anomalous random lines showing beside dimension text

[Dana W]

This is mostly so someone else will know what is happening to them.  I don't know of a way to fix it.

 

Recently, since the version 2021 of LT I have had random lines start to show up near my dimension text when publishing a full set or one page to  dwg to pdf.  It took a bit of detective work and testing to figure out what is causing it, but I did.  I have no satisfactory solution.

 

It seems that purely at random one or more edges of my Fill Color selected in the dimension style will be printed very lightly.  I use the drawing background color for a fill color as a background mask.  I need my dimensions to have a background mask because I routinely have to place them on top of some background line work or another, usually a hatch pattern or some lines representing a tile wall or a window.  See the attached image.

 

The lines seem to appear no matter the font, font size, or the print quality level chosen and they appear whether the dimension text is on top of other geometry or not.  These lines appear totally at random.  I can publish the same pdf multiple times in a row and the lines will appear in different places or not at all, in each pdf.

 

When I click off my fill color in the dim style editor, the lines will not appear anywhere.

 

All of my "frame" settings are '0' and I use annotative dimensions.  The lines appear at any annotative scale.

 

If you have a definitive solution already at hand please feel free to share.  Sorry, I cannot share a drawing at this point for testing. 

[tombu]

Just guessing check the dimension's Text Offset value in the Properties Palette

If it's negative remove the minus sign.

[Dana W]

18 hours ago, tombu said:

Just guessing check the dimension's Text Offset value in the Properties Palette

If it's negative remove the minus sign.

That may be a glimmer of hope.  Thanks for your reply.

We'll see on Monday morning when I come back from a good week-end elsewhere.

[Dana W]

On 4/16/2021 at 3:14 PM, tombu said:

Just guessing check the dimension's Text Offset value in the Properties Palette

If it's negative remove the minus sign.

I did look into it this morning.  The offsets are all positive at 1/32".  That was a very good guess though.  The random lines appear at the edge of the offset "space", on the end of the line, and not at the edge of the fill color (background mask).  I proved this out by changing my fill color to RED from Background, and increasing the 'text offset from dim line' to 3/32" from 1/32".  The random lines land at the end of the dim line and not at the end of the background mask thus leaving white space between the two.  Apparently the background mask system offset from text is coincidentally 1/32", which is my normal text offset from dim line.  This did not change when I increased the text offset.  I am mystified though, why the lines seem to be tied to the background mask (dimension fill color).

 

Thanks, I have enough facts now.  Time to post this on the AutoDesk site, open an issue, and then wait several years for an answer.

[tombu]

As it seems to only occur on your 2021 version I'd first check the Desktop App to see if there's any updates you haven't installed. I'd never use a new version for working drawings until at least the #.1 version is out and many others wait longer than that.

 

Maybe current 2022 version has it fixed. I haven't installed it yet. 

 

We're curious now so let us know when you find you answer, it may help someone else.

[SLW210]

Why not post the drawing?

 

How about the graphics card and driver?

 

Did you see if this occurs without annotative dimensions?

 

 

[Dana W]

2 hours ago, SLW210 said:

Why not post the drawing?  Happens to all AutoCad 2021 dwg to pdf output with fill color = yes in the dim style.

 

How about the graphics card and driver?  Happens on my home computer too, a whole different beast.

 

Did you see if this occurs without annotative dimensions? It does.

 

 

I'm almost sure that it is internal to AutoCAD 2021, and its use of the pdf software.   Hmmm, It just occurred to me that I have not tested any output straight to the printer.  More testing.  >sigh< 

I was throwing it out there to see if anyone else has run upon the condition.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Dana W

[Dana W]

It makes no sense at all to me that it is random as heck.  I can generate the same pdf 3 times and get the weird lines only once, then get them five times in a row.  They show more often than not.

 

I'd blame the ancient printer I am using but it shows up in adobe reader, on screen.

[SLW210]

I have not seen it ever. I have Fill Color = Background, don't see a "Yes" option.

 

Have you tried different Plot settings?

[Dana W]

31 minutes ago, SLW210 said:

I have not seen it ever. I have Fill Color = Background, don't see a "Yes" option.

 

Have you tried different Plot settings?

That's an off-hand fill color = yes.  The particular fill color has no bearing on the anomaly. The presence of the fill is causing the lines.

I just this minute went in and had the plot set up fairies default me back to the stone age.  Guess what!  The lines didn't show up.  Of course the lines seem to have a mind of their own so a few more plot runs will hold an answer, good or bad.

[tombu]

4 hours ago, Dana W said:

It makes no sense at all to me that it is random as heck.  I can generate the same pdf 3 times and get the weird lines only once, then get them five times in a row. 

Have you tried other AutoCAD Plot to PDF Options? 

Starting in 2016, Autodesk released four additional PDF drivers into AutoCAD. Included with the DWG to PDF.pc3 file are:

• AutoCAD PDF (General Documentation).pc3
• AutoCAD PDF (High Quality Print).pc3
• AutoCAD PDF (Smallest File).pc3
• AutoCAD PDF (Web and Mobile).pc3

Each of these .PC3 files has different pre-set PDF Options for the designated file size and quality. 

 

Though I've never had an issue with DWG to PDF.pc3 either

[Dana W]

Yup, tried all of them.  My first move.  My standard is the original *.pc3 file.  I wish somebody else had seen this condition already.  My 1099 boss thinks it's me.  He also doesn't know how to store folders anywhere but the windows desktop.  I need to retire fully.  I seem to be working harder now. 

 

Another thing that may be a clue.  My lighter linework, 0.09 or smaller started disappearing at about the same time, I think.  Transparency settings helped but I had to go in and increment my layer line weights up a notch.  That one may be the hardware on the other end of the printer cable.  It is about 9 years old.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Dana W

[BIGAL]

You talk about lineweight are you using the values in a ctb or using the actual object with lineweight set ? Its off task but we just used lineweight set to color in ctb.

[Dana W]

18 hours ago, BIGAL said:

You talk about lineweight are you using the values in a ctb or using the actual object with lineweight set ? Its off task but we just used lineweight set to color in ctb.

I'm using lineweight By Layer with the monochrome.ctb unaltered.

 

[Dana W]

On 4/20/2021 at 2:42 PM, Dana W said:

That's an off-hand fill color = yes.  The particular fill color has no bearing on the anomaly. The presence of the fill is causing the lines.

I just this minute went in and had the plot set up fairies default me back to the stone age.  Guess what!  The lines didn't show up.  Of course the lines seem to have a mind of their own so a few more plot runs will hold an answer, good or bad.

24 HOURS AND 3 PDF'S LATER THE LINES ARE STILL GONE.  HOPEFUL...  I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PC3 FILE THAT DEFAULTING IT FIXED.  I EVEN ADDED IN ALL MY CUSTOM STUFF BEFORE I RAN IT THE FIRST TIME.  EXCUSE THE CAPS NOT YELLING.  MAYBE IT WAS ME. 

[tombu]

I tried to publish a drawing with three layouts last week that I'd published before three times and it errored each time having an issue with the Page Setup. I then plotted the three layouts with that same Page Setup assigned no problem. Never seen that happen before. Two days later I published the same drawing again and it worked perfectly.

 

Sometimes there just isn't an answer.

[Dana W]

17 hours ago, tombu said:

I tried to publish a drawing with three layouts last week that I'd published before three times and it errored each time having an issue with the Page Setup. I then plotted the three layouts with that same Page Setup assigned no problem. Never seen that happen before. Two days later I published the same drawing again and it worked perfectly.

 

Sometimes there just isn't an answer.

Yesterday morning and this morning I published a pdf with (I thought) the same specs I always used. layouts, paper size and all with a named saved layout.  I haven't changed any of that since installing 2019 LT 2 years ago.  Now I'm using 2021 and I have been since it was released. 

Both mornings the pdf's showed up with only the bottom left corner of each of my 11 X 17 layouts filling up each supposedly 11 X 17 pdf page as if the page was actually letter size.

Both mornings I had to go and re-set up my publish options as well.  They had defaulted to 600 dpi, lines overlap and include layer info, none of which I ever use.  The paper size was correct before I reset everything.  Once reset and saved, the pdf published correctly.  It is as if it is not saving something through a machine shut down and restart.  I did shut down and restart AutoCAD a couple of times yesterday and nothing went haywire after the first error.

Wonder what I will find tomorrow morning.