TheSwamp
CAD Forums => CAD General => Topic started by: Mark on March 08, 2008, 07:33:50 AM
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I am, once again looking for a decent PDF print driver. It needs to be able to create a single .pdf file from Sheet Set Manager and allow for custom paper sizes.
What do you guys use?
thanks for any/all input.
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CutePDF has been my PDFer for a while now.
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I haven't used it a lot, but I haven't had any reason to replace it either: CutePDF (http://cutepdf.com/). I've been using it ever since I saw Daron mention it. Searching ... yep (http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=17810.msg215558#msg215558).
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Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Professional.
Every now and then I get a plot where it didn't render some items, didn't include some items or only partial items, from dimensions, to text, to leaders, hatches, model or paper space... but I don't think I would ever fully trust any application so much that I would =not= check it's output before sending it to the client or governing authorities, so it's no biggie for me.
I find it handles hatches, wipeouts, background masks, etc all fine, which are normally the tricky stuff for some drivers, and the file sizes are quite manageable. I'm not too keen on how it makes a solid hatch into a lined hatch, because on SCREEN it can sometimes look a bit dodgy, but it always prints as expected.
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GhostScript is the best I've ever used. It comes with an .inf file for installing a printer (install it locally or on a network) then wrap that with a .pc3 file in AutoCAD. I then use my custom batch program to take the generated .eps file from the plot and pass it to the Ghostscript.exe and voila!
Perfect PDF's everytime including wipeout's, which are notoriously trouble in companies I've worked for.
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I'm becoming a fan of XPS though..........
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I've been using GhostScript (@Home) for a while ... no issues.
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We use pdf redirect
http://www.exp-systems.com/ (http://www.exp-systems.com/)
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I've been using GhostScript (@Home) for a while ... no issues.
Same here ... ever since Se7en mentioned it some time back .. it is much better than Acrobat so far as configurability is concerned.
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We've been Bluebeam (http://www.bluebeam.com/web07/us/?src=99)'ing it over here for a while... Works great!
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Ghostscript; I plot (batch or one at a time) to PS file(s) then convert to PDF via a batch script.
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My favorite is FreePDF (http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?lp=de_en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshbox.de). Though the site is in German, many languages are supported.
This program is a shell for Ghostscript, so you need that as well.
- It's freeware (also for firms), with no advertisement at all
- Quality attitudes (dissolution, dimensions of picture area new calculation/ - grid)
- Support for encoded PDF (40 or 128 bits)
- PDF-printer support for all programs
- Terminal server support
- It's possible to set policys.
- Join different PDF-files to one new PDF (even different coded or paper size)
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I've used PrimoPDF ever since Mark mentioned it years ago, but I also use Acrobat 7.0 Pro, and find it to be the most robust.
Hmm... I think there's a "Word of Mouth" theme going on in here. Maybe it IS time to change to something else. I'll watch this thread for a while.
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Thanks to Se7en I'm now using Ghostscript to .ps files from Sheet Set Manager. I then batch print them to .pdf. Of course this is only for me, not company wide, not yet anyway.
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i'm also a GhostScript user. have been using for 5-6 years and didn't feel like/need trying anything else.
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Using Autocad PDF driver. 2007 wass great IMO but 2008 vacuums. I have Adobe 5.0 also and with my role now as a construction administration for this project, I have used it's simple text annotation for every document ( I.E. RFIs, Change docs Revisions etc.) because we are transferring the docs 90& by the way of PDFs.
Hmm... I think there's a "Word of Mouth" theme going on in here. Maybe it IS time to change to something else. I'll watch this thread for a while.
My thoughts too.
Ghostscript; I plot (batch or one at a time) to PS file(s) then convert to PDF via a batch script.
Okay how does this work and how simple is it to use from start to finish.
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<snip>
Ghostscript; I plot (batch or one at a time) to PS file(s) then convert to PDF via a batch script.
Okay how does this work and how simple is it to use from start to finish.
...depending on you or your company standards.
My steps:
1. From AutoCAD: Make plot files -- batch or one at a time, whatever suits you needs.
2. Make check prints (or hard copies) of plt files -- or whatever your company standards are.
3. Take plot files and drag them into a VB script (a fancy batch file) to convert the files to PDF.
4. Drain and then refill coffee cup while complaining about the project architect to the PM.
Steps 2 and 4 are optional, but i feel 4 is a bit more important in the grand scheme of things.
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<snip>
Ghostscript; I plot (batch or one at a time) to PS file(s) then convert to PDF via a batch script.
Okay how does this work and how simple is it to use from start to finish.
...depending on you or your company standards.
My steps:
1. From AutoCAD: Make plot files -- batch or one at a time, whatever suits you needs.
2. Make check prints (or hard copies) of plt files -- or whatever your company standards are.
3. Take plot files and drag them into a VB script (a fancy batch file) to convert the files to PDF.
4. Drain and then refill coffee cup while complaining about the project architect to the PM.
Steps 2 and 4 are optional, but i feel 4 is a bit more important in the grand scheme of things.
Okay Plot to PLT then batch over.
How is the quality going this route compared to plotting directly?
What is the speed like?
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Okay Plot to PLT then batch over.
How is the quality going this route compared to plotting directly?
What is the speed like?
I dont understand the ``plotting directly'' statement but:
Quality: Up to 2400 DPI (But that's insane! ...I use 600 as the default which is very good.)
Speed: Same as any other printer driver.
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Okay Plot to PLT then batch over.
How is the quality going this route compared to plotting directly?
What is the speed like?
I dont understand the ``plotting directly'' statement but:
Quality: Up to 2400 DPI (But that's insane! ...I use 600 as the default which is very good.)
Speed: Same as any other printer driver.
Sorry. When I say Directly I am using Autocad's DWG to PDF driver.
The speed is that how long does it take drag the PLTs into the VBA and then to PDF, How long does it take?
What I doing here is trying to find another PDF printer. I have a feeling that the PDF driver of Autocad is being discontinued. Right now with lisp I "type" PDF and lisp takes it from there with no user intervention (in most case that is). That is what I am also looking for how much intervention will there be. It gets tiring really quick when you have to Name and locate a 100 pdfs.
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The speed is that how long does it take drag the PLTs into the VBA and then to PDF, How long does it take?
Well I'm not using John's VBA script but I am using a batch script to process the .plt's to .pdf's. I just did 42 sheets ( 60MB worth ) in under 3 minutes with one right click, two left clicks and one drag. :-)
It took longer for autocad to process the .plt files (using sheet set manager) then it did to convert them to .pdf's ( about 15 seconds ).
Here's my batch script.
%echo off
::
echo looking for .plt files ....
echo.
echo.
echo Converting to pdf ....
echo.
for %%f in (*.plt) do call ps2pdf.bat %%f ..\output\%%~nf.pdf
echo.
echo.
echo Deleting .plt files
echo.
echo.
del *.plt
echo.
echo.
echo All done!
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Its not a VBA script, its a VB scrip... (blah.vbs) Its just like a batch script. (blah.bat)
Watch this video. A dos prompt thing will pop up...thats how long it takes.
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We use CutePDF as well, ever since Will DeLoach (I think) suggested it three or four years ago.
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Its not a VBA script, its a VB scrip... (blah.vbs) Its just like a batch script. (blah.bat)
Watch this video. A dos prompt thing will pop up...thats how long it takes.
Okay so you got me thinking and my interst.
What is the GSview? Just a viewer for PLTs?
The PS2PDF is the VBS I assume?
Sorry for the PITA questions
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What is the GSview? Just a viewer for PLTs?
Actually, it's an EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) viewer. The PLT is just an extension really.
At the end of the day, a vast majority of these 'other' PDF programs are just front ends to the GhostScript engine, rarther like WinZip is a frontend to the opensource compression libraries.
Sure, they might add a pretty front end and a virtual printer port, but they just redirect the output to the GhostScript backend.
Remember, the PDF format is not owned by Adobe...they just put on a frontend and market it very well, but it's still an open standard file format.
I've used GS for several years now and it will typically out-perform (speed, file size and fidelity) any others I've tried, especially the baked in one in Acad.
I wrote a VBA batch printing program that used GS for it's PDF capabilities and all you have to do is pass the right command line arguments to the GS exe in your code and you can control everything.
I've also used the same approach in my C# batcher and you just start a process with the right arguments for GS and voila! You control everything as far
as your business rules are concerned (ie. file name of PDF, where to place it depending on current project for example etc.)
Cheers,
Glenn.
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I forgot to mention that you can pass multiple files to GS and it will create a single 'multi-sheet' PDF as well...damn good if you ask me.
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I forgot to mention that you can pass multiple files to GS and it will create a single 'multi-sheet' PDF as well...damn good if you ask me.
Really! I'll have to look that one up, thanks Glenn.
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Question for the Ghostscript folks. When I plot from sheet set manager all the files get created in "My Documents", where/what controls that? I've looked in quite a few places including the registry but came up empty.
thanks
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I couldnt agree with Glenn more.
There are TONS of stuff you can do with GS. See the Devices.htm in the doc dir.
Something like: C:\\gs\\gs8.61\\doc\\Devices.htm
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Question for the Ghostscript folks. When I plot from sheet set manager all the files get created in "My Documents", where/what controls that? I've looked in quite a few places including the registry but came up empty.
thanks
Thats not a GS issue. Modify your Page setup
Right click -> Sheet Set Publish Options...you can figure it out from there.
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I forgot to mention that you can pass multiple files to GS and it will create a single 'multi-sheet' PDF as well...damn good if you ask me.
THAT would have come in handy numerous times over the years! I'm going to have to check it out for sure, now! Thanks for the very informative posts, Glenn!
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Nurries.
Cheers,
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I forgot to mention that you can pass multiple files to GS and it will create a single 'multi-sheet' PDF as well...damn good if you ask me.
THAT would have come in handy numerous times over the years! I'm going to have to check it out for sure, now! Thanks for the very informative posts, Glenn!
I'll second that. I just got the go-ahead to purchase some software, and now I can use what I was going to spend on something else. I had no idea of the power of GS.
Very informative, thanks again Glenn.
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I forgot to mention that you can pass multiple files to GS and it will create a single 'multi-sheet' PDF as well...damn good if you ask me.
Haven't found the switch for that one yet. What I normally use is pdftk (http://www.accesspdf.com/pdftk/) to combine files. Not sure if GS can do this or not.
Determine the order of sheets using pdftk.
pdftk G-*.pdf C-*.pdf L-*.pdf cat output all.pdfG- sheets will be first followed by C- then L-.
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gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile=output.pdf -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH file1.pdf file2.pdf file3.pdf
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Thanks Se7en.
I was trying to find my old VBS files where I did all the ghostscript script stuff, but alas, I fear they have gone to the great binary graveyard in the sky with my last HDD crash...sigh.
Cheers,
Glenn.
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no prob.
*lol* I know the feeling all to well.
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I have used it in demo mode before buying it for my company:
http://www.cadzation.com/ (http://www.cadzation.com/)
This integrates perfect with AutoCAD and has nice features with other files.
The good thing is that the "optimized" pdf is really smaller than creating the same file with any other driver, I have made the same file from big drawings and obtained pdf ten times smaller than the same done with Acrobat.
Another nice feature is that you can make 1 pdf out of many Layouts or 1 for each Layout all in batch processing.
René
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pdftk G-*.pdf C-*.pdf L-*.pdf A0-*.pdf A1-*.pdf A2-*.pdf S0-*.pdf S1-*.pdf HVAC.pdf Electrical.pdf Plumbing.pdf "Fire Protection.pdf" cat output All.pdf
*grin*
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Actually, it's an EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) viewer. The PLT is just an extension really.
Now I am going to ask a stupid question.
Is Autodesk going to phase out the Plotting to PLTs because of the great push to DWFs?
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``plt'' is just what extension AutoCAD places to its `print files'; the print driver is what determines what is in the file. (Postscript print driver, you get a Postscript file with a PLT extension.)
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pdftk G-*.pdf C-*.pdf L-*.pdf A0-*.pdf A1-*.pdf A2-*.pdf S0-*.pdf S1-*.pdf HVAC.pdf Electrical.pdf Plumbing.pdf "Fire Protection.pdf" cat output All.pdf
*grin*
fine. ...even shorter:
gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -o output.pdf file1.pdf file2.pdf file3.pdf ...
*big grin*
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Se7en,
I actually found my VBS files...they were JScript files (.js) :roll: :lmao:
Cheers,
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My love affair with curly braces and semicolons :evil:
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Se7en,
I actually found my VBS files...they were JScript files (.js) :roll: :lmao:
Cheers,
Wahoo!
*lol*
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heh. Just noticed I've past the 1k post mark...good on me :-)
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acrobat 3d 8.1 of course because i can drag and drop my 3d CAD models into PDF's and make the smallest most standard PDF's
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acrobat 3d 8.1 of course because i can drag and drop my 3d CAD models into PDF's and make the smallest most standard PDF's
That is pretty sweet.
That's a pretty steep price tag for Acrobat 3D, but man... that is neat.
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here is a question i have:
what PDF printer or setting would i set so u don't get prompted for file names when doing Publishes ?
and a blast from the past, does anybody remember the days of postscript printer driver EPS file printing? or virtual HPGL Plt file printing, does anybody still used these techniques for reprographics? maybe i am just spoiled by in house OCE
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This is a new one I hadn't heard of.
Free today on giveawayoftheday.com :
Giveaway of the Day - Adolix PDF Converter PRO
Create PDF files from any application that supports printing. You can preview your file, merge multiple files into a single PDF, secure it with encryption and passwords, split it, change compression and color options, rotate pages and even manage page order. (http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/)
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Heh, I just came to this thread to post that.
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Giveaway of the Day - Adolix PDF Converter PRO
I'm not sure if it's 100% accurate, but this comment from the site might indicate it wouldn't be particularly useful for CAD work:
It includes a line of text to the bottom of each page of the created pdf: “Create PDF-files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapf.com).
So I do not consider this a fair giveaway, even if it works perfectly.
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WOW, yea after reading a number of comments (I had previously only read the first dozen or so) this thing appears to be a steaming pile.
Sorry for the link! Took it for face value... appears to be something to avoid, actually, as a freebie...may be worth it if you purchase the novapdf driver or something, I don't know... but oh well... at least you can get the freebie version to try it out and then see if the purchase version is worth buying.
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Software like that is refered to as Crippleware.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crippleware (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crippleware)
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I installed Adolix PDF Converter PRO, but it was gone again after 30 seconds. :-( The experience wasnt very good.