topic Re: converting dwf to pdf file in Autodesk Viewers Forum

converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:37:05 GMT

Hi,

I'm trying to convert a dwf file to a pdf file by plotting to Adobe pdf converter and looks like it is plotting but create 0 size pdf file, which can't be opened from Adobe. Do you have any ideas what might be a problem? Thank you for your time.

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:15:07 GMT

Using design review we open the DWF file then go to the file drop down and select plot, and select PDF as the plotter. It has always worked. Hope this helps.

steve

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:44:45 GMT

Steve,

I am also having issues converting DWF files to PDF files using Design Review. I don't see a file drop down that provides a "plot" option. I am using Design Review 2010. The process I use to convert DWF files to PDF files is to print the DWF files using the virtual printer program PDFill. Any thoughts on using a virtual printer to convert DWF files to PDF files? Any thoughts on the options that you described ("plot") as available in Design Review for converting DWF files to PDF files?

Thanks!

Will

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:54:07 GMT

Yeah they hosed it with 2010. Autodesk needs to learn, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And they need to fix whats broken.

I tried printing a DWF to PDF, it took 10 minutes, acted like its spooling an 80 meg document, and gives me an 800k document that is not even correct (text unreadable, missing linework). Same process in Design Review 2009 takes less than 2 minutes and works fine.

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:56:32 GMT

Same here. Big files that are incomplete that take a long time to complete. Hope there's a patch soon. I had enough issues uninstalling and now can't get 2009 DR. I'm stuck with 2010.

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:17:11 GMT

OK, just uninstalled 2010 and put 2009 back on, thank god I had the installer saved. Of course I get a message trying to get me to upgrade to 2010 when I open it...
Anyways, PDF created in seconds with no problems.

Thanks again Autodesk, for rushing a new product with useless new features and less functionality than previous versions.

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:10:58 GMT

I am also having no luck printing to pdf with 2010.
Never had problems with 2006-2009.
I hope the support staff is checking these threads. Now I know it's not just me or my computer. There has to be real issue in 2010.

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:10:59 GMT

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:00:59 GMT

I am having the exact same problem. This is a major setback for Design Review in my opinion and has ruined a perfectly good product's productivity! I've wasted hours trying to find a setting somewhere that fixes the problem or an answer online.

I share all my files with clients as PDF and now I'm screwed!

AutoDesk, When will you learn to stop fixing things that aren't broken!? Please send fix soon or make 2009 available again!!!

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:03:42 GMT

ChrisCAD27,

Can you share the 2009 installer? My email address is tcrabtree@ctgatlanta.com

I would be most appreciative if you could!

Thanks! Tony

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:05:31 GMT

I have finally realized the only solution was to revert back to DR2009. Since Autodesk doesn't have this available for download, I found it online at http://www.brothersoft.com/autodesk-design-review-187338.html

Installed it along with the SP1 which I still had on my local drive and now I'm back to making perfect PDFs in seconds. I hope you find this link is useful.

Kind Regards,
Tony

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Bevier — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:27:48 GMT

Tony -

You are a lifesaver! Thank you for doing what AutoDesk could've/should've/WOULDN'T do by posting a like for a version that works. I can forgive putting a version out there that has a massive functionality flaw, but I can't forgive not giving back the version that works while you fix it.

I already only use DR because publishing in ACAD 2009 is a mess, and publishing to DWF, THEN printing from DR is the only way it works right. This little exercise has reinforced my decision NOT to upgrade to ACAD 2010 for quite some time.

Thanks,

Travis

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:44:42 GMT

Actually once we updated to acad2010 the design review 2010 did write out a pdf like 2009 does. It was slower but all the pages were there. Maybe it requires a couple dll that acad2010 has instead of acad2009. Acad2010 publish to pdf gave a fatal error which was par for the course.

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:49:38 GMT

I don't even waste my time trying to convert it anymore. I just pay $5 to get it done.

Check this guy out, ive been using him for years

https://www.fiverr.com/seokarl/convert-a-dwg-file-to-pdf

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

salaimanimagudam — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 02:56:00 GMT

view this link to get a solution

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/AutoCAD-Raster-images-cannot-be-seen-when-printing-DWG-to-PDF-with-the-910-3000-mm-paper-size.html

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

shalheveth — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 07:55:14 GMT

The issue is still a problem, I can't find a viable solution to convert a dwf file to a pdf file. The link to the solution suggested above is broken and returns 404.

I'm trying to use AutoCad with Design Automation API with no luck.

Any help will be appreciated!

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

pendean — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:36:10 GMT

@shalheveth wrote:
The issue is still a problem, I can't find a viable solution to convert a dwf file to a pdf file.

The solution today is to install this then print to a PDF driver on your computer

https://www.autodesk.com/products/design-review/overview

Re: converting dwf to pdf file

willm3 — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 18:28:54 GMT

AcroPlot will batch convert DWF to PDF, TIFF, and more.

CADzation (Authorized Autodesk Developer ADN) offers several ways to convert DWF files to PDF allowing you to leverage 20 years of software development that is unique to our apps.

1. Load DWFs into AcroPlot Pro batch converter, select output file type (PDF, TIFF, CALS, GP4, PNG, BMP), color, grayscale, monochrome, and more. Done.

2. Open DWFs with AcroPlot Matrix PDF Editor and it is converted to PDF on-the-fly when opened and viewed. Redline, comment, stamp, rotate, merge new sheets, save. Done.

3. Convert DWFs to super high quality TIFF with AcroPlot Repro (grayscale or color) for wide-format printing, background images, estimating apps, plan rooms, etc. Done.

4. Automate DWF to PDF conversion with AcroPlot Auto Server. Either use the UI to create watch queues with specific conversion settings or utilize the AcroPlot API. Done.

CADzation's DWF technology is developed in-house (Not some basic SDK rewrapped in a UI).

If your DWF doesn't convert the way you need it in the evaluation version of AcroPlot, then open a help ticket on the CADzation.com website and upload your file(s).

File submissions over the years is how our programming staff have addressed issues we can not simulate internally, but are always up to a challenge to make AcroPlot better.

Hope these options help.

-Wm