Autocad freezes on second plot to pdf

[r.surrey]

I am using Autocad 2019 on Windows 10.

As in the title, Autocad plots any layout to pdf fine first time, but when attempting to plot a second layout (or the same layout again) the blue bar goes for three segments and then the program freezes, requiring 'end task' from Task Manager to shut down the program. On re-opening autocad, the first plot works fine again and the second freezes.

I have seen several threads on corruption in the .ctb and .pc3 files, but don't think this can be it, or the first plot would not work either.

I have been having an issue for a while where the second plot gives an error message relating to adobe, and I have to close 'acrotray.exe', but autocad itself would not stop responding and the program including plotting to pdf would then run without issue for the rest of the day, so did not look any further into it. But I'm thinking this may have something to do with it.

edit: After the first plot 'acrotray.exe' does appear in the task manager. If I end task, I can plot again, but this time the 'acrotray.exe' task does not appear and on the third plot it freezes as before.

Please help.

[jakes]

I am having the same problem! Sorry no idea how to fix it yet. 

[s.borello]

Have you tried resetting your autocad setting back to default?  Have you done a clean install?

[pendean]

Do you have background plotting and publishing on?

If you plot to the built-in PDF drivers, not your acrobat drivers, does the problem go away? There are 5-drivers there from Autodesk.

Or do you just need to turn off the "open pdf after creation" feature you have turned on somewhere?

[cpriedel]

We have the same issue, after Adobe was updated. We are running AutoCad 2018.
Currently we are closing the Acrotray app in the "Processes" tab and keep an eye on it in the "details" tab of the Task mamager. It appears there every time you make a PDF. If you close it you can make ONE more PDF, close it again and you can do another, 

SUUUUPPPPPPERRRRR Painful and CAD freezes if you do not do it and have to restart. Really hope there is a solution found soon.
Using the Auocad to PDF Print results in a larger PDF file with lower quality which isn't really an option for us. 
 

[pendean]

>>>...after Adobe was updated...<<<
You will need to reach out to Adobe or remove the update: 2018 is an old-er software, there is not patch for it and anything new from Adobe, so if they say "talk to Autodesk" you are pretty much out on your own.

They have support forums you can go post in, here is the link https://forums.adobe.com/welcome

[natasha.l]

Hello @r.surrey, 

The Acrotray.exe is the Adobe Acrobat Distiller helper application. It is used as part of the full Adobe Acrobat product to convert documents into PDF files. Its runs in background as it converts files to PDF using other applications like AutoCAD. 

This is a Adobe Acrobat issue you can review this article. Or try using another PC3 file, like the default type DWG to PDF or AutoCAD PDF instead. 

Please "Accept Solution" if a reply or replies have helped resolve the issue or answered your question, to help others in the community.

[Anonymous]

i have this same issue for all plots though, including the default dwg to pdf.

[gccdesign]

I haven't had this issue, also running Acad 2019.

Many apps printing to PDF will appear to freeze. What you actually have to do at that point is find the dialog box that is asking you to verify overwriting an existing file or asking where you want to plot to. It will hang that app until you tell it where to save to PDF to or if it should replace a prior file.

The dialog box might be hidden or just obvious. You might see an icon asking for attention in the tray at the bottom if the screen.

Just a suggestion, I don't know if that is what you are running in to.

GChapp

[r.surrey]

Not yet, hoping I can avoid that still...

[r.surrey]

Its not this.

The .pc3 file I am using is a custom one I've made for use with 'publish' that doesn't bring up any 'save to' dialog anyway, although I was only using it for a single plot. 

[r.surrey]

Do adobe and autodesk not have any discussions / testing arranged between them for those elements of their programs that interact? Given that they each have millions of paying users who rely on both companies software working together.

The autocad built in pdf .pc3 files are all functioning fine,  but as 'cpriedel' notes above, they result in lower quality and higher filesize, so not really an ideal solution. Perhaps someone can help with the following issues I have with the built in drivers;

1. To get fonts to display correctly I have to check the 'convert all text to geometry' box, and then my pdf is >1mb. The adobe pdf driver displays the font correctly from the same layout with a file size of <250kb.

2. When I go into the settings for an adobe pc3 file there is an option to choose the folder it saves to without having a dialog box appear, I use this with the publish feature. I can set the correct file destination on the .pc3 file for a particular drawing set, and then run publish to plot all layouts to pdf in the background with no dialog boxes appearing.

3. All greys display much more faintly, but I suppose this can be worked around.

Thanks

[pendean]

No, Adobe and Autodesk do not talk about specifics like that, especially a new Adobe feature that cripples an already not-current AutoCAD version, that's a pipe dream you have in your head that you need to get rid of 😞

1. Never seen this problem with the built-in drivers, care to post a sample DWG and the PDF coming from it? Show your work in other words. Note: if your "autocad" pdf driver is called ADOBE.PC3 file that's not from your 2019 package, that came across from migrating an older version of a remnant from another driver.

2. See #1 above about "adobe.pc3". PUBLISH has built-in PDF drivers that work just fine that you can try instead of pagesetup overrides with a 3rd party driver.

3. Show your work, source DWG and result PDF.

TIA

[r.surrey]

I thought AutoCAD 2019 was reasonably up to date, it is still 2019 after all.

Quite disappointed with both companies overall, I would expect Adobe to test any new update works with such widely used software as AutoCAD. And I would also expect Autodesk to include a pdf driver with their own software that was at least as good as one made by a third party.

I created a new .dwg file (acadiso.dwt), and pasted in just the geometry/text you can see in the pdf's. Purged and Audited.

The filename of the three attached pdf's indicates the .pc3 driver used for each.

Vector resolution is 1200dpi on all three.

As you can see the adobe driver produces a 153kb pdf compared to 659kb from the Autocad (General Documentation) driver. To get the font to display correctly using 'text to geometry' this goes up to 885kb.

With a drawing containing a lot of text, this increase in size quickly becomes untenable.

You can also see what I mean about the paler grey tones on the AutoCAD driver.

[r.surrey]

Please find attached the .dwg file used for the test. 

And thanks for replying as well.

[Anonymous]

Which is why several of us use the adobe pdf... but are you able to plot a
second time?

I’m not sure if it’s an adobe issue or Autocad issue, but over the weekend
something auto-updated and now there’s the “acrotray” issue.

Somewhere in the background (after successfully plotting to pdf the first
time) a dialog box appears. I say background because I have found several
boxes “appear” while shutting down my computer.

I am a total novice, have no clue what distiller is nor acrotray’s intended
function.

[r.surrey]

I can continue plotting as long as I shutdown 'acrotray.exe' between each plot. If you can't find it in the 'processes' tab of Task Manager, it should be in the 'details' tab.

Acrotray and Distiller are background programs which adobe runs whenever it creates or edits .pdf files. You will see them launch if you save from photoshop to pdf also. Or even when you open a menu in file explorer that has the 'combine files in acrobat' option on it.

I think overall this is adobe's fault, as they have obviously changed something in the last patch and not tested it properly with AutoCAD. I will open a query on their forums. It is still frustrating however that Autodesk cant make their own pdf plot driver as good as adobe's one, so we are not reliant on third party software to have create decent drawings of a reasonable file size.

[pendean]

Most of us stopped worrying about PDF file sizes some time ago now, what are you challenged with for file sizes if I may ask?

Of your three files, the text looks most crisp (what is important I think) in the built-in PDF driver, not Adobe and not your text-to-geom option

 

But in the grand scheme of things, is anyone really going to zoom in that closely with your PDFs in the field? Probably never.

[cpriedel · Accepted solution]

After browsing through the Acrobat forum i might have found a  solution.  It seems the Acrobat Distiller is to blame. Once I checked the "Trust all Files opened via Acrobat Distiller" under Preferences, in the file tab, I was able to make 3 pdfs in a row. Hope that solves the issue for good! 

[r.surrey]

Yes this works for me too.

 thanks cpriedel