export... rather than File>Export PDF... so I think we need some sort of option within Settings>...>PDF Export... to exclude the model space, although I am still not sure you would ever want model and layouts in the same file. Maybe someone needs this, but I imagine the majority don't.
Kind regards
Jamie0 -
Hi Jamie, I made 3 PDF's, one using export, the 2nd using Publish and the 3rd using Print.
The file sizes for all 3 PDF's were virtually identical and all the entities were composed of exactly the same amount (i.e lines and arcs).
The Export and Publish quality were indistinguishable and the Print version was slightly better.
What I mean by quality, is when Bricscad creates PDF's it has an issue with lines and arcs meeting at their endpoint. If you use the setting to optimize geometry it will join lines that are touching end to end into a single line, but it won't do the same with lines to arcs.
Not sure why this is but it has been the same for most of the years I have used Bricscad and it is one of my biggest bugbears.
Anyway getting back to your issue, if you use Publish instead of Export you will basically be creating an identical PDF and have much more control over what layouts and model space you want to include.
I have included the PDF's as one 3 page file so you can see (if you have a PDF viewer that can zoom in far enough) the difference between the first two pages and the last page, which is the printed version.
Hope that helps.
0 -
Hi David,
I really appreciate you taking the time to offer this advice. I see what you mean about Publish, I had never realised it has a PDF option, and the level of output control is far better! It makes me wonder why File>PDF Export... exists at all?
I think this gives me the solution I need, so thanks again.
I see what you mean about the 'quality' issue, that is strange and a little frustrating, but compared with some of the Etch-a-Sketch quality drawings that I often get to see in my industry, it's not going to cause me any problems.
Best wishes
Jamie0 -
@David Waight said:
What I mean by quality, is when Bricscad creates PDF's it has an issue with lines and arcs meeting at their endpoint. If you use the setting to optimize geometry it will join lines that are touching end to end into a single line, but it won't do the same with lines to arcs.Not sure why this is but it has been the same for most of the years I have used Bricscad and it is one of my biggest bugbears.
I don't understand. I've never seen that misalignment of endpoints you're talking about, and I wasn't able to replicate your PDF file using Print or Publish. I tried it with PDFCreator as the virtual printer and then with Adobe. I can't find an Export to PDF command, perhaps because I'm using v17, or perhaps because it's v17 Classic.
0 -
Hi Anthony, thanks for the reply.
I created the 3 page PDF in a graphics package by importing each individual PDF in on a separate page, so I don't expect you to be able to create one the same :-)
I have attached a PDF of the zoomed in area of the radius rectangle so you can see what I mean by the gap between entities.
This gap issue is a problem for Graphics people (and CNC operators) who work with CAD generated PDF's as they are unable to join the entities together without a lot of individual endpoint to endpoint editing (imagine a complicated drawing that you had to work through with hundreds or thousands of such required connections).
Anyway back to your export question, I looked at the command reference in V17 and can confirm (see attached .png and link) that there is the option to export drawing as .pdf.
https://www.bricsys.com/bricscad/help/en_US/V17/CmdRef/index.html?page=source%2FJ%2FJoin.htm
This can be overcome by sending a .dwg or .dxf, as long as the Graphics package can import them and the designer knew what to do with it!
0 -
Hello David,
I had the same effect on my system as you have shown, but when I increase the Settings>...>PDF export>Vector Resolution DPI from the default of 600 to the maximum of 40000 then the problem goes away at the maximum zoom I can achieve in Foxit Phantom PDF, which is 6400%. Could this be a solution for you?
Jamie0 -
Hi James,
Yes, you are correct, unfortunately if you increase the dpi then you run into text problems.
I can't find the SR I raised on this issue at the minute, but essentially when you increase the dpi text starts to disappear based on text height.
I don't remember the exact details as I am busy, but I think the issue was with Adobe Illustrator.
All my customers create Artwork based on my PDF's using Illustrator, so I keep the dpi low.
Anyway, support told me this wasn't something they were going to pursue, so I just keep my dpi to a level that all my text is still visible to other programs.
It's quite ironic that Adobe invented PDF and one of their programs has issues reading high dpi PDF's!
0 -
David, I saw the misalignment in the file you originally posted. What I meant about not being able to replicate your PDF file is that I can't make a PDF file with that same misalignment. Did you look at the PDF file I posted? I made it by Printing and then Publishing, and then using Adobe's "Combine supported files in Acrobat" context menu option.
Attached here is a screenshot of the Export command window in my v17 Classic. It doesn't have nearly as many options as the one in the Help screens.
0 -
Morning Anthony,
Thanks for your reply,
Yes I had a look at your files and they are in some respects better quality than mine.
Your arcs are made up of more parts than mine, but at least they seem to line up :-)
I suspect you didn't create these with the built in "Print As PDF.pc3"
If you didn't what did you use, my guess would be Acrobat Pro?
0 -
Yes, the one I posted above was done with Acrobat Pro. But here's one done with the freeware PDF Creator, which is my standard printer. It has even more arc segments, but still no gap. I tried some other freeware pdf printers too, but couldn't get the gap.
I've never used the built-in Print as PDF.pc3 before, but since you mentioned it I tried it just now, and that's attached also. Still no gap, and it's the best quality of all. It was also much faster than any of the others. The only problem was that I couldn't Publish with it. The Publish command seemed to work, but it didn't show me a PDF file.
0