3D Hidden DWG to PDF issue

[ColinWolstencroft]

Hi hive mind,

A question. Having a few issues with my DWG - PDF plotting.

Firstly, I have an issue with layers showing on the PDF. I don't usually care as my PDF are for client reference only, but I was asked to supply a couple of PDF's with the layers. My drawing is in 3D Hidden visual style and in the PDF file, the layers are not included. If I plot the same drawing but using wireframe, all the layers are there in the PDF. Is this correct ?

The other question is for a bit of advice. My PDF plots are very poor quality and I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. The drawings are quite detailed 3D obects, which look great in AutoCAD, but when I plot to PDF it looks like a poor quality picture done with a crayon ...  Tried various settings but wondering what the ideal plot setting would be. 3D Hidden ? Legacy Hidden ? or something else.

Thanks in advance

Colin

[pendean]

Post your PDFs please, and if you can, your source DWG.

[ChicagoLooper]

So you want your PDF to have 'clickable' AutoCAD layers so your client can toggle layers on/off and you also want better clarity in your PDF's. Correct? If it's correct, then try using the plotter named AutoCAD PDF (General Documentation.pc3), then make your settings like this:

[Alfred.NESWADBA · Accepted solution]

Hi,

>> My drawing is in 3D Hidden visual style and in the PDF file,

>> the layers are not included

I assume

• you are plotting using layout and viewports
• you are only missing the layers of the 3d objects, not the ones you have e.g. for title-block

(please let me know if I'm wrong)

The reason that layers of objects rendered by the hidden visual style are not visible has multiple reasons, but most important:

• hidden rendering could result that just a piece of an object is visible, but the object it self is not just partially on the layer. Setting layer ON of OFF would have to switch part of objects.
• hidden rendering also means that object on layer A could be in front of object on layer B (and so second object is hidden/invisible) ... turning off layer A would mean that object on layer B has to get visible then. This does not work as the objects in the PDF are not 3D objects,  hiding calculation is not rendered inside the PDF-viewer, therefor these layers are not exported as turning them on or off results in incorrectness.

Hope this makes it more clear, an as long as you see the other layers then all works as designed.

- alfred -