PLOTTING PROBLEM REVIT 2017

[grahamkoch]

Hi

I have a constant plotting problem where 1 of the office PC plots directly from revit 2017 to plotter with no problems.

There are another 3 PC all loaded with Revit 2017 which do not plot at all, the only work arround that somtimes works is to create a PDF and then plot from a PDF reader. The Pc that does work plots directly to the plotters IP Address. Have checked the setting and all the plotter seetings are identical.

This problem has been driving me nuts since updating to 2016, always an intermittent on the three PC.

The Plotter is a HP Designjet 4520 HPGL2.

Have tried removed and reinstalling Revit 2017 no change.

Removed and reinstalled Plotter and updated drivers, no change.

Have created a network plotter on the office server, no change.

Have updated the 3 pc to windows 10 from windows 7 64 bit, no change.

When large sized PDF's are created from the other machines in the office, only the 1 PC is able to plot them.

Any other suggestions I can try?

Regards

Graham

[Anonymous]

Try installing the PS3 driver vs the HPGL/2 version.

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/swd/public/readIndex?sp4ts.oid=3879150&swLangOid=8&swEnvOid=4063

Install as a local printer then modify the port to be the IP location....that way it spools on the workstation vs the plotter itself.

[grahamkoch]

Hi mpwuhere



I have also tried using the PS3 driver, did not work the plotter would not
accept the file and refused to plot



Regards

Graham Koch

[Anonymous]

Make sure the Graphics Language on the plotter setting's is set to Automatic and not just HPGL/2.

[grahamkoch]

Hi



Have checked setting on the plotter and the language is set to automatic.

[jlg_design]

Hi Graham,

I went through a similar problem trying to plot to an HP Designjet 500 42 on my new workstation with Revit 2017 and Windows 10. I spent hours on the phone with Autodesk support trying every possible fix, but nothing worked. He recommended having our office IT guy check the network server and plotter drivers. Our IT guy is offsite and it took 3 weeks to get him to our office. Our network server is on Windows 2003, so he updated all the printer drivers for Windows 10. But still, nothing worked. I suggested trying the plotter on Revit 2016 and it worked! As I was about to contact Revit Support to tell them the problem is with Revit 2017, I went back into Revit 2017 and it also miraculously worked! It is now functioning with out any problems. I updated my support case and the tech was totally surprised and baffled with this outcome. 

I don't know if this will work for you, but give it a try and good luck.

Jeff

[yurikim]

Hi @grahamkoch

Do you still face this issue? Is there any difference between the one PC has no problem and the others have this issue? 

What about when you try in Revit 2016? Does this work?

[grahamkoch]

Hi Yuri

Have tried the proposed work around from Jeff and surprise the solution only worked on one machine the other 2 Revit 2017 machines are still not plotting.

There was also and update from Autodesk last week Wednesday which has now caused one of the other PC's which is running Autocad 2017 TO ALSO NOW STOP PLOTTING IT WAS PLOTTING FINE BEFORE. SAT AT MACHINE UNINSTALLING ALL OLD SOFTWARE NO CHANGE (EVEN UNINSTALLED AUTOCAD 2016). 

GETTING TIRED OF THIS 

DELETED AND RELOADED PLOTTER DRIVERS AGAIN NO CHANGE

RELOADED PLOTTER AS A NETWORK PLOTTER ON THE SERVER AND TRIED PLOTTING THROUGH THE SERVER NO CHANGE

RELOADED PC3 DRIVERS NO CHANGE

PULLED IN NEW NETWORK CABLE NO CHANGE 

PLUGGED ONE OF THE MACHINES INTO THE WORKING REVIT 2017 PC'S  NETWORK CABLE NO CHANGE

REINSTALLED REVIT 2017 NO CHANGE

RESET TO PLOT DIRECTLY TO PLOTTER AGAIN NO CHANGE 

CLEARED PLOTTER MEMORY NO CHANGE

RESTARTED PLOTTER AND SERVER NO CHANGE

THE ONLY GUYS IN THE OFFICE WHO ARE ABLE TO PLOT  WITHOUT ANY ISSUES ARE BOTH USING USING CADDIE(drawing program).

THEY ARE USING THE SAME NETWORK, SAME DRIVERS,SAME ANTIVIRUS AND SAME SERVER AS I INSTALLED THEM TOO.

ANYTHING ELSE I CAN TRY ???

Feeling very frustrated 

[yurikim]

Hi @grahamkoch

If it is only in Revit, I would check the followings:

Does this occur in any files in Revit 2017? (SP1 installed?)

Does it make difference when you used "Preview" prior to print? 

Have you tried to test this in a simple project? 

How about when you disable add-ins? 

How about using Raster processing?

Have you updated drivers for graphics card?

Disable/Enabling Hardware acceleration

Checking/removing Adobe updates

How about in other versions of Revit? I can see that this also happen in AutoCAD. What version is AutoCAD? 

Also it seems that this happens in only certain machine. What is the difference between machines that are working and not...? 

[Anonymous]

Hi Yuri

I am a Revit Applications Engineer for Modena, an Autodesk Reseller in South Africa.  We have has numerous support calls come in, exactly like Graham's (in fact he has been in contact with one of our tech support guys).  To us this is an extremely common problem without any resolution yet.

I've just spoken to Graham.  He has tried all your suggestions to no avail.

It looks to me like a Windows 10 combined with an HP plotter and Revit 2017 causes the problem.  We have escalated this issue to Autodesk support but have not received satisfactory resolution.

Please can someone help solve this problem!

[Anonymous]

Hi

An addition to this conversation. This same issue has been resolved somewhere else by going into the HP printer properties and sending the plots to the printer as a bitmap.  I'm hazy on the exact detail as I don't have HP plotter settings infront of me to give you an exact step by step but I'm hoping that this will maybe help someone out there who also has a Revit2017-Windows10-HP plotter issue

Thanks

Jess

[DROCK1627]

i have been having the same problem with 2017, on my one and only computer and my designjet 800 42". I can print any project from 2016. I can not print ANY project from 2017. I contacted my re-seller from imagin-it and he said that he had never heard of ANY problems regarding printing from Revit 2017. but he did say for a small fee of $350 he could have one of his techs call and figure it out. my same level of frustration as others expressed on here, is that i have already paid $$$ for software that should work, and I continue to pay $$$ for subscriptions and updates that should work. if they don't work, it is my responsibility and my $$$ to pay for their own people to make it work. I can print fine from Revit 2016. Why should it be that I pay for the upgrades, and receive a substandard product? has anyone found a solution to this yet?

[Anonymous]

@DROCK1627 Maybe it is your printer...  Inkjets haven't been the greatest plotter for Revit for a very long time.

Suggest getting a laser plotter, like an Oce or Xerox, less stress.  

[MEG]

OMG.  So I apparently am having the same problem!!!  Took me a while to figure out the problem was Revit, but I also have the combo of Windows 10, and HP Plotter, and Revit 2017.  

This is the first thing I've printed since upgrading (I waited forever to upgrade b/c of trying to hit it between projects . . .didn't happen).  So no one has figured out a solution to this yet?

I'm sitting here fuming.  For the amount of money we pay for each license and subscription fees (which is an exorbitant amount of money for a very small biz) I can't believe the product would even be released without catching some major kind of error like this.  I don't have a backup plotter.  So I either have to go pay someone else to plot (when I have a plotter full of paper and ink sitting right here) or what?!  At 6pm on a Friday no less??

I am just awe struck.  I'm hoping something magically starts working before I have a complete meltdown.

[DROCK1627]

Hello!!!! This is the exact statement I was trying to tell my reseller. Why pay so much money for product, so much money for renewal and product cant print my project to an expensive plotter sitting next to my desk!



I have gone back to doing projects in revit2016. Anything I had in 2017 I printed to a pdf, then sent the pdf to my plotter.



Yeah, have to pay the $1000 for revit 2017, that I don’t/cant use. So frustrating



My reseller (imaginit) did say that If I paid them $300, their tech would fix my problem.



Please keep in touch, and I am sorry. No there is no solution out there to the working class. Apparently resellers know the fix, but they want money to fix it. why can Autodesk step up to the plate and fix it?




Sent from Windows Mail

[MEG]

I managed to find a workaround by printing to Cute PDF then printing from there. But I shouldn't have to do this!


I'm going to call next week and if they tell me I'll have to pay $300 for someone to come fix it, I'll be going all Mama Bear on them. We already paid for them to fix this. It's called "we paid for the product and subscription fees". In my mind this is exactly the sort of thing the Subscription fees are for. Tech support. But them fixing the problem is simply standing by their product. I'm all sorts of angry right now. I've been using it for over 7 years (in a professional capacity where I purchased myself) and have NEVER had a problem like this. When you pay four digits for a computer program it needs to work. Who can run an company in any sort of architectural capacity without the ability to print? Unless someone chooses to print off site. But I like having control over my end product, so that's not happening.


Rant over . . .for the moment. I hope someone from Autodesk is reading this b/c next week I'm comin' for ya! You need to fix this five minutes ago. I have a set of substandard print quality rough prints to devilver. SMH.

[DROCK1627]

If you find anything out, let me know, or if you find out who I can even email at autodesk. let me know . I ranted on my reseller saying the exact same things you said. “When I buy a product, and it doesn't work, I take it back and they either fix it, or give me one that does work”. I am saying that autodesk just pretty much cashes your check and says screw you, your on your own. and if you don't pay us next year, we are going to charge you quadruple.

I am not even sure where to find more info out? there has to be more people with this same problem? you are the first one that has made a comment since I put my post.

Sent from Windows Mail

[MEG]

If/when I find out anything else I will certainly post here.  I tried my best to forget about it over the weekend, but yay for Monday morning  . . .back to the real world.  I agree, surely others are having this problem.  I noticed someone commented up above to get a new plotter.  Without being ugly . . .really??  I would love to just be able to buy a new plotter.  And yes, I would love to buy a new laser plotter.  I promise it's on my wishlist.  When I do it will be laser and it will be Epson.  But small businesses like mine that operate part time out of their home office don't generally have the budget to just pop out and purchase a new plotter on a whim.  It takes a lot of work just to make sure I keep my subscription paid up and my computer up to par.  Anyway, I will update when I find anything out.

[grahamkoch]

Hi Meg

I was contacted by Autodesk, they requested plot files to review the problem.

Their conclusion was my graphics cards need to be replaced.

So I asked why then can I create PDF files and plot A4 and A3 to a Cannon printer? ( Answer silence).

The new Autodesk AutoCAD 2017 has also stopped plotting directly to the plotter so back to First creating PDF'S.

I am so glad I am not the only one who is completely frustrated.

I have to sit in meetings and please explain to the directors why the office can't print directly to the plotter when we could when working on 2016.

There is no answer???????????????

Can someone at Autodesk please wake Up".

There is clearly a problem, stop Trying to pass the buck and sort this out

If there is anyone else with the same problem pleased add a post to this reply.

[MEG]

Replace your graphics cards??  Really?  No.  Just no.  THEY need to fix this.  If I have a computer that meets the system requirements of the program, then that program needs to work.  It's making all of us look like idiots to our clients.  I haven't had a chance to call yet, but come on Autodesk.  Step up and fix this.