Revit does not plot to scale?

[Anonymous]

I feel like this would have been already addressed and have been mining this forum for some clarity but have found none. Hoping a new post will get some answers. 

PROBLEM: Revit does not plot 100%. 

Hopefully I can ward off flippant answers by qualifying:

1. It is NOT set to 'Fit to Page.' Print Settings are set to Zoom: 100%. 

2. It is NOT a printer problem. This occurs when printing to PDF, no printers involved.

3. It is NOT a specific PDF writer issue. I have used multiple PDF writers (Bluebeam and Microsoft Print to PDF) with the exact same results.

4. It is NOT an issue of a titleblock drawn to the printer limits and the PDF writer overwriting or autocorrecting the Revit settings. Exact same results with or without titleblock. Exact same results without titleblock and nothing within 1/2" of printer boundary. Exact same results plotting portions of sheets using 'Visible portion of view.'

So, here is the precise issue:

PDF plots to 24x36 size paper are actually 99.93% scale.

PDF plots to Letter size paper are actually 99.95% scale.

Plots direct to HP printer are actually 100.3% scale.

Here is my process:

1. Plot from Revit using a PDF writer and Zoom:100%. (I've used Bluebeam PDF and Microsoft Print to PDF with exact same results).

2. Open with PDF reader and measure the content. (I've used Bluebeam Revu and Adobe Acrobat with exact same results).

Granted this is not a real big problem. These tolerances result in a Letter size plot being .005" off and 24x36 sheet being .0135" off. For our office standards at 1/4" scale, this is about a Pen 02 thickness and Pen 03 thickness. That is to say, too small to detect with a scale when plotted. In fact, after finding this issue, we reviewed past projects and found that we've had this problem for 5 years without noticing. However, I would like to know why exactly this happens, and if it can be resolved - if only for my piece of mind.

Lastly, I noted that plotting directly to an HP printer was also a little off. I know this can be due a bunch of additional factors and am not concerned with them. I only tested this to compare against the PDF output and to see if the phenomenon was consistent. 

[ToanDN]

I have tested it myself before and Bluebeam PDF is off like you said, but Adobe PDF is right on 100%.  I didn't bother with the Microsoft PDF abomination. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply. I actually assumed that it was a Bluebeam issue until I tested it with the Microsoft PDF printer and had the same results. Still, I totally buy the idea that it's a PDF writer issue, and the two I tested happen to use the same processes whereas others do it better.

Anyone else use Bluebeam and/or Adobe PDF with different results? 

[kadmonkee]

have you confirmed it is not in the settings inside BlueBeam?

currently we only use BlueBEAm Revu Standard

options vary Fit Page, Fit Width and Actual Size

[Anonymous]

I was hopeful Adobe PDF would work perfectly, so I downloaded the latest Adobe Acrobat Pro trial to test it out. It's a bit better but unfortunately still the same issue. It scaled to 99.94% instead of Bluebeam's 99.93%. I measured the Adobe PDF in both Acrobat Pro and Bluebeam Revu with the same results.

[ToanDN]

Here is what I got.  Printed from Adobe PDF X Pro.  Measured in Bluebeam.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I checked those Bluebeam settings just now, but they don't seem applicable. I am using the Measurements tool to obtain the scale of the elements on the document, not relying on the viewer.

If anyone with Bluebeam Revu has the time, maybe they can see if they can replicate my findings? This is what I'm doing:

1. Plot my 1/4" scale plan to PDF from Revit (ARCH D, Zoom:100%). I have now used Bluebeam PDF, Adobe PDF, and Microsoft Print to PDF for this step.

2. Open in Revu. Use the Measurements tool, set page scale to 1/4" = 1'-0" and measure my plotted dimensions to 1/32 precision. This gives a pretty clear indication if there is a discrepancy, and the Measurements tool snaps so I'm confident the measurements aren't off.

I have now also used the measurement tool in Adobe Acrobat Pro for PDFs created through Bluebeam and Adobe. In that program My 36" titleblock measures 35.98". 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I took your lead, and did a test from a New Project, using a default Revit template, and using the out-of-the-box 30x42 titleblock... and it worked 100%. Both using Adobe PDF print AND Bluebeam PDF print!

While I still don't know what is up, I'm making progress on figuring out what it's not! Looks like my PDF writers are working fine AND Revit plots at 100% - if I use the out-of-the-box elements. So something in my Revit set-up is making the scale mess up? I'm going to continue mess around to see what that could possibly be. Until then, if anyone has the same issue, please chime in.

UPDATE: Okay, I think I've figured out the problem but still don't know why. I have plotted to PDF using both Adobe PDF and Bluebeam PDF with the same results. If I plot 30x42, it scales 100%. If I plot to 24x36, it scales around 99.93%. Doesn't matter if I have a titleblock on the sheet or not. ToanDN, can you see if the same happens to you with 24x36 paper size?

[ToanDN]

Yup.  24x36 sheets do not plot @ 100%.

[Anonymous]

UPDATE: I've found that the scale is effected by sheet size. Plots 100% at 30x42 only.  All other sheets are a little off. All the other info is a red herring. Can anyone tell me why this could be? Still not sure if this is a Revit issue or PDF writer issue. 

FINDINGS:

Plotting with Adobe PDF:

Letter (8.5x11): 99.96%

Tabloid (11x17): 100.01%

C (18x24): 100.004%

D (24x36): 99.937%

E1 (30x42): 100% Exactly

E (36x48): 100.004%

Plotting with Bluebeam PDF:

Letter (8.5x11): 99.95%

Tabloid (11x17): 100.13%

C (18x24): 100.03%

D (24x36): 99.937%

E1 (30x42): 100% Exactly

E (36x48): 100.03%

[DanPopp]

Autodesk support was able to replicate this issue. They could not resolve it, but they passed it to the developers and created the following page:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles...

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hopefully I can ward off flippant answers by qualifying:

1. It is NOT set to 'Fit to Page.' Print Settings are set to Zoom: 100%. 

2. It is NOT a printer problem. This occurs when printing to PDF, no printers involved.

3. It is NOT a specific PDF writer issue. I have used multiple PDF writers (Bluebeam and Microsoft Print to PDF) with the exact same results.

4. It is NOT an issue of a titleblock drawn to the printer limits and the PDF writer overwriting or autocorrecting the Revit settings. Exact same results with or without titleblock. Exact same results without titleblock and nothing within 1/2" of printer boundary. Exact same results plotting portions of sheets using 'Visible portion of view.'

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So, those types of things are a necessary part of trouble shooting, hardly flippant as you say. If they aren't stated people will give them as possible solutions.

[Anonymous]

@RobDraw I agree with you and feel that there is much good in these forums, where many people find needed help from kind strangers. Plus, Autodesk actually engages with the forums. Case in point, this query from 2 years ago was investigated and acknowledged by the support team. Also, I've had Autodesk reach out to me directly from some of my posts.

That said, I do regard quite a few responses to honest questions - especially questions with little background information - as frivolous, superficial, shallow, glib, thoughtless, offhand, and dismissive. In other words, flippant. These responses are not helpful and sometimes stall out a thread. They are not positive contributions.

And now I find myself responding to a comment in that category of negativity. I have tried to be a helpful contributor, and I don't see why someone would feel the need to comment or chide me on one word from a 2-year old post. That does nothing for the benefit of the forum and does nothing to contribute to the actual content in the thread. 

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

That said, I do regard quite a few responses to honest questions - especially questions with little background information - as frivolous, superficial, shallow, glib, thoughtless, offhand, and dismissive. In other words, flippant. These responses are not helpful and sometimes stall out a thread. They are not positive contributions.

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Thanks for being so judgmental of people only trying to help.

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@Anonymous wrote:

And now I find myself responding to a comment in that category of negativity. I have tried to be a helpful contributor, and I don't see why someone would feel the need to comment or chide me on one word from a 2-year old post. That does nothing for the benefit of the forum and does nothing to contribute to the actual content in the thread. 

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This thread came up as recent. Way to assume that I dug up your thread.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm saying that this morning, I felt good about this forum. I'd posted a question a while back, people took time out of their day to respond, and Autodesk Support even addressed the issue. Then...

Then out of nowhere, someone decided to comment on the thread, not to contribute to the topic or even help at all, but to point out one word in my original post and try to school me on my manners. I don't think you were 'only trying to help' when you 'taught' me what trouble shooting entails. That was talking down to me. Your comments have been unhelpful and mean and make me upset.  It makes me not want to visit these forums anymore. And it absolutely vindicates my original sentiment that some of the responses on this forum are flippant and disrespectful.

[RobDraw]

Sometimes it's not the question but the way it is asked. It goes two ways, ya know.

[john_kinder]

Same problem here using Revu.  Is there a solve for this yet?  

“I’ve yet to see any Autodesk problem, however complicated, which when you looked at it the right way didn’t become still more complicated.”

[crayEDN9P]

Ok so this has been bothering me too. I print to Bluebeam PDF and found the same thing, my scale was slightly off.

I THINK I found the solution, actually easier than I figured. Instead of clicking "Center" and Zoom (100%)", I have just been clicking "Fit to Page" and for my paper placement click "Printer Limit".  This prints my ARCH D page to 100% scale every time.

Hope this helps others! 

[RobDraw]

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@crayEDN9P wrote:

I THINK I found the solution, actually easier than I figured. Instead of clicking "Center" and Zoom (100%)", I have just been clicking "Fit to Page" and for my paper placement click "Printer Limit".  This prints my ARCH D page to 100% scale every time.

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Seems counterintuitive to me. I think you just happened upon some sort of coincidence in your title block that makes this work. A slightly smaller size and the plot would be too big.

[crayEDN9P]

Yeah its very counterintuitive, which is why I had never tried it until now. 

Have you tried it with your 24 x 36 titleblock?