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PDF batch plotting in background does not work - PLEASE HELP!!!!!

73 REPLIES 73
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Message 1 of 74
linnea.lukic
8006 Views, 73 Replies

PDF batch plotting in background does not work - PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Hi,

 

Don't know if anyone is having the same issue, batch plotting in the background used to work when we had AutoCAD Electrical 2013 installed on Windows XP 32-bit machine.  After haivng AE 2014 installed on Windows 7 64-bit OS and the background plotting has STOPPED working.  On right hand corner of the screen will stay "Job in Progress" for hours and nothing is printed.  Please see attached image.

 

As we don't have any spare stations to manage the PDF batch plotting (I'm talking about more than 200 sheet per project) therefore the background plotting is very important to us.

 

CAN ANY EXPERTS HERE PLEASE HELP???  The issue is drivng us crazy!!!!! Smiley Frustrated

 

Thank you!!

73 REPLIES 73
Message 21 of 74
haiqing
in reply to: Wheelie22

Hi Jim,

 

For "Publish" command, it will capture all the model/layouts of your opened drawings. If your layout is never initialized, that will cause an error in Publish, but you will not hit the "endless" publish issue. 

 

You can use "remove" these uninitialized sheets, then go for publish. Please refer to snapshot for how to remove them. 

 

Regards
Haiqing Wang
Quality Assurance
Autodesk AutoCAD Electrical



Haiqing Wang
AutoCAD Electrical Team
Message 22 of 74
haiqing
in reply to: haiqing

Hi all,


One possible cause of this behaviour could be related to “corrupted profile”.

 

In AutoCAD discussion forum, there are some users mentioned that after they reset AutoCAD to “factory default” state or use original “unnamed” profile, the problem goes away.
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2010-2011-2012-DWG/Publishing-Sheet-Sets-not-working/td-p/3013...
(some useful information in page 2).


One of the possible workarounds is to use a clean profile in your AutoCAD Electrical then try out background publish. Or you can import any profile on a copy of ACE 2014 which does not have publish to background problem. Another workaround for this is to plot in foreground but open another instance of AutoCAD electrical to work on your projects.

 

Hope this helps.

 



Haiqing Wang
AutoCAD Electrical Team
Message 23 of 74
DaisySunday
in reply to: haiqing

Just FYI AutoDesk - I reset mine to factory default - the problem still exsists. Plus we've got people who have the problem without ever messing with their settings after install. While the work around you've suggested is fine for me, I suspect that depending on what type of computer you're running that's not going to be nearly as helpful as truly running the publish in the background. 

Message 24 of 74
Hm00b_Th0j
in reply to: haiqing

Read all of this conversation and it did not seem to help. I have the same problem. Had ACE2013 on 32 bit windows 7 --> ran fine. Change computer to HP Elitebook (i7-3740QM at 2.7Ghz), 16GB RAM, 64-bit Win 7 OS) and cannot plot to PDF in background. I did not change any setting after installing ACE2014. I tried plotting a 51-page schematic in background and it went into infinite loop. I open another simple 3-page schematic that I generate from scratch and it works fine. My batch plot use an imported plot profile that is set to plot 11x17 using ACE2014 DWG to PDF plotter. Please take time to look into this. It is not just one or two companies.
Message 25 of 74
Hm00b_Th0j
in reply to: Hm00b_Th0j

In regards to this topic.  The problem may be big files or file sets.  I got a 51-sheet set from a vendor that supply us with equipment.  A straight DWG to PDF batch plot fails.  I tried 1 sheet, 3 sheets, and 10 sheets and plots okay (sht 0-9).  Sht 10 is 1+ MB. I tried sht 10-19 --> fail to plot.  I went in and purge all files.  sht 10 went from 1+ MB to 134KB.  There are two other files in the set that are larger than 1MB.  Only one of them remains (the panel layout).  I re-plot and this time everything plots (all 51 sheets).  BTW, sht 10, 11, 12, & 13 (4-sht test plot) plots fine before the purge.  I will leave it to you CAD expert on what happen here.  Either there is something wrong with plotting large set or something in the individual file is corrupted and by purging, the corruption somehow was got rid of.

Message 26 of 74
linnea.lukic
in reply to: Hm00b_Th0j

Hi Hm00b_Th0j,

 

As one of the Autodesk employees posted earlier in this thread, the problem maybe corrupted profile, have you tried it yet?

 

Another weird thing is"Windows Firewall"!  I've noticed the firewall was turned off on one of our workstations (this station could plot PDF at the background), so I thought I'd give it a go and guess what?  The background plotting started working after turning off all Windows Firewall!  I don't know why and how but it worked.  And after background plotting started working, I've turned the firewall back on and the background plot still works!!  (I am so confused now)

 

Would you like to try it?

Message 27 of 74
sniktun
in reply to: linnea.lukic

Yeh it doesn't work for me either. I would say i have got it to work around 50% of the time in the background, it's really tempremantal. it either works straight away or like you said just says it's in progress for hours meaning i have to cancel it. My adive is just to run it in the foreground, i mean even the largest files will only take 10 mins to plot at the most.

Message 28 of 74
Hm00b_Th0j
in reply to: haiqing

I found the problem to be un-reconcile layers on at least one of the drawings on the set.  Somehow, it just get stuck and did not provide any feedback on which sheet.  I have to dig through it.

Message 29 of 74
linnea.lukic
in reply to: Hm00b_Th0j

Looks like a lot of people are having the same issue with background plotting and there isn't a "standard" fix for everyone, I don't know what AutoDesk should do as they have mentioned that they could not reproduce the same problem.  We need the background plotting working because we know ACE is able to do that, someone mentioned in the thread that just perform a foreground plotting because it only takes 10 minutes.  My typical project normally contains nearly 300 sheets and sometimes (it happens a lot) I need to plot more than 10 projects at the same time so plotting at the foreground does not really work for me.

 

My temporary fix is switching to a CLEAN profile, it works most of the time but sometime it just hang there (plotting in progress...) Cat Sad

 

Message 30 of 74
Hm00b_Th0j
in reply to: haiqing

Any new progress on this???  I solve my original issue by reconciling the layers and purging each drawing.  However, now I cannot get a multi-sheet file out of it.  I use an external clean profile (import) and double-check to make sure that the filetype = multi-sheet file.  I plot out three times and all three times, I get individual sheets.  I'm plotting out only an 11 sheet set and got 11 files.

Message 31 of 74
linnea.lukic
in reply to: Hm00b_Th0j

Hi Hm00b_Th0j,

 

Sounds like your issue is slightly different than mine.  Can you plot PDF at the background at all?

Message 32 of 74
Hm00b_Th0j
in reply to: linnea.lukic

Yes.  I can plot in background, but not always.  The one set that I reconciled layers and purged a couple of days ago is now acting strange.  When I originally reconciled and purged, I can background plot (using external clean profile) and got a good single file out of it.  Now I cannot plot again.  I don't believe I have done much with it since then.  On top of that, when I finally got it to plot, it plots in individual sheets even though I set the file type to "multi-sheet file).  Using same external clean profile and different sheet set, I got a good single multi-sheet file out of the set.  It is not consistent.  I will be awaiting resolution from Autodesk now.  I believe there's something wrong, but I don't know what.

Message 33 of 74
Hm00b_Th0j
in reply to: linnea.lukic

Anyone got anything new on this issue (unable to batch plot in the background)?  I've just got a set of 39 sheets from vendor.  A batch plot of the entire set (1 thru 39) failed.  plot of sheet 1 thru 15 = success.  plot of 16 thru 39 = success.  re-plot of 1-39 =  fail.  re-plot of 1-26  = fail.  re-plot of 1-20 = success. re-plot of 1-24 = success.  re-plot of 1-25 = success.  re-plot of 1-26 = success.  re-plot of 1-30 = success.  re-plot of 1-39 = success (what's the deal?).  File size range from 95KB to 164KB.

 

sheet list = none

public to = PDF

Location = desktop

File type = multi-sheet file

Naming = prompt for name

Layer information = include

merge control = lines overwrite

 

Under list of drawings:

 - page setup = import (from DWT file with setting below)

     * Source drawing = same as sheet name (for each sheet)

     * Drawing location = (location of drawing)

     * layout name = Model

     * Plot device = override: DWG to PDF

     * plot size = 17.00 x 11.00 inches (Landscape)

     * plot scale = Scaled to Fit

     * Page setup detail = Override output device specified in current page setup and publish to multi-sheet PDF

 

AutoCAD Electrical 2014 (Version 11.1.1.1)

HP EliteBook 8570w

Intel i7-3740QM CPU @ 2.70GHz

16.0 GB RAM

64-bit OS (Windows 7 Pro)

 

Autodesk, what's the deal?  I ran the same plotting (just with different sheet numbers) and sometime it plot, sometime it does not.  I know whether or not it fails by hovering the mouse over the plotting icon at the bottom right corner.  If within 5-10 minutes it does not show any progress (plotting x of y), you can wait for an hour and it will still hang (plotting in progress). 

 

 

Message 34 of 74
linnea.lukic
in reply to: Hm00b_Th0j

Hi Hm00b_Th0j,

 

Your issue is completely different than mine.  Have you got a 32-bit machine with you?  I've noticed things started to go wrong after my IT department changed my workstation from 32-bit to 64-bit.  I don't have any 32-bit machines here with me so I can't try 

 

Has anyone who uses 32-bit machiine and 2013 or 2014 ACE installed?  If we could find the issue then surely our dear Autodesk will start to think about fixing it seriously?  

 

 

Message 35 of 74
Hm00b_Th0j
in reply to: linnea.lukic

Linnea,

 

I'm in the same boat as you in terms of PC.  Unfortunately, I went from ACADE R13 to R14 when I went from 32-bit to 64-bit.  It seems to be random now.  When I open a drawing from our vault and do a single sheet plot to a physical printer, the print hangs-up, "Plot job in progress" - had to reset after 10 minutes of just sitting there.  This is an older drawings of only 136KB!

Message 36 of 74
rbdunniii
in reply to: Hm00b_Th0j

My company just upgraded to from ACADE2012 to ACADE2014.  Our ACADE group all have Vault and Inventor 2014 on our PC's.  We can't get batchplot to work in the background either.  Using our custom plot file or the standard one with ACADE. 

 

I am curious if anyone has found a work around yet?  I have tried changing the prints to model only or the default setting from ACADE with no luck. 

 

Has anyone got batchplot to work that has only installed ACADE2014 without inventor or vault?????

 

 

 

 

 

Printing pages one at a time for 75+ page projects is not how I want or need to be spending my time. Begining to think not worth the update if all the little problems are going to constantly outway the new features.....

Message 37 of 74
linnea.lukic
in reply to: rbdunniii

Hi rbdunnii,

 

Have you modifed your 'Profile' since installed 2014 version or do you use the profile from 2012 version?  Apparenly try import a 'clean' profile (meaning the ACADE profile when you first installed ACADE) and see if you can the the batch plot to work.  I have tried it and got it worked on one of our workstations but sadly not all our workstations.

Message 38 of 74
rbdunniii
in reply to: linnea.lukic

I exported the standard ACADE 2014 profile, added all my Custom library and file locations and then loaded it as the new profile.  I found trying to use the 2012 profile updated for 2014 caused more errors, even though most of the command lines in the profile haven't change.  I am getting ready to switch back to the original 2014 installed ACADE profile and see if that works, but my custom files should not have any affect on batch plotting.

 

I am currently using Trueview to batchplot to dwf and it is working fine. My problem with this is that I don't want to have to open another program to do a simple task that is in ACADE.

 

Are you using Vault or Inventor on the same machine as ACADE2014? 

Message 39 of 74
DaisySunday
in reply to: rbdunniii

Same situation as you rbdunniii - we have the whole shabang -Electrical, Vault, and Inventor and the fix that keeps being listed DOES NOT WORK.

 

I'm VERY curious to see if everyone with this problem is using Vault.  The upgrade to 2013 GREATLY improved the way my ACADE interacts with Vault, but the only work around for a batch plot I have found is to maintain my ACADE 2013 for when I need to plot something in the background. Luckily its not often that I plot my projects. 

 

Anyone else using Vault in conjunction with this and having the same problem? 

Message 40 of 74
linnea.lukic
in reply to: DaisySunday

Hi DaisySunday and rbdunniii,

 

This is an interesting one as I'v never though about if Vault is causing this problem, yes every our workstation has one of these combinations:

 

ACADE with Vault

Inventor Suite 2014 with ACADE and Vault

 

Surely Vault does not affect how ACADE works, I don't often login to Vault.  Did you mean that batchplot not working if you have Vault open at the same time?

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