Topic: PDF causes a loss of performance

[Hangman]

Has anyone run into a problem importing a PDF file into an empty template and have the drawing turn really sluggish?

I have an 8mg scanned PDF (from a bldg. drawn 65 years ago, i.e.: board drafting) I xref'd into an empty drawing template and immediately the drawing becomes sluggish.  Especially around the zoom (mouse wheel).  I can turn the layer the xref is attached to off and I get immediate performance gains so it's obviously in the PDF.

I'm looking for a system variable I can adjust or something I can change in ACAD to help with this performance loss as I can't edit / manipulate the PDF.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,  Hangman.

[Rob...]

This is a known issue. It should help if you change to a different type of image format, PNG or TIFF should help.

[JohnK]

Or DWFx. I have been using DWFs more and more over the last few years and I really like them. ...The XPS format Microsoft came up with is really nice. A lot of potential.

[cadtag]

Or DWFx. I have been using DWFs more and more over the last few years and I really like them. ...The XPS format Microsoft came up with is really nice. A lot of potential.

a DWFx from a scan?  Given the OPs description, I'd go with converting the scanned PDF to either a bitonal TIFF, or a PNG.

[JohnK]

Or DWFx. I have been using DWFs more and more over the last few years and I really like them. ...The XPS format Microsoft came up with is really nice. A lot of potential.

a DWFx from a scan?  Given the OPs description, I'd go with converting the scanned PDF to either a bitonal TIFF, or a PNG.

I was speaking more to the general problem(s) of PDFattach. -i.e. I use DWF whenever possible. But, I'll play along for a while. What do you think is in the PDF? ...DWF, XPS, PDF are containers in this respect. So, when people say "convert a scanned PDF to jpg" they really mean: "extract".

[cadtag]

Oh I completely agree with the better performance in general of DWF vs PDF.  PDFAttach is more of a 'checkbox' feature than as useful as it could be IMHO.   For vector CAD generated files, DWF is great.  PDF incorporates so many mixes, that it's often a mess to work with. 

For the OP though, given that he's dealing with a 65 year old  drawing, (blue-line?  blue-print?  ink on linen?) run through a scanner and saved to PDF, I'd expect a lot of pixels, many irrelevant from the background -- probably colored by yellowing of the media, and faded linework that's hard to work with.  IronGall ink does tend to brown out with age and oxidation.  Dunno about squid ink anymore.  Before my time donchaknow.

Heck the 20 year old bluelines I've had to deal with have been messy enough after scanning. 

[CAB]

Here in ACAD2006 I avoid PDF & Word Files. Performance & hang ups.
I convert Word files to Mtext & PDF to image to use in the DWG.

[danallen]

I've always converted scans to monochrome/bitmap mode TIF files (all black or white) reduces file size dramatically. In photoshop you need to convert RGB to grayscale, then to bitmap mode. Or in Bluebeam you can export the PDF to TIF format and change export preferences to use monochrome option.

Also allows scan to be color of layer inserted on, such as a dark gray to not compete with linework drawn over

[snownut2]

I use PNG for images, no noticable performance issues, and the images always print out clearly.

[ronjonp]

I use PNG for images, no noticable performance issues, and the images always print out clearly.

X2

[Krushert]

I've always converted scans to monochrome/bitmap mode TIF files (all black or white) reduces file size dramatically. In photoshop you need to convert RGB to grayscale, then to bitmap mode. Or in Bluebeam you can export the PDF to TIF format and change export preferences to use monochrome option.

Also allows scan to be color of layer inserted on, such as a dark gray to not compete with linework drawn over

Adobe Pro will save to TIFF, PNG and JPEG formats. 

[danallen]

My experience is PNG is good for converting a vector based PDF to image, as PNG format is optimized for this. Raster scans generally have smaller file size in JPG format if color, and I still like TIF for monochrome. If I recall correctly monochrome TIF can be transparent, PNG can't.

I use PNG for images, no noticable performance issues, and the images always print out clearly.

[Crank]

My experience is PNG is good for converting a vector based PDF to image, as PNG format is optimized for this. Raster scans generally have smaller file size in JPG format if color, and I still like TIF for monochrome. If I recall correctly monochrome TIF can be transparent, PNG can't.

[...]

A vector based PDF can be converted to dxf.

[snownut2]

I use this for doing my file conversion, you can create bookmarked pdf files containing many different original file types in one operation, also comes with a handy tool "Acroplot Matrix" that allows marking up of PDF files (filling in forms marking drawings etc.)

Also converts PDF's into many different image file types.

https://www.cadzation.com/acroplotpro_info.htm

And @ $199.00 its less than 1/2 the price of Acrobat.

[Rob...]

But AutoCAD still takes a performance hit with PDFs created from it.