PDF Printing - Combine Multiple problem

[hobyrne.ca]

There is this annoying little thing that happens when printing from Revit whereby the default setting cannot be changed for printing to PDF with either option of producing a single output file or having multiple files.

It would be fabulous if one could set the default setting to be one or the other. For me, it is a rarity to do multiple files and it's super annoying to hit cancel hundreds of times or kill the session due to forgetting to toggle that setting.

I understand there is a workaround as noted in the following post https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-mep-forum/pdf-printing-combine-multiple-problem/m-p/4346458#M19... but it would be nice not to have to worry about it.

[lionel.kai]

The issue with printing multiple combined PDFs was fixed in 2014+, so I'm assuming that you've got some projects stuck in 2013? We do also, so I feel your pain, but I can pretty much guarantee that Autodesk's not issuing any more fixes for 2013...

That said, I would love it if the default would stick at "Combine", especially since you have to currently traverse the dialog in non-visual order: choose the Printer at the top, then jump to the bottom to set the Print Range, then go back up to File (since it got changed once you selected more than one sheet...). It's easy to forget that you need to scan the dialog TWICE.

A user preference would be nice, but even a project setting would be useful - there are projects where we ALWAYS print single files because we have so many models that it's easier to just combine them all from single files (and eschew the linking functionality).

[hobyrne.ca]

I agree with you completely lionel.kai, even if Autodesk stopped at the default "combine" setting...

"A user preference would be nice, but even a project setting would be useful" -> Yes please

[RolyNZ]

Totally agree, If just printing one file, it defaults to "combine" option for some reason. Even if it just remembers your preference. 

Also would love it if Revit would remember user preference when selecting sheets but not individual views. I never select individual views to print. Rant over, please improve printing a little.

[lionel.kai]

Re-reading the OP, I'm a little confused about whether it's for the bug (that was fixed) or the odd UI behavior (which I tried submitting as a bug, but got rejected), so I'm just posting it here for now (instead of making a new idea):

Natural tendency is to review settings from top down (and left-to-right), so it's VERY poor design to have settings at the bottom of the dialog CHANGE other settings in the middle! EITHER:

1. Keep "Combine..." selected when switching to "Selected views/sheets",
2. Move the "File" panel to the bottom of the dialog (below the "Print Range" & other panels) so that it's NATURAL to check & change that setting next, or
3. Change the default to "Create separate..." and disable "Combine..." instead (so that at least you know the setting is wrong, and you'll need to come back and change it), though that's not ideal because you'd still need to review the dialog TWICE to get the settings done (like you do now).

I also recorded a Screencast: http://autode.sk/2fqoJvx

Every time I show new users how EASY it is to Print in Revit (compared to AutoCAD), the experience is muddied by the various reactions to this issue - laughter, shock, "that's crazy!", "well, they want to make sure it's not THAT easy...", etc.

[Anonymous]

I would love to see the default print dialog always stay at combine multiple (Regardless if it's a user preference, a project preference, or a Revit default).  I think inherently Revit should be set to combine multiple sheets regardless of user print settings.

A single checkbox at the very bottom of the print dialog that says "Print individual sheets" would do it as long as it was defaulted to unchecked.