dwg to pdf

[m177]

Hello all,

We have new computers with new 2012 and 2013 AutoCAD software.  Everything works great except for using DWG to PDF as well as using publish to pdf.  Both result in the same problem in which two things are going wrong.

The first problem is that when I go into my pdf readers (Bluebeam and Adobe Acrobat) and try printing the pdf, it does not show most of the linework within viewports (please see attached "Result.PDF".  It's not a layer problem as I can see leader arrows, but not leader lines, etc.  On screen in print preview (before printint to pdf), and in adobe and bluebeam (after the pdf has been created), everything looks like it should.

The other problem is that the pdf comes in about 5.02 times bigger when I try to insert/attach it as a pdf into AutoCAD.  Can't figure out why.  I've checked units and everything, but it consistently comes in at some odd scale.  The pdf document size is correct at 42x30 (100% scale), but doesn't come in at that size in AutoCAD (instead of 42" wide, it is something around 210.02").

I've printed the AutoCAD drawing to Adobe and Bluebeam, both of which result in pdfs that look and print correctly.  And they also insert back into AutoCAD properly.  Please see "dwgtopdfC306bind-Layout1.PDF"

Btw, I've flattened the pdf, but it still prints out the same way (with missing linework and text).

I did manage to get the problematic pdf (Result.PDF) to print out the way it should via Adobe/Bluebeam by clicking on the Advanced Menu and have it print as an image.  But I never had to do that with any of our office computers before.  Why now?  I'm worried now that clients are going to get frustrated with this problem.

 Ok.... I can't attach my 23MB autocad drawing here (it's huge because I had to bind all the xrefs).  The site says it's too big.

[pendean]

Turn off layer creation and linemerge if your PDF drivers and your flattening problem goes away in the PDF files.

PDF files are compressed: when you insert them into AutoCAD that file compression is lost, so your DWG file increases in size.

Binding XREFs just to plot it a big mistake: hopefully you still have originals you can go back to.

Do you have these same problems with other files or is it unique to this one file?

[m177]

Hello.  Thanks for your advice.

I just bound the drawings just so I could attach a single file here instead of more than 5.  Either way, the website won't let me though.

DWG to PDF.pc3 doesn't appear to give me any options other than line merge.  Nothing regarding layer information, etc.

I've been using various work stations over the years and always brought in pdf's that were created through AutoCAD's DWG to PDF.pc3 without problems - the pdf's came out correct on screen and as a hard copy, and when I would attach it as a PDF in AutoCAD, it always came in 1:1.  What's different now?  I have a new computer with AutoCAD 2012 and 2013, which both produce the same problems.  But my old computer had AutoCAD 2012 also, but didn't have this problem.

As for the scaling issue with bringing it back in AutoCAD, it affect every single drawing.  As for the printing problem in regards to missing linework, it only happens to certain drawings consistently.  From what I can tell, it is happening to drawings with large viewports - the smaller viewports seem to be unaffected, even in the same problematic drawing.

Thanks again for your help and any other suggestions or ideas are welcome.