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Printing point cloud to PDF results in erratic artifacts

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Message 1 of 11
joel.moeller
1344 Views, 10 Replies

Printing point cloud to PDF results in erratic artifacts

joel.moeller
Contributor
Contributor

When I try to plot point clouds I often get strange rendering artifacts (see attached files). These show up at rather random locations of the plot, though often in roughly the same areas. I've tried chaning settings; using General Documentation and Higest Quality print pdf plotters, tried CutePDF writer, tried setting DPI to low (100), high (300) and ridiculously high (600) - to no avail. 

 

Is there a way to work around this bug?

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Printing point cloud to PDF results in erratic artifacts

When I try to plot point clouds I often get strange rendering artifacts (see attached files). These show up at rather random locations of the plot, though often in roughly the same areas. I've tried chaning settings; using General Documentation and Higest Quality print pdf plotters, tried CutePDF writer, tried setting DPI to low (100), high (300) and ridiculously high (600) - to no avail. 

 

Is there a way to work around this bug?

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10 REPLIES 10
Message 2 of 11
pendean
in reply to: joel.moeller

pendean
Community Legend
Community Legend
What does ABOUT command say your AutoCAD version is?
Is this a sudden new problem? as in it never existed before today?
Or is the problem just this one file?
Or does it happen in all files?

Or is today the first time you plot point-cloud content?
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What does ABOUT command say your AutoCAD version is?
Is this a sudden new problem? as in it never existed before today?
Or is the problem just this one file?
Or does it happen in all files?

Or is today the first time you plot point-cloud content?
Message 3 of 11

ChicagoLooper
Mentor
Mentor

What are you using to bring in your point cloud? AutoCAD Civil 3D? Map 3D? Infraworks? Plain vanilla AutoCAD?

 

I doubt it is in your PDF settings. I'd start with the rcp settings then branch out from there. Are you willing to upload your rcp files?

Chicagolooper

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What are you using to bring in your point cloud? AutoCAD Civil 3D? Map 3D? Infraworks? Plain vanilla AutoCAD?

 

I doubt it is in your PDF settings. I'd start with the rcp settings then branch out from there. Are you willing to upload your rcp files?

Chicagolooper

EESignature

Message 4 of 11
joel.moeller
in reply to: pendean

joel.moeller
Contributor
Contributor

This is a problem that I've encounted on different computers, on AutoCAD vanilla and Architechture, and with muiltple different rcs and rcp files of varying sizes. 

 

Today I made a quick pdf plot on a different workstation (running AutoCAD architechture 2019) and different point cloud than yesterday. As you can see in the attached file, the problem shows itself again - with a big area in the middle that isn't rendered as the rest of the pdf. This is not something that features in the cloud or is in anyway visible in either Recap or Autocad, it shows up on pdf plot.

 

Occasionally, a second atempt will come out better (or worse ...). Often, I've experienced that changing the pdf plotter from General documentation to Higest Quality Print improves the plot, but this is not always the case.

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This is a problem that I've encounted on different computers, on AutoCAD vanilla and Architechture, and with muiltple different rcs and rcp files of varying sizes. 

 

Today I made a quick pdf plot on a different workstation (running AutoCAD architechture 2019) and different point cloud than yesterday. As you can see in the attached file, the problem shows itself again - with a big area in the middle that isn't rendered as the rest of the pdf. This is not something that features in the cloud or is in anyway visible in either Recap or Autocad, it shows up on pdf plot.

 

Occasionally, a second atempt will come out better (or worse ...). Often, I've experienced that changing the pdf plotter from General documentation to Higest Quality Print improves the plot, but this is not always the case.

Message 5 of 11
joel.moeller
in reply to: joel.moeller

joel.moeller
Contributor
Contributor

Tried again (with the same file as in my first print, on 0.1.48.0 AutoCAD Architecture 2019).

 

Test 1:

Artifacts 4.PNG

This was made with Highest Quality print pdf. Nothing looks good, some parts look even worse.

 

Test 2:

Artifacts 5.PNG

And this was with General documentation. It managed to render the bottom-right corner correctly. That's how the entire image should look like.

 

Test 3: 

Artifacts 6.JPG

This is a physical print. The same errors shows up (in slightly different regions), so I concede that the error doesn't lie with the PDF printers.

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Tried again (with the same file as in my first print, on 0.1.48.0 AutoCAD Architecture 2019).

 

Test 1:

Artifacts 4.PNG

This was made with Highest Quality print pdf. Nothing looks good, some parts look even worse.

 

Test 2:

Artifacts 5.PNG

And this was with General documentation. It managed to render the bottom-right corner correctly. That's how the entire image should look like.

 

Test 3: 

Artifacts 6.JPG

This is a physical print. The same errors shows up (in slightly different regions), so I concede that the error doesn't lie with the PDF printers.

Message 6 of 11
Anonymous
in reply to: joel.moeller

Anonymous
Not applicable

Could you please tell me how you created that 3d Pdf including the point clouds? I can't do it

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Could you please tell me how you created that 3d Pdf including the point clouds? I can't do it

Message 7 of 11
joel.moeller
in reply to: Anonymous

joel.moeller
Contributor
Contributor

Can't do what? Are you trying to replicate my bug or are you just interested in printing a point cloud?

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Can't do what? Are you trying to replicate my bug or are you just interested in printing a point cloud?

Message 8 of 11
James
in reply to: joel.moeller

James
Observer
Observer

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone had any luck with this as its a constant source of issues for me.

 

Best

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Hi,

Just wondering if anyone had any luck with this as its a constant source of issues for me.

 

Best

Message 9 of 11
TheCADnoob
in reply to: James

TheCADnoob
Mentor
Mentor

This looks like it could be some sort of aliasing. Have yall tried changing point cloud density?

CADnoob

EESignature

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This looks like it could be some sort of aliasing. Have yall tried changing point cloud density?

CADnoob

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Message 10 of 11
joel.moeller
in reply to: joel.moeller

joel.moeller
Contributor
Contributor

Changing the point cloud density? Do you mean some viewing setting in Autocad or do you mean exporting a new cloud from point cloud processing software such as Recap? Because if it's the latter, I don't think it does anything really. For me, as I've said, this problem shows itself trying to print various different point clouds. They haven't all had the same density. 

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Changing the point cloud density? Do you mean some viewing setting in Autocad or do you mean exporting a new cloud from point cloud processing software such as Recap? Because if it's the latter, I don't think it does anything really. For me, as I've said, this problem shows itself trying to print various different point clouds. They haven't all had the same density. 

Message 11 of 11
TheCADnoob
in reply to: joel.moeller

TheCADnoob
Mentor
Mentor

I probably used the wrong choice of words for density, but the idea is the same. Id start by trying the easiest first. The level of detail and point size do affect PDFs i create so id try different setting on those. 

 

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2020/ENU/AutoC...

CADnoob

EESignature

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I probably used the wrong choice of words for density, but the idea is the same. Id start by trying the easiest first. The level of detail and point size do affect PDFs i create so id try different setting on those. 

 

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2020/ENU/AutoC...

CADnoob

EESignature

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