export drawing to pdf

[Anonymous]

Hi I'm using Autocad 2018. Currently we are using PrintToPDF dll to Convert the drawing to PDF. but is is very slow. We want to use AutoCAD built in functionality to save drawing in pdf format and then publish it.

Can anyone suggest how can i do it using C# or Vb code.

Please provide code sample. 

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

you can use the plot-api and use "DWG to PDF.pc3" as driver/setting.

There are a lot of threads in the www showing the plot functionality, e.g. like this >>>help/docu<<<

Good luck, - alfred -

[Anonymous]

Hi i want to use "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3" to create pdf from drawing. Can you please suggest someting. If possible provide some code sample.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

one step more in search results and I found that >>>click<<< for how to use a special PC3 file.

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

HI,

I can change the device name by

ThisDrawing.ActiveLayout.ConfigName = "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3" but not Getting any Idea how to generate pdf through default AutoCAD pdf generation.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

can you use AutoCAD manually and create a plot to that pc3?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

I can save drawing layout in pdf format manually by using AutoCAD 2018 export functionality. And there we also have option to select peer printer to "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print)".

Can you suggest some api so that i can use its internal export feature. Although i can see ThisDrawing.Export() function is available, but is does not support PDF.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Can you suggest some api so that i can use its internal export feature

As shown in the links (pointing to ready to use samples), please use the PLOT functionality to create PDF's files from your content.

PLOT can be done by API

Export to PDF not (AFAIK)

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

I can set the plot and device name like ThisDrawing.ActiveLayout.ConfigName = "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3", but don't know which method to call to generate pdf for current layout.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> but don't know which method to call to generate pdf

Look to

ThisDrawing.Plot

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

ThisDrawing.Plot is throwing exception and saying "no document". I also tried with setting BACKGROUNDPLOT to disabled, but got no luck.

ThisDrawing.Plot.PlotToFile("c:\temp\" + filename + ".pdf", plotConfig.ConfigName) throwing exception as ThisDrawing.Plot has error. Not able to get how to resolve this.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> ThisDrawing.Plot is throwing exception and saying "no document"

Is a document active? Does "ThisDrawing" point to that active document?

Can you please show the complete code (all around your plot settings and plot itself) + the drawing you try to plot.

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

Yes ThisDrawing is active.

dwg.ActiveLayout.ConfigName = "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3"

dwg.ActiveLayout.PlotType = AcPlotType.acLayout

dwg.ActiveLayout.StandardScale = AcPlotScale.acScaleToFit

Dim plotConfig = dwg.PlotConfigurations

Dim ptcon = plotConfig.Add("PDF")

ptcon.ConfigName="AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3"

dwg.SetVariable("BACKGROUNDPLOT", 0)

ptcon.RefreshPlotDeviceInfo()

Dim bool = dwg.Plot.PlotToFile("c:\temp\" + filename + ".pdf", ptcon.ConfigName)

Here "dwg" is active drawing referes to ThisDrawing. I have also tried with ThisDrawing as well instead with "dwg" but getting same error.

dwg.Plot is throwing exception, says no document

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

that code is working fine on my side in AutoCAD VBA (changes done, especially avoiding late bindung and doing a clean declaration of variables)

Const tPlotFileName As String = "C:\TEMP\PDFTEST.PDF"

Public Sub testPDF()
   Dim dwg As AcadDocument
   Set dwg = ThisDrawing
   
   dwg.ActiveLayout.ConfigName = "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3"
   dwg.ActiveLayout.PlotType = AcPlotType.acLayout
   
   dwg.ActiveLayout.StandardScale = AcPlotScale.acScaleToFit
   
   Dim plotConfigs As AcadPlotConfigurations
   Set plotConfigs = dwg.PlotConfigurations
   
   Dim ptcon As AcadPlotConfiguration
   Set ptcon = plotConfigs.Add("PDF")
   ptcon.ConfigName = "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3"
   
   Call dwg.SetVariable("BACKGROUNDPLOT", 0)
   
   Call ptcon.RefreshPlotDeviceInfo
   
   Dim tBool As Boolean
   tBool = dwg.Plot.PlotToFile(tPlotFileName)
End Sub

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

It is not working on my side. Is there any issue with version. I'm working on AutoCAD 2018 and using same version of Interop library.

[Anonymous]

It is not working on my side. Is there any issue with version. I'm working on AutoCAD 2018 and using same version of Interop library.

 Plot = 'DirectCast(dwg, Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.AcadDocumentClass).Plot' threw an exception of type 'System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException'

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> Plot = 'DirectCast(dwg, Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.AcadDocumentClass).Plot' threw

>> an exception of type 'System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException'

That is not a VBA-code, try my code with VBA, if that works then you can use debug to compare the variables between VBA and your VisualStudio project.

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

This is what I am hope this helps.

Private PageSetup As String
Private PSCurrent As String


Sub CreatePDF(DWG As AcadDocument)

'********************************************************
'*** import pagesetup and set current pagesetup START ***
'********************************************************
If TB_pdf = True Then
    If OBimperial = True Then
        PageSetup = "N:\Drafting Standard\Templates\Title Blocks\Fabrication\11x17-IMP-2016_r2.dwg"
        PSCurrent = "11x17 PDF-I"
    Else
        PageSetup = "N:\Drafting Standard\Templates\Title Blocks\Fabrication\11x17-Metric-2016_r2.dwg"
        PSCurrent = "11x17 PDF-M"
    End If
    
    DWG.SendCommand ("tilemode 0" & vbCr) ' change drawing to paperspace
    DWG.SendCommand "(load ""N:/Drafting Standard/Tools and Blocks/Lisp/DEL_PAGESETUPS.lsp"") " 'load Lisp
    DWG.SendCommand "DEL_PAGESETUPS" & vbCr 'run lisp to purge all existing pagesetup
    
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 0" & vbCr) ' Disable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ".-psetupin" & vbCr & PageSetup & vbCr & "*" & vbCr & vbCr & vbCr 'import all pagesetup
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 1" & vbCr) ' enable openfile panel
    
    Dim oPlotConfig As AcadPlotConfiguration
    Set oPlotConfig = DWG.PlotConfigurations(PSCurrent) 'set "11x17 PDF-#" to current
    DWG.ActiveLayout.CopyFrom oPlotConfig

'******************************************************
'*** import pagesetup and set current pagesetup END ***
'******************************************************

'***********************************
'*** EXPORT DRAWING TO PDF START ***
'***********************************
Dim objFile As Object
Dim FileName As String
Dim releasePDF

FileName = Left(lbFrameName, InStrRev(lbFrameName, ".") - 1)
    
    releasePDF = PReleaseFolderInput.Text & "\" & FileName & ".pdf"
    DWG.SendCommand ("DXEVAL 0" & vbCr) ' disable automatic table update
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 0" & vbCr) ' disable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ("-EXPORT" & vbCr + "P" & vbCr + "A" & vbCr + releasePDF & vbCr) ' EXPORT DRAWING TO PDF
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 1" & vbCr) ' enable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ("DXEVAL 12" & vbCr) ' enable automatic table update
End If
'*********************************
'*** EXPORT DRAWING TO PDF END ***
'*********************************
End Sub

[Anonymous]

Hi, this is what I am using and seem to work fine for me. Hope this helps

Private PageSetup As String
Private PSCurrent As String

Sub CreatePDF(DWG As AcadDocument)

'********************************************************
'*** import pagesetup and set current pagesetup START ***
'********************************************************
If TB_pdf = True Then
    If OBimperial = True Then
        PageSetup = "N:\Drafting Standard\Templates\Title Blocks\Fabrication\11x17-IMP-2016_r2.dwg"
        PSCurrent = "11x17 PDF-I"
    Else
        PageSetup = "N:\Drafting Standard\Templates\Title Blocks\Fabrication\11x17-Metric-2016_r2.dwg"
        PSCurrent = "11x17 PDF-M"
    End If
    
    DWG.SendCommand ("tilemode 0" & vbCr) ' change drawing to paperspace
    DWG.SendCommand "(load ""N:/Drafting Standard/Tools and Blocks/Lisp/DEL_PAGESETUPS.lsp"") " 'load Lisp
    DWG.SendCommand "DEL_PAGESETUPS" & vbCr 'run lisp to purge all existing pagesetup
    
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 0" & vbCr) ' Disable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ".-psetupin" & vbCr & PageSetup & vbCr & "*" & vbCr & vbCr & vbCr 'import all pagesetup
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 1" & vbCr) ' enable openfile panel
    
    Dim oPlotConfig As AcadPlotConfiguration
    Set oPlotConfig = DWG.PlotConfigurations(PSCurrent) 'set "11x17 PDF-#" to current
    DWG.ActiveLayout.CopyFrom oPlotConfig

'******************************************************
'*** import pagesetup and set current pagesetup END ***
'******************************************************

'***********************************
'*** EXPORT DRAWING TO PDF START ***
'***********************************
Dim objFile As Object
Dim FileName As String
Dim releasePDF

FileName = Left(lbFrameName, InStrRev(lbFrameName, ".") - 1)
    
    releasePDF = PReleaseFolderInput.Text & "\" & FileName & ".pdf"
    DWG.SendCommand ("DXEVAL 0" & vbCr) ' disable automatic table update
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 0" & vbCr) ' disable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ("-EXPORT" & vbCr + "P" & vbCr + "A" & vbCr + releasePDF & vbCr) ' EXPORT DRAWING TO PDF
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 1" & vbCr) ' enable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ("DXEVAL 12" & vbCr) ' enable automatic table update
End If
'*********************************
'*** EXPORT DRAWING TO PDF END ***
'*********************************
End Sub

[Anonymous]

Thanks for suggestions. Below code is working.

    DWG.SendCommand ("DXEVAL 0" & vbCr) ' disable automatic table update
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 0" & vbCr) ' disable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ("-EXPORT" & vbCr + "P" & vbCr + "A" & vbCr + releasePDF & vbCr) ' EXPORT DRAWING TO PDF
    DWG.SendCommand ("filedia 1" & vbCr) ' enable openfile panel
    DWG.SendCommand ("DXEVAL 12" & vbCr) ' enable automatic table update

I have one more query. Can you please suggest how to pass PDF Preset value in Export command. I have to set it to "AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3".

Currently it is taking default "AutoCAD PDF (General Documentation).pc3".

I can set it from Save as PDF popup and then it will work, when i rerun the code, but by setting from UI, it will work on my machine only. I have to write code for all the users, so it must be from code change.

I am using AUTOCAD 2018.

Please suggest.