AutoCAD for Mac output problems - pdf - plot styles - ctb - etc...

[vermontian]

I was really excited about AutoCAD for Mac.  I have been an AutoCAD user for many years on the PC and am a big fan of the program.  I have to say that I am disappointed in the output options available for the mac version.  There is no plot to pdf option (the workaround for this is unacceptable).  There is no plot style manager.  There is no way to edit ctb files.  

I'm not sure what to think about this.  I am starting this thread with the hope that someone from Autodesk will please respond to address the lack of output functionality.  Is Autodesk working on solutions to these problems?  Is there a new way of managing output in the works?  Should I continue using this program in the hope that there will be a solution or is this all there is going to be?  Please respond Autodesk... If these problems don't get resolved then I'm afraid this program is of little use to me and though it's an old friend, at this point, I might have to move on.

If you are reading this and agree that these problems need resolution, please respond to this post so that the folks at Autodesk take notice.

Thanks

[natalya.cappellini]

Has anyone found a solution to this??????

[maxim_k]

Welcome to Autodesk Forums!
Hi,

This topic is long enough, and a lot of the problems were solved here during the discussion.
If you want your problem to be solved here, you need to provide more details about it. Without these details nobody can help you.

Maxim

[servard]

Hello, 

I am having trouble of reducing the pdf sizes.

I am using autocad lt 2013 for mac. 

I can't change DPI output settings for pdf.

even I don't know what DPI it is exporting.

Is there a way to change it?

Thanks

[maxim_k]

Welcome to Autodesk Forums!

Hi,
It is not possible to change DPI settings in AutoCAD for Mac: it outputs raster images always at highest resolution possible. PDF output is under OS X control.
Do you mean you want to be able to control raster output resolution from AutoCAD?

If you don't have raster images attached to your drawings, than the output is vector and there is no need to change its resolution, unless you want to control number of vertices in curves or something similar. But, unfortunately this is impossible too.

There are other reasons In AutoCAD for Mac for creating PDF output larger then in PC version:
True Type fonts output to PDF as outlines, but not as embedded fonts - this is not solved for now
Some hatches (for example with dot patterns) can increase PDF output - this was solved only in 2015 version of AutoCAD for mac

If you want to decrease PDF output from the drawings with raster images you can do it with Quartz Filters in Preview application after you save PDF from AutoCAD. Here is how-to:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4975061

Alternately you can try one of the application from Mac App Store, for example this one:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pdf-squeezer/id504700302?mt=12

Maxim

[servard]

Thank you so much Maxim,

This helps. 

[AFHorner]

Would agree with the comments above using the PDF function give mixed results half the sheet is missing or line are missing form small bits and pieces and you get irate clients asking what's going on. Really love the Mac and this is making me go back to Windows and AutoCAD not good.

[Sjhonny]

Hey all

I'm having an issue with lineweights and stb's in AutoCAD 2016 for Mac. Exporting .pdf's works rather well all in all (some nearly unnoticeable artifacts around detailed objects), though I run into issues with the really thin lines ... When opening the exported .pdf's I notice that none of the lineweights in the PDF actually exactly matches the ones assigned through the plotstyle sheet. The difference is not really noticeable for the thicker lineweights, but there seems to be a minimum value at .042 mm (I can't go below it, even when I set the plotstyle lineweight to .001) . Anyone any idea what might be the issue here? The thinnest lines are supposed to be .02 mm thick in the PDF's (which are assigned through the plotstyle).

Attached are the plotstyle sheet, the CAD file and an example .pdf. The plotstyle in question is Make-Up_2, which in the pdf are the thin slightly grey rectangular hatches.

Kind Regards

Jonas

[maxim_k]

Hi Jonas,

I can reproduce the issue you described in AutoCAD 2016.
At the same time, when I use new PDF engine (which is actually the same as in AutoCAD for Windows) for Batch Publish output in AutoCAD 2017 for Mac, lineweights appear to be correct in PDF file.
So this is definitely a bug in 2016 version.

Maxim

[Sjhonny]

Thanks Maxim!

It took me a while to find the time to set up 2017 and try it out! So that's why it took me so long to answer. (:
But yes! 2017 with the publish command did it (: Thanks again for the quick reply

Kind Regards

Jonas