Creating Layered PDFs direct from revit

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I've seen this question in the past, but wondered if there was any change. Is there a way to create layered PDFs directly from revit?

Looking at doing some routing drawings and would like to create layered routes on the same floorplan.

Is this possible without exporting to dwg first ?

Mark.

[dzanta]

Natively, Revit cannot do this directly to PDF.

You can use 3rd party apps to make this work

For example, Bluebeam Revu can help you create a PDF which contains the following information as the PDF is being generated:

- PDF Securty

- Bookmarks

- Stamps

- File Attachments

- Signatures

Depending on what layered info you need to make from Revit, there may be other methods out there.  Hope this helps.

[creynolds]

Hi, 1st Export your Revit file to AutoCad, then from AutoCad, print to PDF. you will get layers you can turn on and off.

Not sure if the latest Version of Revit can do this? But this is how we had to do it recently with Revit 2021.

[Jeffrey_MartinYUGKC]

What 3rd Party Apps will export REVIT Layers to PDF?

[Jeffrey_MartinYUGKC]

What 3rd Party Apps will export REVIT Layers to PDF?

[Jim_Melin]

No 3d party apps I can find exports (autocad) layers to PDF directly.
Also DWG export from Revit is not good. Lines covered by other objects (like caseworks along a wall) will not be visible. When layers are off in PDF viewers linejs will be broken.
You can export every category from Revit separately to DWG, and use Revits DWG-layer conversion table to get correct layers.
Then append all the layers to one Drawing in Autocad and plot to PDF. Then the layers will be ratained in teh PDF with the option checked in settings.

A assume Dynamo cold be set up to automate exporting a cetagory at a time to separete DWGs.
And my company have developed an AI tool (ConstructIQ) that might be able to do this by prompt directly in Revit. We are still looking at it.
A script could then Append all the drawings in Autocad and plot them automatically. There are script managers like Cadium that can simplify this.

That is the best I can do to resolve tis issue right now.

[RSomppi]

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@Jim_Melin wrote:

Also DWG export from Revit is not good. 

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That is totally reliant on the view that is being exported. The right settings can get appropriate output.

[Jim_Melin]

It is not good from an Autocad user's perspective.
I have had this issue with Revit since 2011 and raised it with Autodesk several times. They have confirmed this is not possible and not even intended to be possible in one export.
As I still can't find a setting that does not remove obscured lines in 2d DWG export and as it is indirectly relevant to this question thread, would you please inform us how revit can export overlapping objects without breaking the lines of the covered details?
I am very hopeful this issue has a fix, as it still bugs many of our Autocad customers when they switch to Revit.

[TripleM-Dev.net]

@Jim_Melin  I Have to say I disagree with this from my personal experience

Back when I used AutoCAD I whished they had a Export Dwg option that would remove obscured lines and clipped content etc.

Revit is not AutoCAD, and with a Export to 2D I would expect a clean export with redundant info not in it.

A side note, Most DWG's I get (from users using AutoCAD) are messy with so many additional help layers, or objects on wrong layers, incorrect origin or between version moving stuff around. And what about those 1000-layers or in revers one 1 or 2 layers for all elements. 

But to the post, identify what's the issue with removed obscured lines and see if a certain export(s) does match the needs (like you say "not possible ... in one export)

In the past I setup floorplans with a certain display setting for consultants that use AutoCAD so they could use the exports directly without the need for any cleanup.

- Michel

[Jim_Melin]

That reply is not helpful.
Our client in my case this time is required by contract to deliver PDFs with retained layer structure and complete layers so they look right when layers are hidden.
Your experience of messy Autocad exports are beside the point.
This thread and my clients have expressed a specific feature and we are providing solutions to that problem.

My workaround above explains that, and I'm looking for ways to automate it to make it even simpler.
Please do not bother to explain your personal viewpoints further unless you can simplify the process.

[RSomppi]

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@Jim_Melin wrote:

Our client in my case this time is required by contract to deliver PDFs with retained layer structure and complete layers so they look right when layers are hidden.

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Your project has requirements that Revit cannot provide. This thread is about vector PDFs with layers directly from Revit. Exporting to .dwg to meet client PDF standards is another topic altogether.

[philsogood]

lol, blocks created with layer that is not 0 is crap!! ; )

Phil

@philsogood -  this post has been edited due to Community Rules & Etiquette violation.