Configuring filename when publishing to pdf...

[CAD-ICE]

Hi there,

wondering if someone knows how to configure ACADE to name the pdf´s created. I would like to publish each dwg such that the name of the pdf would inherit the filename and revision no (from the title block).

Example: 13FL78-AT110.DWG (rev.B) -> 13FL78-AT110_B.pdf

ACADE inherits the layoutname by default so basically I could achieve my goal by renaming the layout tab to the actual revision no. but I assume that this can be configured somehow.

Thx. Gary

[zalant]

Aside from what you've stated about renaming the layout tabs themselves, you could also rename the individual sheets once you get to the Publish dialog.  As long as you save the sheet file (DSD), those names will remain the next time you open the sheet file to perform the creation of the PDFs again.  The good thing about this method is that it requires no change to the original drawings.  While it's not as automatic as you'd like, if you add drawings to your project after having published and created a saved sheet file, you can simply re-load the DSD file in future publishing jobs (choose the append option), adjust the new sheets with the desired names, and then save the updated DSD file.  

While we're on the subject of creating PDFs in AutoCAD Electrical, if anyone out there hasn't already tried the following steps, give them a shot.

1. Project Manager
2. Plot/Publish
3. Publish to DWF
4. Select the drawings to publish
5. Select the PDF device 

If you want a single PDF with multiple pages, click the Publish Options button and change the Type field to "Multi-sheet file".

[CAD-ICE]

Dear Zac,

thank´s for your assistance with my problem. I´m sorry I´m not following you on how the to use the sheet file (DSD).

You mention that I can rename the individual sheets in the Publish dialog...can you explain this a little bit further?

I use the Plot/Publish alway´s when publishing the project to pdf and it´s a swell tool for sure. However we use the pdf´s as a sort of rear window to our previous revisions of issues and that´s why we publish each dwg as a seperate pdf sheet with the dwg name with the issue no.  Can I accomplish this in an automatic or easier way by using the sheet file?

Thank´s in advance.

Regards, Gary

[zalant]

To address your question about renaming the sheets in the Publish dialog, just right-click any sheet and choose to rename it.  That new name will be used as the title of the resultant PDF file.  I've recorded a short video (no audio) which demonstrates this.  You can see it here:

http://screencast.com/t/pY6IHrDKn

Before making this video, I had previously processed a publish job using the first 5 drawings in the Demo project.  I had renamed them when publishing, hence the sheet names of Page 1 through Page 5.  Those new names only exist in the saved sheet (DSD) file, and have no affect on the original drawing files' names. 

Let's say that I then had maybe added the last 4 drawings in the project since that first publish job, and now I wanted to add 6-8 to the publish job, as well.  You can see in the video where I just processed the new sheets and brought the other DSD file in with the previous sheets (that I had already renamed).  Granted, this does involve a manual renaming process, but if you were going to be ouputting these sheets on more than one occasion, it could save you some time and allow you to get the PDF file names that you want, without changing layout or drawing names.  The main advantage there is that you can use the same project drawing files and layouts in different publishing jobs, using different sheet DSD files, in which the sheet names you specify (and hence the output PDF files names) can differ.  I realize that this may not apply to everyone, but for anyone looking for that capability, it is definitely there.

Getting back to your original proposition, though, without using LISP or other customization techniques, there's no way of which I'm aware that will allow for publish job sheet renaming to be automated (other than how it already is with file/layout names), or to be able to specify an attribute from which those new sheet names would be pulled.

[CAD-ICE]

Dear Zac,

thank´s for your reply...nice feature to see how to with the video clip. However you need to finish the show because if I follow your instructions and continue by publishing the selected files, the files don´t inherit the names from the DSD file.

I must be missing some details when completing the publish function.

Could you show that as well ?

Thanks again for your fantastic support.

Regards, Gary

[zalant · Accepted solution]

In my testing, after renaming the sheets, the publish job proceeds and uses the sheet names for the file names when the PDFs are created.  Here is a video of that:

http://www.screencast.com/t/C9Ola3AZCIq

Minor note:  my sheet file had demo drawings 3, 4, and 5, but I picked 1, 2, and 3 when choosing the drawings to publish.  This has no bearing on what I was trying to demonstrate in this video, though, which is that the (modified) sheet names get used when creating the PDF files.

[CAD-ICE]

Dear Zac,

thank´s again for all your help in thiis matter...brilliant solution, the video is a fantastic way to demonstrate this!

Regards, Gary

[smbrennan]

Zac,

Is there a way to change how AutoCAD translates the PERIODS in a layout name. Right now they automatically translate to UNDERSCORES, but I would like to keep them as PERIODS.

Thanks,

Shawn

[zalant]

In my testing, I'm not having the periods replaced.  Here is a screen capture:

When I completed the Publish job, the suggested name of the PDF was the same as the original DWG name, with the periods in it.  If you're getting a different result, please post here an image like this, showing where things are going wrong.

[smbrennan]

Zac,

Thanks for the quick reply. Attached is a snapshot that shows what I see (I don't typically go through the Publish Dialog Box when I use SSM, but the result is still the same).

If it makes any difference, I am using AutoCAD MEP 2013 on a W7-64-bit machine.

Thanks,

Shawn

[zalant]

Shawn,

    Thanks for attaching the screen capture.  I was able to reproduce the behavior you've described, but only when choosing the 'Single-sheet file' option for the PDF/DWF output.  I've mentioned it to Development, so we'll see what their take on it is.  I'll post back here when someone comments on it.

EDIT:  3/31/2015 - It's fixed now in AutoCAD Electrical 2015 (and newer).

[smbrennan]

Zac,

I just discovered something that may help find the cause ...

Through the SSM, if I publish to a PDF, the periods are automatically converted to underscores with single sheet file settings.

If I publish to a page setup override that happens to be a PDF printer (in my case, the default DWG to PDF.pc3), it will keep the periods as they are.

[zalant]

In the case where you've got DWGtoPDF.pc3 configured in the page setup, are you getting single-sheet PDFs or multi-page PDFs? (Or have you tried with both and still get the periods, either way?)

[WSEcad]

It took a little while and some inventive search terms but I found your post and I have to thank you. I would have had no idea how to prevent the periods from becoming underscores. It never mattered until the local authority required a naming convention for all pdf's to include periods. Another bullet dodged!

[zalant]

Just an FYI to everyone impacted by this: This behavior was fixed for the 2015 version of AutoCAD Electrical. For versions 2011-2014, it will continue to be an issue and there will be no fix. Going forward, though, periods in sheet names will come out as periods in the PDF/DWF names. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Hi there

Need assistance in creating a batch plot/combined PDF using the layout tab names. Presently, when I publish a multiple-sheet PDF in AutoCAD 2013, it shows the sheet name in the publish dialog box, but when creating the combined PDF, it then converts to sheet 1, 2 etc. I need to keep the entire sheet name ie: 60080 production print(2016-10-04)-xkt-000. In the combined PDF it drops "xkt-000"(sheet name) and saves it as 60080 production print(2016-10-04) 2.pdf.  

How can I do a batch plot using the sheet name and not sheet 1 ,2 etc., since my end user needs to reference the xkt-100 (part number), not to search each PDF....

Please respond as soon as possible since I have a deadline today.

[rhesusminus]

If you create a single sheet PDF, it keeps the name?

If that is so, and you're in a hurry, create many single-sheet PDFs and join them together with some PDF software.