Publish will not save PDFs to designated folder. Saves to temp folder.

[chase.gifford]

When I publish (foreground or background) ACAD '16 & '17 will not save my PDFs to the location I have specified. 

Yesterday I had no issues.

Today I installed ACAD 2019 and some service packs and now my PUBLISH doesn't work right. 

It's saving PDFs in temp folders now (i.e. AppData/Local/Temp/tmp6B5A.tmp). 

I get no publish errors.  Sometimes it gives me "background plot request failed" which is also new for me as of today.

I batched some in the foreground, DWG to PDF, and Adobe DC opened the last drawing in the batch. 

I looked at the file properties and found that it was saved in a temp folder. 

I'm guessing they go there then get moved to the location specified in publish settings.
I changed the path in my publish settings to try and reset it but that didn't fix it.  I'm using the best publish practices, import from a template that isn't in the batch etc...

ACAD 2019 Publish doesn't work either.  I see a hotfix but it's for "an AutoCAD issue with background plot (multiple copies) to V4 system printers resulting in zero byte files."  I'm not getting zero byte files.  PDFs are good, they just wont save where I want them to 😞

[chase.gifford]

When I publish (foreground or background) ACAD '16 & '17 will not save my PDFs to the location I have specified. 

Yesterday I had no issues.

Today I installed ACAD 2019 and some service packs and now my PUBLISH doesn't work right. 

It's saving PDFs in temp folders now (i.e. AppData/Local/Temp/tmp6B5A.tmp). 

I get no publish errors.  Sometimes it gives me "background plot request failed" which is also new for me as of today.

I batched some in the foreground, DWG to PDF, and Adobe DC opened the last drawing in the batch. 

I looked at the file properties and found that it was saved in a temp folder. 

I'm guessing they go there then get moved to the location specified in publish settings.
I changed the path in my publish settings to try and reset it but that didn't fix it.  I'm using the best publish practices, import from a template that isn't in the batch etc...

ACAD 2019 Publish doesn't work either.  I see a hotfix but it's for "an AutoCAD issue with background plot (multiple copies) to V4 system printers resulting in zero byte files."  I'm not getting zero byte files.  PDFs are good, they just wont save where I want them to 😞

[pendean]

Did you use the migration feature when you installed or started using R2019?
And where are you saving files to that it defaults to a temp folder instead? Explain.

PUBLISH works just fine here in R2019.1.2 whether I set the PDF destination to be on the server or on my PC.

[pendean]

Did you use the migration feature when you installed or started using R2019?
And where are you saving files to that it defaults to a temp folder instead? Explain.

PUBLISH works just fine here in R2019.1.2 whether I set the PDF destination to be on the server or on my PC.

[chase.gifford]

Migration yes.

Files on local drive.

I wouldn't say it's "defaulting" to a temp folder necessarily.  It's not moving them from the temp folder to the path I defined in publish settings.  It creates a new temp folder every publish and puts them in there.

[chase.gifford]

Migration yes.

Files on local drive.

I wouldn't say it's "defaulting" to a temp folder necessarily.  It's not moving them from the temp folder to the path I defined in publish settings.  It creates a new temp folder every publish and puts them in there.

[RobDraw]

Please share all of your publish and PDF settings.

[RobDraw]

Please share all of your publish and PDF settings.

[chase.gifford]

Snips attached.

[chase.gifford]

Snips attached.

[RobDraw]

You're using the plotter named in page set-ups. In order for the location specified in the "Publish Options" to come into effect, you would need to use one of the PDF Presets.

[RobDraw]

You're using the plotter named in page set-ups. In order for the location specified in the "Publish Options" to come into effect, you would need to use one of the PDF Presets.

[chase.gifford]

I don't think that's true, I had it on PDF originally and same issue.  Just changed it back and batched in foreground, same issue.  I'm pretty sure PDF's always go in the temp folder first then ACAD moves to the designated folder.

[chase.gifford]

I don't think that's true, I had it on PDF originally and same issue.  Just changed it back and batched in foreground, same issue.  I'm pretty sure PDF's always go in the temp folder first then ACAD moves to the designated folder.

[RobDraw]

---

@chase.gifford wrote:

I don't think that's true, I had it on PDF originally and same issue.  Just changed it back and batched in foreground, same issue.  I'm pretty sure PDF's always go in the temp folder first then ACAD moves to the designated folder.

---

Correct, what I said is not true, sorry.

AutoCAD does not use the temp folder and then move the files from what I can see. I just did a test and the file never appeared in the temp folder. It went directly to the designated folder.

What PDF plotter are you using?

[RobDraw]

---

@chase.gifford wrote:

I don't think that's true, I had it on PDF originally and same issue.  Just changed it back and batched in foreground, same issue.  I'm pretty sure PDF's always go in the temp folder first then ACAD moves to the designated folder.

---

Correct, what I said is not true, sorry.

AutoCAD does not use the temp folder and then move the files from what I can see. I just did a test and the file never appeared in the temp folder. It went directly to the designated folder.

What PDF plotter are you using?

[chase.gifford]

Out of box DWG to PDF

[chase.gifford]

Out of box DWG to PDF

[maratovich]

1. Hands print on the DWG to PDF printer. Check where saves the file.
2. You have no print settings in the Publish settings. In general, this is a system error, it should not print at all.
3. First you need to make all the print settings on each layouts, and then use Publish.
4. Publication - it makes no difference which printer you specify. Publish the default print on DWG to PDF.
5. Publishing without long settings is a stone ax, otherwise it does not work. Learn about Publishing Help.
6. Otherwise, easier and faster to type with your hands.

[maratovich]

1. Hands print on the DWG to PDF printer. Check where saves the file.
2. You have no print settings in the Publish settings. In general, this is a system error, it should not print at all.
3. First you need to make all the print settings on each layouts, and then use Publish.
4. Publication - it makes no difference which printer you specify. Publish the default print on DWG to PDF.
5. Publishing without long settings is a stone ax, otherwise it does not work. Learn about Publishing Help.
6. Otherwise, easier and faster to type with your hands.

[erik.wiseman]

I want to add that I've encountered exactly the same issue since installing AutoCAD 2019 products.

I started with a clean, new installation and did not migrate my old profile. In fact, I had a catastrophic Windows profile meltdown that required wiping pretty much everything and reinstalling all applications and upgrading to Windows 10 while we were going to the trouble of all of that, anyway. I rebuilt all of my AutoCAD settings by hand for each of the new installations.

Oddly, this has affected ALL of my AutoCAD installations since installing the 2019 products.

Task: Publishing to PDF choosing "Publish to: PDF" and choosing a PDF Preset (I've tried various settings with this), Variables attempted:

• PDF Preset: tried each quality setting, tried modifying setting with them
• page setups: slaving all drawings to one page setup, setting individual page setups, leaving all as "default" 
• In Options, Enable background plot when Publishing and/or Plotter in combinations of checked/unchecked
• First, uncheck Publishing in the above, then uncheck "Publish in Background" in the Publish dialog box
• various drawings used, some of which are client example drawings

Result: Always publishes to designated Print Spooler File Location (in this case C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\) creating 2 folders - a folder that is apparently the spooling folder and which is empty after publishing and a folder with contains the published PDF file(s). The plot log shows the first, empty, folder as the plot file path.

UNLESS, one first unchecks "Enable background plot when: Publishing" and then unchecks "Publish in Background" in the Publish dialog box (which, unfortunately, means that you can't use AutoCAD while the job publishes.)

Work-arounds: I've been simply creating a PDF printer Page Setup for the drawings, setting "Publish to:" to "Plotter named in page setup" and setting that as the Page Setup for the print job.

The problem does not appear to be associated directly with the PC3 files as I've changed the search paths to PDF printer files from previous versions of AutoCAD that I have installed with no change to this behavior.

[erik.wiseman]

I want to add that I've encountered exactly the same issue since installing AutoCAD 2019 products.

I started with a clean, new installation and did not migrate my old profile. In fact, I had a catastrophic Windows profile meltdown that required wiping pretty much everything and reinstalling all applications and upgrading to Windows 10 while we were going to the trouble of all of that, anyway. I rebuilt all of my AutoCAD settings by hand for each of the new installations.

Oddly, this has affected ALL of my AutoCAD installations since installing the 2019 products.

Task: Publishing to PDF choosing "Publish to: PDF" and choosing a PDF Preset (I've tried various settings with this), Variables attempted:

• PDF Preset: tried each quality setting, tried modifying setting with them
• page setups: slaving all drawings to one page setup, setting individual page setups, leaving all as "default" 
• In Options, Enable background plot when Publishing and/or Plotter in combinations of checked/unchecked
• First, uncheck Publishing in the above, then uncheck "Publish in Background" in the Publish dialog box
• various drawings used, some of which are client example drawings

Result: Always publishes to designated Print Spooler File Location (in this case C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\) creating 2 folders - a folder that is apparently the spooling folder and which is empty after publishing and a folder with contains the published PDF file(s). The plot log shows the first, empty, folder as the plot file path.

UNLESS, one first unchecks "Enable background plot when: Publishing" and then unchecks "Publish in Background" in the Publish dialog box (which, unfortunately, means that you can't use AutoCAD while the job publishes.)

Work-arounds: I've been simply creating a PDF printer Page Setup for the drawings, setting "Publish to:" to "Plotter named in page setup" and setting that as the Page Setup for the print job.

The problem does not appear to be associated directly with the PC3 files as I've changed the search paths to PDF printer files from previous versions of AutoCAD that I have installed with no change to this behavior.

[chase.gifford]

I did try it but plotting in foreground & "plotter named in page setup" still dumps PDFs in temp folders for me 😞

There's a 2019 hotfix Latest AutoCAD Updates | AutoCAD 2018-2019 Background Plot Hotfix   that "resolves an AutoCAD issue with background plot (multiple copies) to V4 system printers resulting in zero byte files" but that seems unrelated. I haven't installed it yet.

[chase.gifford]

I did try it but plotting in foreground & "plotter named in page setup" still dumps PDFs in temp folders for me 😞

There's a 2019 hotfix Latest AutoCAD Updates | AutoCAD 2018-2019 Background Plot Hotfix   that "resolves an AutoCAD issue with background plot (multiple copies) to V4 system printers resulting in zero byte files" but that seems unrelated. I haven't installed it yet.

[pendean]

"plotter named in pagesetup" offers no end-user ability to name/place the PDFs, unless your third party PDF driver have that option available in that driver (not an option in any Autodesk provided PDF PC3 file).

If you want control, you need to change this section to the built-in PDF options there instead

 

[pendean]

"plotter named in pagesetup" offers no end-user ability to name/place the PDFs, unless your third party PDF driver have that option available in that driver (not an option in any Autodesk provided PDF PC3 file).

If you want control, you need to change this section to the built-in PDF options there instead

 

[chase.gifford]

Ah, right, well I still get the same issue either way 😞

[chase.gifford]

Ah, right, well I still get the same issue either way 😞

[maratovich]

Perhaps this is a change in AutoCAD settings. Check - create a new user in Windows, then AutoCAD will be a clean setting, check Publication.
Maybe try this:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/device...

[maratovich]

Perhaps this is a change in AutoCAD settings. Check - create a new user in Windows, then AutoCAD will be a clean setting, check Publication.
Maybe try this:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/device...

[pendean]

My bad, I assumed you knew to do more: after you select a default PDF driver, you click on the now available PUBLISH OPTIONS button and manually locate our desired destination.

HTH

[pendean]

My bad, I assumed you knew to do more: after you select a default PDF driver, you click on the now available PUBLISH OPTIONS button and manually locate our desired destination.

HTH

[chase.gifford]

I understand, that doesn't resolve the issue though.

[chase.gifford]

I understand, that doesn't resolve the issue though.

[chase.gifford]

Sounds like I'm going to need to reinstall everything.

[chase.gifford]

Sounds like I'm going to need to reinstall everything.

[maratovich]

---

@chase.gifford wrote:

Sounds like I'm going to need to reinstall everything.

---

No

1. https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-i...

2. https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-r...

[maratovich]

---

@chase.gifford wrote:

Sounds like I'm going to need to reinstall everything.

---

No

1. https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-i...

2. https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-r...

[chase.gifford]

Cool, thanks - will give those a shot when I free up.

[chase.gifford]

Cool, thanks - will give those a shot when I free up.