AutoCAD drawings with transparency to Adobe (both pdf and InDesign).....

For presentations I usually print my AutoCAD files to pdf and then import those into InDesign - worked well enough, but I had not had the transparency function in AutoCAD turned on, so the drawings lacked that feature. Now I'm saving with the transparency setting on in AutoCAD. My test prints of the straight pdf files do work, but they take a l-o-n-g time to print. Am worried that when I import them into InDesign it will slow down that process as well (I recently had one drawing that inexplicably hung up at the plotter all together and wonder now if transparency from an imported file was the problem). I don't need to keep the transparency live through InDesign. What's the best way to set up that import process? Do things need to be flattened, and if so, at what point?

Many thanks for a quick response - am on a deadline for presentation!

I should amend this by noting that I mean flattening in the graphic design flatten-the-transparency sense, not in the 3d-to-2d CAD sense. All the drawings are 2D......

I don't use InDesign, but I have no problem plotting to PDF with transparency. Are you using Plot to Pdf.pc3 in AutoCAD? What are your computer specs? What do you consider a l-o-n-g time? Did you try turning off transparency?

I don't use InDesign, but I have no problem plotting to PDF with transparency. Are you using Plot to Pdf.pc3 in AutoCAD? What are your computer specs? What do you consider a l-o-n-g time? Did you try turning off transparency?

I don't seem to have pdf.pc3..... hmmm...will go look for that. When transparency is off there is no problem printing - except that the drawings look less nuanced and legible. L-o-n-g- = about 4 minutes of the computer thinking about things before it sends off to the printer. Usually is instant otherwise. Re the specs - I am on a Mac PowerBook - so far has worked really well for the Mac version of CAD - like it better than PC

In that case, you may want to have a look into what AutoCAD for Mac does not have. When you plot, DWG to PDF.pc3 should be in your list of printers. What are you using to plot to PDF?