PDF--low resolution struggles

I'm struggling with getting a suitably high resolution in plotted PDFs from AutoCAD 2009... I've tried to increase the settings in the "Dwg to PDF", and the "Acrobat" emulations, but still get poor results (and HUGE files). Any advice would be appreciated

I'm starting to sound like I get a kickback for marketing effort.

Go to autodesk.com and download (FREE) TrueView 2010. Open your dwg file in it and plot. It will use your dwg layout settings. Just print as if you are in your drawing in autocad. The line weight, font, colors, all that are much better than acad 2009. The resulting pdf's are a great deal smaller in file size than those out of autocad.

You can also convert different gens of acad dwg's to older or newer versions.

Nice tip Dana, I'll have to remember that!

TrueView seemed to scramble my Acad installation...2009 would not start after TV install. Please don't apologise, it's not necessary. Any other possible solutions?

TrueView associates the DWG file extension to run TrueView, instead of AutoCAD whenever it's used to open a file. AutoCAD does the same thing.

With your mouse you can right-click on a file and choose "open with" and then select AutoCAD, and it'll switch back to the way you're used to it working.. and then if you need TrueView again, do the same proceedure to get TrueView to takeover again, and vice versa..

Not the most convenient thing in the world.. but it works.

Yup, for some reason both AutoCAD and TrueView override the windows default file association, and won't give it back.

Another workaround is to open either program first, then open the file from the Open option. That will set the association back. That is, until you use the other program again.

I have changed the edge colour to 7 (white) and have tried to change the lineweight for the #7 pen to a heavier value, and it makes no difference. It seems curious to me that the edge effects panel is disabled (greyed).

P.S.: how do i post a pic in this forum?

I have changed the edge colour to 7 (white) and have tried to change the lineweight for the #7 pen to a heavier value, and it makes no difference. It seems curious to me that the edge effects panel is disabled (greyed).

What's curious to me is that this has nothing to do with a low resolution PDF.. did we take care of that issue, and now you want to get back to the other post regarding your isometric cutaways? or am I missing something?

You changed edgeline widths with no apparent effect. So make them ridiculously wide and see if there's really no effect, or it's just not real noticeable.

Printing to PDF shouldn't make a difference?

Mike.

Is it necessary to repeat the historical issues in each post or is it understood that the ...

All may be solved with one possible solution?

please read the content of my last post regarding over-setting the lineweight (not successful)

Sure, good luck with that.

Ahhh, the inevitable indignant tech-smugness.

Thanks for your help to dat mike. It appears you have reached the end of your capacity for civility. Please go away now.

I was about to ask you whether TrueView helped you at all, beyond demonstrating the file association issue which is the only result you mentioned, but I changed my mind.

Ahhh, the inevitable indignant tech-smugness.

Thanks for your help to dat mike. It appears you have reached the end of your capacity for civility. Please go away now.

I wasn't smug, I wished you luck, but sure, I'll go now. Sorry to offend.

Dana,

The TrueView package would not allow me to re-associate the dwg files w. AutoCAD, so I uun-installed it.

Pity, 'cuz I'm sure that woud solve it.

Mike,

I may have been a bit sensitive there. I'm new to these forums, and it seems I am making protocol errors which seem to really upset people periodically...or maybe it seems that people are more intolerant with each other when they don't have to meet face to face...and maybe this is an isuue for another forum. Thanx for your help.

Hey, it happens, don't fret about it. Just remember that we wanna help, that's why we're posting. If we suggest something and we think the situation has been fixed, but there's a question about that, we want to follow through, because if our advice isn't working, we want to know why, so we're all learning stuff.

As I indicated, AutoCAD will steal-back the file associations when you run it, perhaps using the method I outlined. I had no way of knowing whether you'd given up on that, or were trying to make it work.. all I knew was that we were suddenly apparently no longer discussing getting more resolution in PDF's and that was originally the point of the thread. For all I knew, you'd overcome that obstacle and was onto some sort of edge darkening problem that I couldn't fully identify from your post.

I asked about that, to figure-out where we stood on your problem, and started trying to troubleshoot the line thickness thing and/or get a clarification on what you've tried, and was given a rude reply for my efforts.

At that point I had no idea what you were using to get the image with, or whether you were referring to plot settings being greyed out, or layer settings, or some other export method.

You said you set-it to something and that it the option was greyed out.. which suggests it wouldn't let you set it to that. So if it was set, how can it be unsettable.. I figured you'd start explaining how you got to where you did. The history is indeed important.

The fact the colors are "washed out" was, I thought, an option you were pursuing on purpose, since your other posts about the detail suggested a requirement that they be faxable.. if the colors were darker, they'd appear black in many fax machines (which only show black or white, with poor handling of anything in-between).

So I'm assuming now that you assigned darker colors and now they lightened? but is that a scan of a printout, or a screenshot of CAD, or a screenshot of the PDF's you got working in True view, or a render to file? Each would have their own "fixes" dependent entirely upon how you were arriving at that image.

As for low resolution, I don't know, for internet viewing that doesn't look bad at all. It's a little difficult to see how the closest wall surface is layered, but if that's not your focus, that's not an issue, nor is it a low-resolution issue. Everything else looks clear and distinct to me.. so it might depend on how you were telling it to print the PDF (assuming that's what that image came from) (ie- web-printing is lower-res than print-out printing, if that's one of the options you're encountering)..

If you shrunk it down in photoshop (or GIMP a free equivalent) now, you would gain some resolution (if you told it to), and you could aslo darken it there if that's what you want, and use "find edges" to create a new transparent layer that you could apply as a filter to darken the edges.

Anyways.. Plotting/rendering in 2009 isn't something I've done, since I'm still using 2004 & 2006, so I was bowing out.. maybe it IS all one fix, I have no idea. Above, I've outlined my thoughts on what you're facing.

So, sure, maybe it is a quick fix of some kind.. and good luck with what you're dealing with.

In terms of intolerance regarding, not being face-to-face, I think you'd do well to remember we're trying to help, and perhaps you must be more tolerant than we are, because when we become intolerant, we just stop trying to help.. When you're intolerant, and slinging barbs, you're left with an unsolved issue, and anyone else able to help might have second thoughts on doing so.

AutoCAD will steal-back the file associations when you run it.

This proved not to be the case. I could not even manually alter the association...pity because I have a feeling TrueVue would be a panacea to these issues (resolution, edge color/thickness, vivid colors)

 

...At that point I had no idea what you were using to get the image with...

I've tried Acrobat, and Bullzip...however, I notice that Acrobat Distiller is not installed(?!) so I have not tried that.

 

...or whether you were referring to plot settings being greyed out...

AutoCADs 'Plotter Configuration Editor' (within the plot dialogue box) has a field which offers options to allow Setting of Vector Graphic Resolution. This field is greyed-out and unavailable. Seems there is a setting elsewhere which over-rides this one. It's confusing because it seems there are many places where resolution can be set, and it's unclear how to manage that.

 

...The fact the colors are "washed out" was, I thought, an option you were pursuing on purpose...

I've abandoned trying to serve the site-guys as well as the sales staff with one detail.

 

So I'm assuming now that you assigned darker colors and now they lightened?

The colors shown on the posted image were set through AutoCAD as color-dependant assignments to layers. Merely my first attempt at a solution. I found it difficult to get any passable result with this method...which surprises me because I have seen decent colored elevations produced through AutoCAD before. Mind you they were plotted to paper. It seems the crux of the problem is in attempting to plot to PDF.

 

...but is that a scan of a printout,...

I considered this as a last-ditch solution, but it seems it would be labor-intensive and make for big, unwieldy files -and it really seems there is a cleverer solution out there somewhere.

 

...or a screenshot of CAD,...

My monitor resolution is not good enough to allow this as a solution

...or a screenshot of the PDF's you got working in True view,...

I did not create any files through TrueView as it prevented me from opening ANY files through AutoCAD after I'd installed it. I'm considering re-installing it and trying to explore settings which will allow me to use it.

 

...or a render to file?...

I have not yet rendered the detail, as I really need something closer to a traditional detail than a photo-realistic rendering. When I tried some sample renderings, I found there were NO edges represented. ideally this is a uber-isometric line-drawing detail with some color to improve the graphics.

 

...Each would have their own "fixes" dependent entirely upon how you were arriving at that image...

I will humbly defer to your judgement on the best solution to provide the type of drawing described above.

 

...As for low resolution, I don't know, for internet viewing that doesn't look bad at all. It's a little difficult to see how the closest wall surface is layered, but if that's not your focus, that's not an issue, nor is it a low-resolution issue. Everything else looks clear and distinct to me.. so it might depend on how you were telling it to print the PDF (assuming that's what that image came from) (ie- web-printing is lower-res than print-out printing, if that's one of the options you're encountering)...

Surprisingly, some of the best results I've had of late were using the PublishToWeb JPG.pc3 emulation, with the resolution cranked-up.

 

...If you shrunk it down in photoshop (or GIMP a free equivalent) now, you would gain some resolution (if you told it to), and you could aslo darken it there if that's what you want, and use "find edges" to create a new transparent layer that you could apply as a filter to darken the edges...

These are all awesome tips. I downloaded Gimp, but I was reluctant to take it on as I am already learning a daunting amount of new concepts. -it sounds like you feel it would be worth the extra effort.

 

...Above, I've outlined my thoughts on what you're facing...

your efforts are appreciated

 

...perhaps you must be more tolerant than we are...

accepted.I now understand that I am a cyber-*******.

Detail Plot_reduced.pdf

Well.. The GIMP option is something I always rely on for "fixing" my AutoCAD renders. I use Paint Shop Pro instead of GIMP, but I beleive they're comparable.

These programs are somewhat daunting for beginners who are starting with a specific task in-mind. However, for your needs, I'd say to learn selection methods (lassos, and suchlike). A basic understanding of Layers (NOT CAD LAYERS) (and look for layer effect filters)

Aside from that though, there's a lot you can do simply by going to hue and contrast, brightening options.

----

Unfortunately, I'm not on 2010, but is it possible that those selections are greyed-out because you've selected other options in that same list and/or window?

Printing to WEB is a trick that relies on the fact that web browsers don't see more than 72ppi (pixels per inch) (though Mac's do 88ppi, I think). Printing to paper uses a larger file because your settings are at 720 dpi. .. printing resolutions are typically in the 300 - 900 range, but sometimes up to 1200, depending upon the desired output size.

Your average wall poster is printed at 150 DPI, but that's not noticed because you don't view the poster from the same distance you'd read a book from.

When I render, I go very big, this way it's "too big" online, and then when shrunk down to be printed, the resolution goes to a maximum.

That resolution is not neccessarily the resolution you're having a problem with. the form of resolution you're taking issue with seems as though it's based on the overall washed-out appearance, as you call it. There are subtlties missing from the final image (when compared to your screenshot in the PDF) that appear to be a function of the original darkness of the image.

Looking through your settings.. I'm wondering if the colors lightened because it thought it was going to save you ink when you went to print it? I know that's absurd, but it's the only thing I can think of. I used to have ink saver protocols on my printer that would seemingly "autobleach" everything.

Regardless of the cause though.. I suspect that if you played with it in GIMP for a little bit, you'd be pleased with the results.

I'm hoping though that someone else will read your posts and say "Hey, it's only light because of THIS," But until then, my suggestion is that you process the image in GIMP, paying special attention to contrast, brightening, darkening effects, and resizing... that's just a start, and a scratch of the surface of what GIMP can do, but that'll take care of your immediate needs, and the more you learn, the more you'll be able to improve your image.

Good luck.

AutoCAD will steal-back the file associations when you run it.

This proved not to be the case. I could not even manually alter the association...pity because I have a feeling TrueVue would be a panacea to these issues (resolution, edge color/thickness, vivid colors)

Changing the file association in windows does not do any good because AutoCAD and TrueView both override it each time they open. Unfortunately both override each other as well.

Installing TrueView does not cause any damage to the AutoCAD install. It is merely a minor inconvenience. Both AutoCAD and TrueView seem to both contain the same program code to take over default file association rites for dwg, dxf,dwf type files. If you had another software that created doc files, you might encounter the same problem between it and MS Word.

You just have to get used to opening the program first, before opening a dwg file.

How I get my file association back is to open AutoCAD after having used TrueView.

AutoCAD is now open without a drawing or maybe with default Drawing1 open. I then hit the Home button, click Open, and browse up a dwg file or click on a Recent dwg name. Once a dwg has been opened from within AutoCAD and then closed, the file association goes back to AutoCAD. Now close the AutoCAD program. You can then go to the windows folder view of your drawing and click on a dwg file. AutoCAD should open with the desired dwg file. The file association will remain with AutoCAD until the next time you open a drawing in TrueView. THEN you have to open your drawing the next time from INSIDE AutoCAD, not just by clicking on the dwg file.

AutoCAD 2009 and 2009 LT have awful pdf output results, and the smaller your graphics card and physical memory, the worse it is. When you open a pdf plot from AutoCAD, do you watch your paperspace "General Notes" write in one line at a time? I do. The image waterfalls down the page as if someone is typing it.

TrueView pdf's are much cleaner, with no image issues, and they are nearly 80% smaller in file size.

People have not complained as much about ACAD 2010 or 2011, so they may be better at it.