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Scaling Error when "Plotting" .DWG > .PDF

15 REPLIES 15
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Message 1 of 16
navionflyr
4991 Views, 15 Replies

Scaling Error when "Plotting" .DWG > .PDF

Hi All,

 

Am new to the forum so we'll see how this all works.  Recently downloaded and installed "TrueView 2014" specifically to be able to create transportable files for printing (support for my HP 750C+ is no longer) .. in any case, plotted several .DWG files to the .PDF.pc3 "printer" and headed off to the local print shop .. only after the drawings arrived at the end users' shop did we discover the problem .. the scale is off by about 2% .. in 1:12 scale a 28' item only measures 27.5' on the printed page (too great an error to be the result of paper shrinkage) .. I know one is not supposed to scale off the drawing, BUT in lieu of all dimensions it's frequently acceptable .. BUT NOT when the plotted results are wrong!  Initially I thought that there was a "calibration" problem with the printer but a third party has confirmed the plotting disprepancy in my .PDF file.  It appears that a work around is possible by converting the "Model" space drawing first to "Paper Space", adjusting the scale and then plotting paper space .. but why the need and why isn't the issue documented .. or more to the point what did I do wrong in the first place?? Help!!!

15 REPLIES 15
Message 2 of 16
pendean
in reply to: navionflyr

Are you sure it was not just a printshop 'printing' error? By default, unless you actively remove it, most PDF viewers are set to "fit" to a paper espacially if the margins provided are smaller than the plotter that is being used can create.

Worth asking since it's not a common problem for the majority of AutoCAD users creating PDF files for the last 10+ years. In fact, you probably should be at the print shop working with them to iron the problem out at the source of the printing, unless you know for sure you're DWG files were not 100% accurately setup (the viewer cannot fix the source files, you need the file creator to do so).

Also work with your DWG source to confirm the settings are accurate.

Message 3 of 16
navionflyr
in reply to: pendean

Thanks for your response .. and "yes," NOT a "shrink to fit" situation (the "box" is Unchecked). The original .DWG file and the "offending" .PDF file were both sent to an architect friend who has a large format printer. He confirmed that the .DWG file "prints" to the correct size (scale), and within the accuracy (+/-0.015") of the printer .. BUT the .PDF file is "off" by about 2%. Specifically, a feature in the drawing that is drawn and dimensioned at 28' measures 28" when printing from the .DWG file .. BUT only measures 27.5" when printing from the .PDF file. By the way .. the .PDF output file name includes the word "Model" which I take to mean that it understands it is converting from a "Model Space" drawing.

Since this is a project where the end user is EXPECTED to glean certain size information by actually measuring the drawing, it is critical that the print be correct. In any case, the size problem appears to be known (at least the friend had similar experiences) and found that by converting the drawing first to "paper space" and adjusting the scale he could get the correct output ... I've never used "Paper Space" so I'm hoping for an easier answer than having to learn a new process.

Larry
Message 4 of 16
pendean
in reply to: navionflyr

'model' in the file name means it got plotted from the Model Tab: if you need paperspace set up, someone with AutoCAD must do so for you.

Can your friend PLOT to a PDF from the DWG file, then to paper, and repeat the problem?
Message 5 of 16
navionflyr
in reply to: navionflyr

Thanks again for your response.  I HAVE AutoCAD .. that's how the original drawing was created.  Until my HP 750C+ printer quit and HP has dropped support for same there was no printing problem .. now it is easier to do the designs and e-mail .PDF files .. but the first attempt produced unacceptable results (the scaling problem we've been discussing).  I do not understand why the error ocurrs when converting .DWG to .PDF from "Model Space" .. the "Shrink to Fit" box is not checked, the "scale" is set correctly, the program (TrueView) reports the correct size paper ... but the resulting file "prints" about 2% smaller (in linear terms) than it should .. as I indicated in my earlier msg .. this seems not to be the case when converting from a drawing that is created in "Paper Space" .. BUT I'm not familiar with that technique so I'm hoping for some answers for my comfort zone of "Model Space"

Larry

Message 6 of 16
pendean
in reply to: navionflyr

Let's recap to ensure no misunderstanding:

- I talked about the 'shrink to fit' in the PDF viewer the print shop uses, not the PC3 file in AutoCAD or AutoCAD's Plot or Export scale setting. That's where most PDF to Paper scaling issues appear, from the PDF viewer printing to paper.

- PLOT to PDF, not 'export' gives you the same total control as PLOT to the plotter you once had. Is that how you are creating the PDFs? Try using PLOT command.
Message 7 of 16
navionflyr
in reply to: pendean

Ok .. let me try to clarify everything. Prior to the HP craping out there was no problem .. .dwg files were "plotted" and sent to the end user. With the dead printer I needed another way and thought that "Plotting" using the plot facility within TrueView would work. So I opened my .dwg file within TrueView and selected "plot" .. since I knew I wanted a .PDF file I selected the .DWG to .PDF "printer" .. on the parameter screen I selected "window" , "Centered" and the scale of 1"=12" and verified that the "Shrink to fit" box was not checked. The resulting file was taken to a local print shop where multiple copies were made. I kept one copy and the others went to my client. Several days later he called to tell me that the drawings were NOT printer to the correct scale (28" printed at 27.5") .. It did not occur to me that there was a problem with the software, rather I thought it was a printer calibration issue. The print shop assured me that they had not experienced any complaints in the past. That's when I contacted my architect friend .. who confirmed that the .PDF file created from within TrueView using a .DWG file created in Model space did in fact print with a scale error of about 2% .. the original .DWG file printer from within AutoCAD was correct within the accuracy of the printer .. his work around was to take my original .DWG back into AutoCAD and convert it to "Paper Space" do the necessary adjustments (I can't specific in that regard because I don't use Paper Space) and then print it again using TrueView .. in that case the size was correct i.e. the printed paged did not exhibit the 25 linear error ...

I find this very disturbing as my understanding is that a .DWG file is nothing more than a big database containing numerical data in the fields and records .. number "crunching" is number crunching .. the output should be a linear representation of the input .. but that's not what I'm seeing ....

Larry
Message 8 of 16
pendean
in reply to: navionflyr

See attached screenshot from Acrobat Reader, the application most people use to read and print PDFs: this is what I'm talking about. <<<< THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. Have you verified this is not the problem? That's important.

 

See second screenshot is from DTV, the one I have installed, plotting from modelspace: no issues with PDFs generated here for me. Are these your settings too (you are allowed to change page size and plot scale of course)? What are your settings?

 

You have AutoCAD, why the need for DTV? Just curious why the switch of application and all the added heartburn. Free Windows PDF drivers are all over the internet and I would suggest using them first over trying to figure out an odd viewer that's different from your comfort zone.

 

Can you post the DWG file for review/verification?

Message 9 of 16
navionflyr
in reply to: pendean

No attachments to review with your last msg. Not sure I understand your question or need for .PDF drivers
Message 10 of 16
Charles_Shade
in reply to: navionflyr

Are you not seeing the two Screenshots that were posted? They are showing fine here.

 

DWG to PDF works without issue for me inside of AutoCAD.

Could you be incorrectly applying the PDF and selection of the Plot Window?

 

The method and selection of Plot Parameters mentioned above work as expected here.

Used DWG to PDF, choose a Plot window from Modelspace, Saved the file to Desktop, Used Foxit PDF reader to open the resulting PDF, Choose to plot to my Printer, Measured and all good.

Message 11 of 16
navionflyr
in reply to: Charles_Shade

Hi Charles .. NO screen shots to view, sorry! Also my version of AutoCAD does not have a .PDF option to "plot" to .. I understand that a pseudo .PDF plotter can be added just as one might install a new printer but I haven't researched that to ground yet. In the mean time I assure you that using "DTV" (with all the "switches" set correctly) and creating a .PDF file from my Model space drawing, that was then taken to the local print shop for printing .. there WAS a resulting error (confirmed by a third party) in the finished print .. about 2% linear error .(a design feature, drawn at 28' and the "plotted" (VIA DTV to the .pdf file, in 1"=12" scale) only printed at 27.5'.

BTW, the hardware here is a relatively new HP Z210 workstation running Win7-Pro (32bit), Nvidia graphics card and HP 24" monitor. AutoCAD is version 2000i .. HP750C+ larger format printer was getting "tired" coincidental to computer upgrade and no Win7 Driver for it from HP so it is now "junk" taking up space in the office .. prior to that all client work was printer in-house and mailed to end user so scaling was never an issue.

Attached is "offending" .PDF file if that provides any insight into the problem

Larry
Message 12 of 16
pendean
in reply to: navionflyr

Do yourself a favor: in the time it has taken for this thread to get this far you could have easily found anf downloaded/installed a PDF driver and plotted from AutoCAD directly.
Here are two popular freeware (there are dozens of others):
http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/writer.asp
www.pdf995.com/
Message 13 of 16
Charles_Shade
in reply to: navionflyr

And nothing attached to your thread that I can see.

pdf995 always worked well for me in ealrier versions of AutoCAD

Message 14 of 16
navionflyr
in reply to: pendean

Dear Pendean ..

Thank you for your suggestion/direction. I don't mean to sound dumb, but I'm not sure exactly what to do with either of the "drivers" that you suggested. Do they install as though they were printers and then show up in the available list in AutoCAD when I want to print .. or do I have to install them with the plotter manager? A few minutes more of your time ... please.
Larry
Message 15 of 16
pendean
in reply to: navionflyr

Yes, you install them as Windows Printer drivers: they become available to all your applications in their respective print/plot functions to create PDFs.
Same in AutoCAD: just ensure you do not have HIDE SYSTEM PRINTERS selected in OPTIONS command's PLOT tab.

Message 16 of 16
navionflyr
in reply to: pendean

Thanks

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