Forced to PDF using raster when showing CAD overlays

[grigbyS6DAQ]

So this has happened on a few of our renovation projects recently where we have existing services in a .dwg CAD file and we only spend the time to recreate in Revit whatever existing services are needed for our current project. We use a linked full architectural model set to underlay and link the CAD file to show in the views as needed. For instance, this is a section of a plumbing demo view where all piping is in the CAD file:

This is all well and good, albeit a tad clunky to have to jump between AutoCAD and Revit constantly. However, it gets weird when printing/pdf'ing. We are using Bluebeam and when it's set to use vector printing (ideal) all of the CAD objects are invisible. 

This also happens when using Microsoft Print to PDF so it's not a Bluebeam issue.

The CAD content only shows when we change the print settings to raster:

Unfortunately, when you choose to print in raster, everything is in raster:

Nothing was changed between these two pdf's besides the choice between raster and vector. Printing settings:

This project is particularly bad at this. In another project this year the CAD lines would only disappear when passing through a wall in the linked arch model so that seemed it was plotting the arch model on top of the CAD, but in this project all of the CAD is gone.

Any thoughts on this? Our only solution has been to limit the sheets where we rely on using CAD files (like just for demo) and print those as raster separately, but it would be great to be able to just use vector.

[iainsavage]

It will force raster mode if the views are set to Shaded or Realistic mode or contain any non-vector objects such as shading, bitmaps etc. Navis NWC models will also cause this behaviour.

Normally if you try to print in vector mode and Revit decides that raster is better this message should pop up

- unless at some point in time you have suppressed that by selecting the "Do not show me this message again" checkbox. You can restore the warnings by editing a variable in the revit.ini file.

Maybe it is not interpreting your cad underlay as vector objects but as images? Maybe thick polylines or solid fills or hatching in the cad underlay are being interpreted as shading (that's just a guess on my part)?

[grigbyS6DAQ]

I do still have that dialogue box pop up from time to time, but it doesn't in this situation. Just when printing in vector I'm guessing it plots everything (including whitespace of the background) on top of the CAD. We are printing in Hidden Line, not realistic or shaded.

[iainsavage]

I don't think white space prints like that.

I can't test it for you though because I now only have the viewer versions which don't allow printing.

[grigbyS6DAQ]

Yeah I am not sure exactly why it's behaving this way. Anyone else have any suggestions or ideas?

[tawilson]

Probably not even it but I always put my cad imports at 1' above the level I'm working on. Mainly so when I go to a section view it's not on the same level. Easier to select or not select that way.

[grigbyS6DAQ]

Well I feel like an idiot. I was trying to figure out how to move the CAD import vertically up (still haven't figured out how), but I did see that the Draw Layer was set to Background. Changing to foreground and it works

So seems for some reason, when doing Vector printing and the CAD import is set to background, the Arch model prints on-top of the CAD, forcing me to use the raster printing. When the CAD is set to foreground then it'll print correctly regardless of raster/vector.

[tawilson]

I have a "Constraints" bar above the Dimension bar that shows the work plane and the offset from it. Not sure where yours is.