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Creating Geospatial PDF

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Message 1 of 11
nroper
6122 Views, 10 Replies

Creating Geospatial PDF

Has Autodesk (or anyone else) come up with a way to directly create Geospatial PDFs from AutoCAD?

 

I have 2 solutions already, but each has its own drawbacks: Global Mapper (PDF created is not as professional as CAD produced PDF) or Adobe X Pro (time consuming with multiple layouts).

10 REPLIES 10
Message 2 of 11
antoniovinci
in reply to: nroper

Nope, so I recommend you to give a look-over to the GeoDWF format: read this, sir.

In the attached example, you have a vector map in DWF format, with full layers toggleability, created with the glorious Whip driver several years ago.

As far as I know, since 2010 releases, Map/Civil allow to embed LL84 coords in the final DWF, as long as Object Data.

Message 3 of 11
neilroper
in reply to: antoniovinci

Thanks for the info, but it wont work with what i need.

 

I need an open source format that has been accepted by everyone, and end user do not need anything more than free software (adobe distiller) to access, and can open on tablets (with free aps from "Itunes" or "app store")

 

 

Message 4 of 11
BrianHailey
in reply to: neilroper


@neilroper wrote:

Thanks for the info, but it wont work with what i need.

 

I need an open source format that has been accepted by everyone, and end user do not need anything more than free software (adobe distiller) to access, and can open on tablets (with free aps from "Itunes" or "app store")

 

 


All your end users will need to view a DWF is the free application Design Review (it's as free as Adobe Reader and does a lot more). There is the free app in the app store called Autodesk 360 (also available for Android I believe) that allows you to view your DWF files. The ONLY advantage I've seen that PDF has over DWF for drawing type files is that when you send a DWF to someone they will reply, "Can't you just send me a PDF instead?" 

 

Brian J. Hailey, P.E.



GEI Consultants
My Civil 3D Blog

Message 5 of 11
neilroper
in reply to: BrianHailey

I wont be able to push  a product that can only be handled by Autodesk programs; i need something that can be hadled across a variety of formats and end user skills.

 

Message 6 of 11
antoniovinci
in reply to: neilroper

Neil,
no room for "across a variety of format": your customers will be able to view (for free) a GeoPDF only with Adobe Reader, no Foxreader or other similar viewers can manage the geo-header embedded there.
That is, just because a GeoPDF is not a simple PDF like others.
I love the PDF format, and I can't imagine my work without Acrobat, but if we're talking about exporting "clever" maps from Autocad, the answer is one: DWF, period.



For the Autocad vintage times' lovers, I'm gonna show what's the meaning of "W" in the DWF extension.

If you open this address in Explorer (32bit, no Firefox, Chrome, ...) and accept the Autodesk Whip Control, you will enjoy the above vector map, with full right-mouse options, e.g. layers, location (UTM coords), named views, and so on.

In this way, dear Neal, your customer doesn't even need to install Design Review to display the DWF files (but you must have a website where to put them into)...

Message 7 of 11
neilroper
in reply to: antoniovinci

Ok, I was about to just ignore any more posts on this topic, but with the framing of the last few responses I have to give you my two bits. I asked about georeferncing PDFs, not what other formats AutoCAD is trying to push, just PDFs.

 

Autocad apps are terrible, they just are, not user friendly, not right for people who know or want to sign up for everything autocad, not intuitive to the customers at all. If I need people to log on to a web page to view the product I am sending them, then all portability is gone. And try sending your client to learn a whole new product, when what he receives now is dead simple (just not georeferenced). 

 

If think DWG/DWF has a lot more supported programs than PDF, in any operating package or any medina, you are living a pipe dream. Just do any search for PDF and compare to the results you get for DWG. Yes there are not hundreds of programs to create PDFs, there are many that will handle them.

 

I could go on, but I am sure my thoughts are not going to change your minds. Lets just say we agree to disagree about this. Anyways, thanks for your time to try to explain a solution put forward by Autodesk, but that is not what I am looking for.

 

Again, thanks for you effort

Neil

Message 8 of 11
jgray
in reply to: nroper

The final response was kind of a harsh tone, but I do agree that Autodesk needs to work out what ever deal with whomever to be able to generate GEOPDF's.  It does seem like autodesk wants you to stay within the line of products and they do this by making new file types that only work for their products.

 

Another example would be shapefiles, when Map3d 2010 came out with the whole taskpane and connecting to data etc... using it to work with shapefiles was slow.... and almost unusable unless your data was small. When you went though that map3d 2010 tutorial and looked though the help file I got the general feeling they wanted you to change all your data to .sdf format, some format that was basically created by autodesk, or something like that it was called. So basically they wanted you to leave behind the shapefile format which is such a popular format and change over to a format that hardly anybody has ever heard of just so that it played nicely with autocad.

 

So bascially please just give in autodesk and start allowing us to create geopdf's and stop pushing your own file types, your products are great but geopdf's have been out for a while so would you mind start allowing us to use them/create them.  Also if autocadws would support them as well that would be an added bonus.

Message 9 of 11
antoniovinci
in reply to: jgray


jgray wrote:

start allowing us to create geopdf's


  • Technically: why should Autodesk allow you to export GeoPDF, since their GeoDWF works perfectly?
  • Formally: how many royalties should Autodesk pay to Terrago (owner of GeoPDF patent) to embed it in Autocad? 
Message 10 of 11

 

Global Mapper, or Esri are can create Georeferenced PDF's

Why would Autodesk allow us to export Georeferenced PDF's

Same reason to Print PDF's, Export Esri SHP, Mapinfo TAB, XML or any other format.

Perhaps it is what Autodesk's clients require to provide services to their clients.

Message 11 of 11

A dumb plot file format that typically only has (2) decimals of precision and not even semi-intelligent objects.  The PDF format can't even contain a circle, it's generated with (4) bezier curves.  There are a lot more important things for Autodesk to be working on.

 

"Just 'Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should"

 

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