AutoCAD 2015 transparency is completely broken!

[knmdk]

Dear Autodesk,

May you know that you've completely broken transparency in AutoCAD 2015. Now one absolutely can't plot a PDF/hardcopy of DWG layout that includes Image Attachments and/or Text/Mtext objects featuring TrueType Fonts (TTF).

If you happen to have transparency assigned to Image Attachment object (or object layer) then your image attachment plots out with transparency of 0 (non-transparent).

If you happen to have transparency assigned to Text/Mtext object that uses TrueType Font (or object layer) then your texting won't plot at all. Somehow if you have long Mtext (with mentioned properties) you can eventually get some cut-off part of your text to be plotted (and transparent).

I have tested that in a virgin AutoCAD 2015 trial under a virgin Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 trial. This is surely totally broken. Please do something about it and release a hotfix!

[knmdk]

I report this issue is not fixed in Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 Service Pack 2.

[pendean]

By posting here you are talking to fellow end users just like you, not Autodesk.

What are you trying to accomplish by setting transparency to text please?

[knmdk]

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@pendean wrote:
By posting here you are talking to fellow end users just like you, not Autodesk.

What are you trying to accomplish by setting transparency to text please?

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Oops, I thought Autodesk personnel is supposed to read through forums from time to time.

Transparency is used in hardcopies for different things, generally for a better presentation and ink economy. It's stupid feature isn't warking at all just after 4 years it was introduced (with all the hype and promo).

[Anonymous]

Works fine here on 2014 & 2015

Plots out just as shown on the screen

Setting the transparency to see whats lies underneath

Ron

[pendean]

We know what transparency is used for, but what is the result you want out of it inside AutoCAD? Also, walk us through how to replicate your problem in detail please.

If you want to wait for an occasional appearance by a staff member, then hope it's their job to report it with little detail on how to create the problem, you might wait forever my friend 🙂

[knmdk]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Works fine here on 2014 & 2015

Plots out just as shown on the screen

Setting the transparency to see whats lies underneath

Ron

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Please have a look at this post and print linked file to hardcopy (or third-party PDF printer like CutePDF). Is the result still OK?

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@pendean wrote:
We know what transparency is used for, but what is the result you want out of it inside AutoCAD? Also, walk us through how to replicate your problem in detail please.

If you want to wait for an occasional appearance by a staff member, then hope it's their job to report it with little detail on how to create the problem, you might wait forever my friend 🙂

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 Well replicating is easy. Please download this file and print it to hardcopy (or third-party PDF printer like CutePDF). I believe you've already seen my original topic on this issue. Or in case it helps here're direct steps to provide the issue:

1) make new blank drawing and save it as "Xref.dwg"

2) make Mtext object in the "Xref.dwg" and copy any text into Mtext object

3) make sure Mtext object Text style uses any TTF font (i.e. Arial, Times New Roman, ISOCPEUR, etc.)

4) set Mtext object transparency to 50%

5) save drawing "Xref.dwg"

6) create a new blank drawing and save it as "Drawing.dwg"

7) attach external reference to "Drawing.dwg", use "Xref.dwg" as external reference

😎 make new layout inside "Drawing.dwg"

9) zoom to xref object inside layout

10) print layout to paper or to third-party PDF printer

11) your result would be empty sheet

Important: the result will be fine if you will use AutoCAD's native PDF/DWF printer. But it won't work with any other printer.

[pendean]

>>>... the result will be fine if you will use AutoCAD's native PDF/DWF printer...<<<
That's your problem: the Autodesk driver is optimized for AutoCAD features (only one we use), other third party drivers are not. Moving forward I suspect this will become even more important than ever as Autodesk adds abilities no one else can offer without paying them a royalty fee.

If you have a preference for third party PDF drivers, I believe BLUEBEAM offers the same compatibility features, not sure anyone else does at the moment (test before you buy of course).

[knmdk]

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@pendean wrote:
>>>... the result will be fine if you will use AutoCAD's native PDF/DWF printer...<<<
That's your problem: the Autodesk driver is optimized for AutoCAD features (only one we use), other third party drivers are not. Moving forward I suspect this will become even more important than ever as Autodesk adds abilities no one else can offer without paying them a royalty fee.

If you have a preference for third party PDF drivers, I believe BLUEBEAM offers the same compatibility features, not sure anyone else does at the moment (test before you buy of course).

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My problem is I've been plotting transparent object successfully (third-party PDF and hardcopies) for 3 years and now I can't do that. Please note: this happens with every single printer driver, I've tested 4 PDF printers and 3 A3 printers and A1 plotter (all different brands and fresh drivers - HP, Samsung, Xerox, Canon) and moreover this I did testing with a clean OS and software installation. This is definitely AutoCAD 2015 issue. Don't get me rude but I feel like you're not ineterested in solving issue other way then blaming user. No this is not user issue. It's program's bug.

[steve216586]

I will never understand why people refuse to PUBLISH to dwf then print from there. PUBLISH is an AutoCAD feature! IT WORKS!!! EVERY TIME!!! I have used it for years after suffering through all the dwg to pdf complications. I had enough! Since using PUBLISH, I never have problems printing or plotting.

[knmdk]

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@steve216586 wrote:

I will never understand why people refuse to PUBLISH to dwf then print from there. PUBLISH is an AutoCAD feature! IT WORKS!!! EVERY TIME!!! I have used it for years after suffering through all the dwg to pdf complications. I had enough! Since using PUBLISH, I never have problems printing or plotting.

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Oh, I tell you why: because when your project DWG has 100 layouts with 10 different paper sizes it is WAY easier to publish to plotters/printers then publish to PDF and then print from there (specifing paper size each time). There's NO problem with transparency once publishing to PDF because "Publish to PDF" command uses AutoCAD's build-in PDF driver. Issue occures when you use any different printin/plotting driver (no matter PDF or a real printer).

[pendean]

1. if you tink it's a bug, report it to Autodesk through your subscription page's CONTACT US link.
2. If you want it as a new feature, click here http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=1109794 or here http://www.augi.com/wishlist
3. Some users using 3rd party tools and those that find 2015's departure from the norm difficult have given up on 2015 and rolled back to 2014-2013: you may be a candidate to follow suit.
4. Fact is the built in PDF and DWF drivers are optimized for AutoCAD in 2015 and I suspect will ccontinue on into the future. Since it works and does what you want, I don't understand why you are complaining here to other fellow end users offering you a way around your problem.
5. Notice everyone's response: it doesn't match your stand on 3rd party drivers. Step back to 2014 if needed, 2015 is what it is at the moment and out of us end-users to change.

Good luck.

[knmdk]

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@pendean wrote:
3. Some users using 3rd party tools and those that find 2015's departure from the norm difficult have given up on 2015 and rolled back to 2014-2013: you may be a candidate to follow suit.
4. Fact is the built in PDF and DWF drivers are optimized for AutoCAD in 2015 and I suspect will ccontinue on into the future. Since it works and does what you want, I don't understand why you are complaining here to other fellow end users offering you a way around your problem.
5. Notice everyone's response: it doesn't match your stand on 3rd party drivers. Step back to 2014 if needed, 2015 is what it is at the moment and out of us end-users to change.

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God almighty. Please read once again through the first post of the thread. Problem occures not only with PDF files. Problem is you can't print out or plot out a hardcopy containing transparent TTF Mtext objects of image attachments. Again, I'm talking firstly of real-world printers/plotters of different manufacturers (and different drivers). Does Autodesk provide some special AutoCAD 2015 drivers for HP Designjet 111 for example? Hell no. You can only print using manufacturer's driver which totally means "third party" to any Autodesk product.

I've used third-party PDF driver example to illustrate the issue (and so someone could easily implement problem without dumping real-world paper). So you probably got me wrong somewhere.

Unfortunately I've already payed for AutoCAD 2015 and have transfered my setup to it. In other words - I've already invested quite a lot in the thing. So yes I will report the bug (which it is) but please don't take me for a fool. Noone of fellow users actually have provided any form of a fix.

[nestly2]

Nothing to add really other than to confirm that TTF text within xrefs seems not to plot to hardcopy (or PDF) if it's layer has transparency.

Did you create a support case?  What was the response?

[pendean]

As an end user, just like you, I understand what you are saying.

Now take it with Autodesk direct as I pointed out above and wait, or avoid the wait as I and othesr suggested with other not-ideal methods, including your own:
"Important: the result will be fine if you will use AutoCAD's native PDF/DWF printer.".

Good luck once again.

[knmdk]

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@nestly2 wrote:

Nothing to add really other than to confirm that TTF text within xrefs seems not to plot to hardcopy (or PDF) if it's layer has transparency.

Did you create a support case?  What was the response?

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Hey nestly2, no response yet...

[drjohn]

I didn't notice it mentioned anywhere in the thread (or maybe I misssed it) but does 2015 (I'm still on 2012 cause it's stabilized for me) still have a PLOT TRANSPARENCY selection in the plot dialogue? 

If so, Have you selected it?  You may have missed it cause ACAD hides it in the plot dialogue. If you haven't already, click the arrow ( > )in the lower right corner of the plot dialogue box to expose the hidden settings. There (if it still lives) you will find the hidden options.

If this is not it, please don't scream at me.  Just trying to help. 

HTH

Regards,

DJ

[knmdk]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I didn't notice it mentioned anywhere in the thread (or maybe I misssed it) but does 2015 (I'm still on 2012 cause it's stabilized for me) still have a PLOT TRANSPARENCY selection in the plot dialogue? 

If so, Have you selected it?  You may have missed it cause ACAD hides it in the plot dialogue. If you haven't already, click the arrow ( > )in the lower right corner of the plot dialogue box to expose the hidden settings. There (if it still lives) you will find the hidden options.

If this is not it, please don't scream at me.  Just trying to help. 

HTH

Regards,

DJ

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Sure DJ, that's ticked... And that checkbox you mentioned isn't broken at all, works fine. Thanks for taking care.

[Anonymous]

The transparency doesnt seem to work correctly with text in full AutCAD 2015 when plotting directly to a plotter/printer from what I can see. 

One way I can get around it is to create a PDF file from the built in PDF printer and then plot the PDF file.

Yes, yes.. I have tried setting transparency both per object and per layer... and yes, I have ticked the box in the plot dialogue box... and yes I have tried different windows text fonts.

The plot preview works ok and the screen display works ok, just doesn't appear at the plotter.

If the transparency is set to anything other than 0 then nothing appears at the plotter.

**HOWEVER**.... if you set the text style to use an AutoCAD font then yes it seems to work as designed. 

I do find that normal objects don't print out quite as bold with transparency turned on but I believe this is because with transpanency on it converts the whole drawing to a raster image and prints that as opposed to printing vectors with transparency off.

[knmdk]

Well it turnes out this issue has been finally fixed in AutoCAD 2016 (I've tested already). I'm really hoping this will be fixed in SP3 for AutoCAD 2015 as well.