Line Merge does not work for me... still

[LyleHardin]

For years, I've wanted to use the DWGtoPDF.pc3 file. Now with 2016, I really like the sheet set links in section cuts and such. But, line merge does not work. We've been using AcroPlot Pro becaus the .pc3 files I make with that work great.

Here's the scoop.

ACAD 2016 virgin install (No customization to make certain it's not some of my doings....)

Plotting or Publishing one drawing works fine.

Publishing multiple drawings from the Sheet Set Manager negates Line Merge (see attached image).

Plain Publishing (not through sheet set manager) works fine.

I've even had a ticket open with Autodesk on this. They cannot recreate the issue. That's why I tried a virgin install. Still not working for me.

Can anyone else duplicate this or verify that Line Merge fails when publishing multiple sheets from Sheet Set Manager ?

[BrianBenton]

I have never had good luck using the Sheet Set Print to PDF functionality. It doesn't matter how I set up PDF's it seems to use its own PDF settings that I can not change. Or at least I can't find where to change them. So I gave up using that a long time ago.

When I print from the Sheet Set Manager I prefer to use my own page set ups. I set up a template file with all of my page setups in it and assign it to the Sheet Set for the project. I typically save that template with my project files to prevent another project's needs from ruining these print settings. When I print to PDF I don;t use the Sheet Set PDF option, I use a PDF page setup from my template file.

It works as expected.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Excuse my lack of understanding, but could you also post a picture of what properly merged lines look like? I don't know what you are trying to make this drawing appear as versus what you are getting.

To answer your question I just did a test of the sheet set manager. If you shift select the sheets you want to publish (or just select the entire sheet set) and go to publish->sheet set publish options you can select lines merge. If you try to publish using the shet set after changing this setting do you get the results you were looking for?

I can look more into the issue once I understand that problem, though.

[Anonymous]

Cadablog,

I've been trying to play around using a template because I want to have the same functionality you describe. Currently, each of my drawing files have a page setup that is imported from what I consider to be a "template" sheet--one that is set up exactly how I want it. It plots using window, custom pen tables, a PDF size of Arch D, and a scale of 1:1. We use the sheet set to publish our drawings and it works pretty well, but I have to tell it to use the imported page setup each time I plot. It seems that if I could assign the template to the project (as you mention) I could save some work.

I tried to create a template using my clean drawing (that is imported into each page setup), but I cannot apply it unless I plot using layout. I have no problem with using Layout (and I think it looks cleaner than when we use window), but our company policy is to use window and I cannot change this.

My question to you is do I have to use layout plotting over window plotting if I want to use a template? I'm hoping your understanding of templates might allow me to switch.

Thanks.

[LyleHardin]

I use the same method as Brian (Cadablog) Benton. We keep page setups in templates then assign those templates as page setup overrides in the Sheet Set Manager.  But alas, I still don't get proper Line Merge with Autodesk's Dwg2PDF.pc3 files. It works well with AcroPlot.pc3s. But Acroplot has it's problems too.

So Brian, you say it works for you? Even multi page PDFs?

Matsuflex42,

I've not tried the SSM's built in PDF publishing for many years. Maybe I'll revisit it. I had similar results as Brian. I felt like I just couldn't control it.

Line merge should force the darker lines on top of the lighter lines. So in my previous attachment, all the black lines should be on 'top' of the grey lines regardless of their DRAWORDER.  My attachement behaved like Line Overwrite setting even though it's set for Line Merge.

Also, SSM does not handle pagesetups with Window. Only Layout or Extents. We use Extents. That also keeps people from leaving things outside the border.

On a side note, several years ago I went to ALL PDF printing. With multiple printers on multiple floors the PC3 files were getting too hard to control. Now we all just print to PDF using Page Setup Overrides from SSM, then send the PDF to the appropriate printer. It also has the benefit of catching errors before printing thusly saving paper.

[LyleHardin]

I'll be darned... it was the Sheet Set PDF Publish Options after all.

Even though I'm using a page setup override from a template using the DWG2PDF.pc3, it seems those publish settings affect it!

Thanks Matsuflex42 !  

Even Autodesk didn't tell me to try that. ( I think )

[Anonymous]

No problem! I'm glad that solved the issue. At my previous job and my current one no one seems to really care what goes on behind the scenes in terms of plotting. I get a little **** on line thickness, etc. and spend some time researching on my own. I prefer the layout print and template style, but we can't use those here since the higher ups do not want to touch the default settings (the previous designer had set them up on window so window we stay). I guess I'll continue with our method of plotting since it's fast and does a relatively good job.

Sheet set really is the way to go, though. I haven't found a faster way to plot without digging through scripts or lisps. I can control all the page numbers and plot settings in one location, and save several print jobs (30%, 60%, permit sets) for ease of printing. Plus, you don't get lost on previous revisions since I only need to look through the files in a sheet set to open (I haven't used the browse for file in ages now). Hope you get familiar with SSM, it's a pretty great tool.

[LyleHardin]

Oh, we're used to it. We've been using SSM since 2005 I think. All sheet titles and numbering as well as Section cuts and views are done through SSM. Plotting with SSM rules! Can't imagine going back.

It's a shame the 'higher ups' don't want to change your printing routines. I can understand though if you are a big company or something, but if you show them the benefits (if there are any) to printing to layout or extents, then I would think they'd go along with it.

I know here, though, sometimes 'different' is equated with 'bad'. People complain for a while, but get used to it then start to like it.

Good luck and thanks again.

[LyleHardin]

But wait... There's more!

The saga continues...

I have found when publishing from SSM using AutoCAD's PDF pc3 files via Page Setup Overrides from a template, AutoCAD IGNORES the page setup's pc3 file and prints however the Sheet Set Publish Options are set. Grr! 

I made page setups for each of the new AutoCAD PDF pc3 files and every plot I did using those page setup overrides came out exactly the same. Same file size, same looks, same line merge.

We use page setups in templates to plot a variety of ways... half, full, line merge, line overwrite, etc. 

So now that I've been shown how to plot with line merge... I can't plot with line overwrite unless I change that Sheet Set Publish Option.

By the way, I don't see how to set a paper size using the SSM > Publish to PDF way.

Sigh..

[LyleHardin]

But wait... There's more!

The saga continues...

I have found when publishing from SSM using AutoCAD's PDF pc3 files via Page Setup Overrides from a template, AutoCAD IGNORES the page setup's pc3 file and prints however the Sheet Set Publish Options are set. Grr! 

I made page setups for each of the new AutoCAD PDF pc3 files and every plot I did using those page setup overrides came out exactly the same. Same file size, same looks, same line merge.

We use page setups in templates to plot a variety of ways... half, full, line merge, line overwrite, etc. 

So now that I've been shown how to plot with line merge... I can't plot with line overwrite unless I change that Sheet Set Publish Option.

By the way, I don't see how to set a paper size using the SSM > Publish to PDF way.

Sigh..

[Anonymous]

Below is the method that I use for publishing. I assign this PDF (24x36) pagesetup to each drawing when creating the layout and then use it when publishing too. I imagine you have one style assigned to all of your drawings, too. Just select that when publishing and it should use the page's settings + the publishing overrides you assign (like line merging).

Good luck...

[LyleHardin]

Interesting.

It works and it looks at my page setups for the sheet size and pen settings, but ignores the line merge or line overwrite from the page setups.

I found I could change the paper size for drawings within the selection by choosing different page setups for those drawings but the line merge or line overwrite is controlled for the whole set by the publish dialog box settings.

I'd like to have the best of both worlds...

It's rare, but once in a while we want a set of drawing where most of them require lines merge (typical line drawings where you want the black lines on top) but it may have a few drawings requiring lines overwrite (an aerial photo with colored lined on top of it for example).

I was hoping this method might allow us to do that but it doesn't quite make it.

None the less, my original problem of wanting to use AutoCAD's PDF driver with line merge is solved .

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Hmm. Another approach is to modify your custom plotter configuration (.pc3). Under "Device and Document Settings" --> "Graphics" --> "Merge Control" Lines Merge.

Apply this Lines Merge plotter to those drawings you want merged lines and the Lines Overwrite to ones like you posted. Then in the publish dialog box publish to plotter named in page setup rather than PDF. I dunno how to make this plot as one PDF, though, so you'd have to name each file and combine the PDFS. Or, you can manually select the page setup for each sheet, but this is hardly a quick and automated procedure.

If I were doing this I'd probably go the manual page setup under publish dialog box. It's a pain, but it seems like no one has found a better solution.

I'll check out other work arounds tomorrow, but it seems like if you need a mixed bag you may be out of luck...

[pkolarik]

We've been using SSM here since about 2005 or so. We also use Lines Merge. Most everything gets plotted to a pdf first and then sent to a plotter.

We never use the "Publish to PDF" function in SSM. It just doesn't work very well unless everyone has the same/correct page setup as "current" in each individual drawing (which we can never get to happen here).

So we just select the files (or subsets, etc) that we want to publish and do so through the publish dialog box.  Our standard SSM templates all have titleblocks and page setups already defined, so we just select the desired page setup (i.e. "11x17") in the publish dialog box, set the publish settings to "lines merge" (and not to include layers) and everything works just fine.

For the very few cases where we have a sheet or two in a set that needs to be plotted with Lines Overwrite though (aerial site plans, etc) we've found nothing that works other than to create a seperate pdf of that sheet and combine that one with the rest of the project files pdf afterwards.

[LyleHardin]

That's pretty much what we do here too, pkolarik.

In recent trials, I've discovered these tid bits:

- Publishing through SSM with page setup overrides works for most printers and AcroPlot Pro. (Obeys Line Merge or Line Overwrite)

- Publishing through SSM with page setup overrides does not work with AutoCAD's PDF drivers. (Line Merge or Overwrite is dictated by SSM PDF Publish Options regardless of the PC3 settings.)

Looks like we'll be sticking with AcroPlot Pro and Publishing with Page Setup Overrides for now.

One advantage of AcroPlot Pro is it's relatively inexpensive and include AcroPlot Matrix which allows users to edit PDF files to some extent (rotate, move, add or delete pages, etc.), similar to Acrobat Pro.

From this thread though, I have learned some tricks on how to use the Publish to PDF. It makes more sense now.

[LyleHardin]

HooRah! HooRah! Three Cheers! I'm breaking out the champaigne! (after my daughter's Lacrosse game, anyway).

2017 has FINALLY fixed this Publish with Page Setup Overrides with DWG2PDF working with LineMerge and multiple page pdf files.

Jeez, it took them long enough!