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Export to pdf file - need a strategy that works

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Message 1 of 13
adave
2901 Views, 12 Replies

Export to pdf file - need a strategy that works

I'm a frequent user of Mechanical 2012, but not a draftsman.  I am unable to save an image of my autocad 2D drawing to a pdf file with adequate resolution so that it doesn't show up pixelated when zoomed in.

 

I'm looking for simple directions on how to set up (what I understand to be) "Plot to File" with a high resolution for pdf.    Specifically, I'd like to have step by step instructions, because there are too many options, none of them do what I expect them to do (counterintuitive, at least to me), I can't get settings on "Right Click- Options - Plot and Publish" tab to do what I expect them to do.  I've tried setting up "default output device" and "add or configure plotters", but can't get any results.

 

Once again, I simply want to output a high resolution .pdf file of my drawing. I don't care about plotting to a plotter, because I don't have one.   I am amazed at how hard this simple task can be.  What are the steps to perform this (what should be a) simple task?

 

Drawing atttached...

 

Thanks!

12 REPLIES 12
Message 2 of 13
adave
in reply to: adave

I think I found an answer looking through some previous posts.  I went into the .pc3 in Plotter Configuration Editor => Custom Properties  =>Custom Properties button, and found the resolution choices I needed.    Now I can prin out the file in the resolution I want.  The lines are too thin, and the drawing is washed out as a result, so that's another challenge...

Message 3 of 13
adave
in reply to: adave

Can anyone help me to figure out how to get a reasonable output for the drawing I posted earlier?  The whole printing process is far too complicated for me to figure out.   All I want is a jpeg with resolution of about 1280 by whatever, that, when you look at it on a standard monitor is not pixelated.   I've watched a couple of vids on Youtube on plotting, but thye don't seem to help; maybe I'm just burned out.   I've spent all day on this, and I'm just getting more confused...

 

Thanks 

Message 4 of 13
pendean
in reply to: adave

Is your monitor setting 1280xwhatever? Then just get a screengrab and save it as a JPG or PNG.
Or while in AutoCAD, PNGOUT or JPGOUT command: explore them and RASTERDPI command in HELP.
Or go old-school and read this: http://www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/qaID.asp?tip=1028
Or open your file in Adobe Illustrator, the corrct tool for what you want, and do so there.
Message 5 of 13
dmfrazier
in reply to: adave

"Now I can print out the file in the resolution I want.  The lines are too thin, and the drawing is washed out as a result, so that's another challenge..."

 

The thin lines and washed out appearance may be due to the plot style selected when plotting.  (The plot style is a table that converts or translates colors on the screen to various characteristics of the plotted output, such as line weight, grayscale, or screening.  Your issue may be due to one or more - or none- of these.) Assuming you want all lines to be the same weight, with no grayscale, and 100% screening, try using the plot style named monochrome, which is normally included in an AutoCAD installation.

 

If this is not clear, or doesn't resolve the issue, just post back with specific info on what it did or didn't do and I (or someone here) will (eventually) get you to a solution.

Message 6 of 13
dgorsman
in reply to: dmfrazier

Right.  The later post introduces a bit of confusion - is it PDF or an image file that is desired?  If the latter, JPG is a horrible choice of an image file format for linework.  TIFF or PNG would be a better choice, while PDF is the preferred format.  If printing to PDF, ensure you are plotting to the desired paper size or larger.  Creating an 8 1/2 x 11 PDF file will look pixelated when scaled up, while a 22 x 34 PDF will still look OK when printed on smaller paper.

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 7 of 13
adave
in reply to: dmfrazier

Thanks for the response/ideas.  I can't seem to find "monochrome" option on the "Plot-Model" screen.   I have tried "PublishtoWebPNG.pc3", but it only prints out a small pixellated blob (2.9K) now.   I went into the drawing, and I set all of the line widths to .3 mm, and lineweight scale to .000, and can't get the plot back (still a small blob).

 

I'm mostly playing around inside the "Plot-Model" tab right now.  Maybe I need to be somewhere else...

Message 8 of 13
adave
in reply to: dgorsman

I've been able to get a pretty decent looking .pdf file, but I need something that I can put onto a webpage, so I'm trying for a .png.   Looks like I might have what I need -  in the "Plot-Model tab, I chose "publish to webPNG", "Sun-Hi-Res 1600x1280", plot "Extents", and Plot Scale "Fit to Paper".  This gets me close enough.  I lost the colors, but I'm grateful for what I've got.

 

Need to find a good explanation on the whole process, if someone knows where I can find something on the subject of plotting, I'd certainly appreciate it!   The Autodesk help is just not up to snuff, and the screens, I'm sorry to say, leave a lot to conjecture.

Message 9 of 13
Alfred.NESWADBA
in reply to: adave

Hi,

 

after flying over that thread there are some inconsistencies. Your header is "Export a PDF" and now you create/need a PNG and you "lost colors" ... what do you really need now and what did you to lose colors? Can you describe your steps?

 

If I start at the beginning (you try to create a PDF) you can start the command _PLOT, select the "DWG to PDF.pc3"-driver, you can define a papersize you need and the plot-area of the part of drawing you like to plot (Here we need to know if you plot from modelspace or paperspace).

Then, right to the plotter-name, you can click onto "Properties" ==> in that new dialog select "Custom Properties" in the tree ==> click on button "Custom Properties" ==> and here you can set the resolution your want to get for the PDF

 

2014-02-15 16-10-04.png

 

No to the "lost colors": in the plot dialog have you set any plotstyle-table? If so, change it to "None" or "acad.ctb"

 

2014-02-15 16-12-26.png

 

 

Some other questions open for me:

 

>> "Plot to File" with a high resolution

What means "high resolution" for you exactly?

 

>> All I want is a jpeg with resolution of about 1280 by whatever, that, when you look at it on a standard monitor is not pixelated

Well, that now with JPEG is different to PDF, PDF can hold vectors, so there should not be an issue with "pixelated" whereas JPEG is a raster-format, whatever you do might be bad for the display: zoom out makes pixel smaller and so lines (original lines) invisible ... or zooming in means pixelated. You can't avoid that, That's how raster files are built.

 

>> I've spent all day on this, and I'm just getting more confused...

SCNR: a day spent in training would be quite more efficient 😉

 

- alfred -

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfred NESWADBA
Ingenieur Studio HOLLAUS ... www.hollaus.at ... blog.hollaus.at ... CDay 2024
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(not an Autodesk consultant)
Message 10 of 13
pendean
in reply to: adave

Raster images like JPG and PNG are blobs: you never EVER resize them or zoom in after they are created, that's just the nature of dot-drawn raster images.

You don't seem to quite understand graphics: are you trying to put together a presentation or a printed document? You are all over the place with your questions 😞
Message 11 of 13
adave
in reply to: Alfred.NESWADBA

Sorry about the confusion,I started out with .pdf, and figured that out, but it didn't work for my purposes (putting an image into webpage html).  So I tried converting the pdf in  GIMP, and that didn't work too well.  Then I got lost in the welter of plotting options...

 

It's not so much the technology I'm confused about; I understand what the various formats are, it's just how to effectively find where to change all of the parameters.  Needlessly confusing, IMHO.    I would like to find some "training", but I can't afford to pay (being a one man shop), so I'm looking for online free resources.  

 

Thanks for the diagrams you posted.  I wasn't aware of the "plot style assignments" that you pointed out.

 

I just found a pretty good short article that helps:

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/creating-jpeg-and-png-files/

 

After following the steps above, along with the posts, I was able to set up "my own" configuration, including the colors.  I think I can carry on now.  

 

Thanks for all of the responses, they enabled me to get the results I needed, albeit with a good deal of frustration.

 

As an aside, I've moved most of my work to Sketchup, so now only use acad for simple line diagrams at this point.  When I come back to acad, I find I often have to relearn the processes; guess I'm just getting too old.  I'm finding the Sketchup experience much more intuitive (IMHO, of course), not to mention more affordable for my purposes.  I know that most acad users need the extra features.  Once again IMHO: I think Autodesk ought to assign more effort to fixing the "front end" of their apps (like most other applications developers have).  I bought into acad a few years back, but won't be doing so any more.  Sorry about the commentary...  

 

Thanks again!

 

 

 

 

Message 12 of 13
adave
in reply to: pendean

I understand graphics (at least well enough).  My "beef" is with how all of the settings are accessed/organized.   I know that it has "evolved" over the years from past versions, but there are too many options, too many screens, no contextual help, inadequate support.   Makes it hard when you aren't an "every day" user.  I think Autodesk could get a lot more people to adopt their products if they spent more effort on the front end.   Don't get me wrong, it's a great product, but it's simply too hard to learn (at least for those of average intelligence, such as myself).

 

Message 13 of 13
dgorsman
in reply to: adave

AutoCAD isn't an "app" or a sketching tool, its a technical design tool.  It assumes a certain level of training or experience, formal or informal, to get results of any quality.  And before you ask: no, I actually didn't have any official training for plotting.  Self-taught for the most part using reason, experience, and patience.

 

Thats one of the downsides of being a one-man shop: you need to be not only designer and business manager but IT and CAD Support as well.

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


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