topic Re: automatically cropping a PDF when plotting from AutoCAD in AutoCAD Forum

automatically cropping a PDF when plotting from AutoCAD

barry2104 — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:25:09 GMT

I couldn't find a recent (<5y) thread on this so am hoping there is a solution by now, because the amount of hours I've spent cropping the white margins off an AutoCAD-generated PDF must run into the hundreds by now.

Is there really no way (ideally via tick-box in the print dialogue!) to have AutoCAD crop the PDF file whilst creating it?

Other than using an online cropper (uploading the PDF, downloading the result) or paying for 3rd Party Software to do it after generating the fact, the only way I know how to solve this problem within AutoCAD is to create a sheet size (length x height) exactly equal to the size of the plan borders, but since we often deal with non-DIN sized plans, this is not a blanket solution.

On a related note: I currently have a long list of (standard) paper formats / sizes that I see when I run _PLOT command, but half of them are imperical (inches) and won't ever be used here. What's the easiest way to remove these from the list, to keep things manageable?

Re: automatically cropping a PDF when plotting from AutoCAD

pendean — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:38:23 GMT

Are you trying to eliminate the default PDF margins that always appear from any software plotting to a pdf driver all over the world?
Or do you mean something else?

FWIW you can PLOT to PDF using the window-selection option if you want to totally control output in AutoCAD, if creating a layout exactly the way you want it to output is too much to do for a quick plot.

To limit the pages you want to see in any driver, you can create a custom unique-to-you PC3 file from the source driver to only show the ones you want.

Or create custom named pagesetups in a template file and use PAGESETUPIN command to import only those when you need it.

HTH

Re: automatically cropping a PDF when plotting from AutoCAD

barry2104 — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 09:25:28 GMT

@pendean schrieb:
Are you trying to eliminate the default PDF margins that always appear from any software plotting to a pdf driver all over the world?

yes, this^ is what I want. This has been a time-killer for CAD users for many years now and I'd have expected there to be an automated solution from AutoCAD by now. Or is that asking too much?

@pendean schrieb:
FWIW you can PLOT to PDF using the window-selection option if you want to totally control output in AutoCAD,

Not sure what you mean here exactly. If I have my layout setup with an A0 page size (841x1189mm), but the plan border/boundaries are say only 600x1000mm, when I plot using a window selection (picking two opposing corners of the page border in Paper-Space), then the PDF still comes out A0 in size and I have to "post crop" to get rid of the white margins outside my desired 600x1000 black border.

But maybe you mean something else that I'm not aware of (that would solve my issue)?

Re: automatically cropping a PDF when plotting from AutoCAD

pendean — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 14:45:12 GMT

Read this similar post and the one just after it https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/plot-to-pdf-in-autocad-cuts-off-border/m-p/8127326#M940507