Switching from Mac to PC and back, plus pdf outputs

emmakayne
Participant

Switching from Mac to PC and back, plus pdf outputs

emmakayne
Participant
Participant

hello all, I am a bit of a novice at autocad so apologies...

 

I am using autocad at my University on PC's and then at home on a mac.  Opening a file started on a PC to my mac is fine, but when I have worked on it at home, saved it and then try and reload it back into the PC my blocks have vanished 😞

 

Is there a special way to open the dwg file on a PC to find the hidden blocks?

 

Also, sorry for the second question but as I said I'm new to autocad, when I export pdfs from their views on my mac, is there a way of printing to make all of my layer colours print as one tone in b/w mode? At the moment for example, yellow lines are hard to see compared to the block whites and blue lines.

 

thanks

 

 

 

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maxim_k
Consultant
Consultant
Welcome to Autodesk Forums!

Hi Emma,
>>>> my blocks have vanished
If you create blocks inside drawing and insert them, you should be able to see them regardless of AutoCAD version you are using (PC or Mac).
Maybe you are using External references:
https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACDMAC/2020/ENU/index.html?guid=GUID-7EAF7BA8-85E5-477D-BA37-A8684AEE...
If yes, then these External references should be available on machine where you open "master" drawing, you need to transfer them along with "master" drawing. The best way is to use ETRANSMIT command:
https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACDMAC/2020/ENU/index.html?guid=GUID-413A58AD-C86F-432F-A4AC-A2737237...

>>>>is there a way of printing to make all of my layer colours print as one tone in b/w mode
Yes, you can use monochrome Plot Style table in Page Setup in your drawing:
https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACDMAC/2020/ENU/index.html?guid=GUID-2FD01085-DDD8-49D2-A910-E63EA45A...

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Maxim Kanaev
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MARSS

MacACAD | Linkedin

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emmakayne
Participant
Participant

thank you for your help.  If I use the plot style monochrome option, I have 2 coming up:

monochrome ctb or monochrome stb - do you know which one I use?

 

thank you

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maxim_k
Consultant
Consultant
>>>>I have 2 coming up: monochrome ctb or monochrome stb - do you know which one I use?
It all depends on plot style drawing is configured to use with - named plot style or color dependent plot style:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-for-mac/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2020/E...
AutoCAD will allow you to assign only one type of Plot Style table - when you create Page Setup in Page Setup Manager, or assign Plot Style table in properties Inspector, or use Print window to assign Plot Style table.

Have you solve the problem with the disappearing blocks?

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Maxim Kanaev
Architect
MARSS

MacACAD | Linkedin

Etiquette and Ground Rules of Autodesk Community
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emmakayne
Participant
Participant

Thanks for the monochrome info, you are right and my version has the variants set up in the print section.  

 

RE: blocks.  I am taking my laptop in today in case I need the blocks and they are on it so I can transfer them if need be, or better still print from it and avoid the mac to pc transfer issue in the first place.  I did make most of my blocks myself  within the master drawing so I am not sure why a lot did not show.  Fingers crossed..

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maxim_k
Consultant
Consultant
>>>> I did make most of my blocks myself within the master drawing so I am not sure why a lot did not show.
Can you share here one of your drawings with blocks which disappears on PC? I want to look at it.

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Maxim Kanaev
Architect
MARSS

MacACAD | Linkedin

Etiquette and Ground Rules of Autodesk Community
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maxim_k
Consultant
Consultant
And one more thing.
Do you use Annotative property in blocks you create? If yes, then verify that you set the correct scale in Model space (or for viewport in layout).


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Maxim Kanaev
Architect
MARSS

MacACAD | Linkedin

Etiquette and Ground Rules of Autodesk Community
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emmakayne
Participant
Participant

hello, I fixed the issue by doing a package save and the blocks appeared again.  They are set to the right scale when I make them, so all is good.

 

As for viewports, my tutor set them up for me, so I don't know how to do them myself yet.  that's another story for another day!!!

 

Thanks again for your help, really useful

 

Emma

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