topic Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF in AutoCAD Forum

Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

joe_kohli — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:33:52 GMT

Not sure if this can be achieved but I will ask to see:

Can you add a hyperlink (say you add the hyperlink to an object in a drawing) in an AutoCad, then convert that drawing into a PDF and save it on your work station... then open that PDF, my question is this: will that hyperlink work? Or is there a way to achieve this action within the PDF?

My goal: to hyperlink all pdf's so they can be one big continues drawing by clicking the hyperlinks that will open you up to another drawing (or in this case, PDF).

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

pendean — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:40:51 GMT

What have you tried so far where it did not work? Explain your process in detail please.
Remember, you will need to know ahead of time and add the correct hyperlink to the external file yourself to the object(s) before creating the PDF. The program does not do that for you in any way.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

joe_kohli — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 11:51:40 GMT

@pendean I believe I answered my own question. I essentially created a hyperlink via AutoCad and then exported that to a PDF. This allowed the PDF to still read the hyperlink which is what my goal was. I then added hyperlinks in my drawing where needed and linked them to various drawings that I needed and then converted it all to PDF so I can move around on the PDF to various other PDF's. Hopefully that makes sense.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 19:55:35 GMT

I am having problems with this same process. i created an mtext of the dwg sheet page on a keyplan. I am creating 3 different sheets and in each keyplan I created the hyperlink to read where that file resides. Afterwards, i created a pdf of all sheets and the mtext doesn't appear on the keyplan. What am i doing wrong?

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

pendean — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 20:04:31 GMT

@ctalosig wrote:
...and the mtext doesn't appear on the keyplan...

What does that mean please? Is your MTEXT just on a noplot layer? Assigned a color that is invisible? Your PDF reader reported an error of some sort?

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 20:27:15 GMT

I started created mtext on a layer to plot on my keyplan. I have 3 boxes as an example with the text of the dwg sheet on them. Example, 201, 202, 203. I typed hyperlink and sellected the text to find the file of that dwg for all 3. After doing this, i created a pdf of all three sheets and on my keyplan the mtext did not appear on the pdf and of course with the text not being there i couldn't sellect it to see if that hyperlink would jump to the page of where that dwg is on the pdf.

I have been searching on how to do this everywhere. All i'm finding is adding a hyperlink to a website which isn't what i want.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

pendean — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:08:01 GMT

@ctalosig

1) Is your MTEXT just on a no-plot layer?

2) is your MTEXT assigned a color that is invisible when printed?

Show us by sharing DWG and PDF files please.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:14:51 GMT

no it is on a plot layer. creating the mtext was what i was told to do.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

CodeDing — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:19:33 GMT

@ctalosig ,

After checking pendean's recommendations,

be sure this box is checked:

Best,

~DD

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:19:37 GMT

Am i not suppose to use mtext? What i'm trying to do is from cad files, plotting to a pdf set, i want some type of hyperlink to jump from whatever page i want to jump to. As i mentioned an example is like a keyplan. If i want to go to a dwg file, i know a hyperlink can jump to that page in a pdf. Does this make sense? How do i make a hyperlink from cad to jump to the file/pages in a pdf set.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 21:33:49 GMT

Thank you! I will give this a try and hope this is what i needed to resolve my issue.😊

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:17:17 GMT

ok..so i already had that properties checked for hyperlink. The text is showing up but the hyperlink isn't working. What am i doing wrong? Or a better question is, how do i create hyperlinks on cad to work on a pdf set. Again, this is like the example i had explained where a keyplan that shows several files, i would like it to work when i hover over that keyplan on one file that it would jump to that page. Can someone please help me to do this? It doesn't seem it's my settings that is a problem here. It just looks like I'm missing a step or something.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

CodeDing — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:38:12 GMT

@ctalosig ,

@pendean wrote:
Show us by sharing DWG and PDF files please.

Can you post a DWG file (or multiple files if necessary) for us to look at? We need more information.

Works for me:

Paper space before PDF plot

PDF, cursor hovering over hyperlink to DWG file

DWG file opened when clicked

Best,

~DD

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 23:04:46 GMT

I'm done for the day but will post tomorrow. i did get it to work but it created a dwf file. i prefer a pdf file. will send more info tomorrow. thank you.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

ctalosig — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 18:16:57 GMT

This is a continuation of the previous messages that is now not allowing me to respond to it. So i am attaching a dwf file where the hyperlinks on the keyplan works on sheet G04 where it will show 3 other text and when i click on them it will go to that pdf sheet. This is what i am wanting to happen but on a pdf. So this dwf was created from my cad files. I don't need cad to open another cad hyperlink. I know that one already. What i need help on is my cad file to pdf file and having these links work to jump to the pages that i need them to go to. I'm trying to attached my file but it's not allowing any attachments.

Re: Hyperlinks in Autocad to PDF

CodeDing — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 18:49:29 GMT

@ctalosig wrote:
What i need help on is my cad file to pdf file and having these links work to jump to the pages that i need them to go to.

For this, you should try Hyperlinking to a specific layout in your drawing:

This method successfully hyperlinked to another page in my PDF.

Best,

~DD