converting .dwg file to .pdf file (how is it done?)

[gardenmd]

i am trying to converting a .dwg to .pdf....thanks

[Alnkris]

Dude go to http://www.pdf995.com they can supply a pdf add on.

[ReMark]

I'm not sure what limitations they impose but the following two sites both offer free trials of their software.

 

CADwizzMAX, CADwizzLE and CADconvert available at:

 

http://www.cadwizz.com

 

DWG to PDF Converter at:

 

http://www.anydwg.com

[Big Mike]

With Adobe Acrobat installed, I have a plotter (in AutoCAD) set up that plots to a PDF file.

 

As mentioned, there are free Plot-to-PDF applications available as well.

[Skeeps]

my fave that F7 showed me is http://www.cutepdf.com

[Alnkris]

Here is another source advertised on the forum itself, http://www.bluebeam.com.

[Barry Clark]

my fave that F7 showed me is http://www.cutepdf.com

I don't know if it is still true but I know there were some issue with support for PDF's that had a 36" sheet size.

 

Our office does the CutePDF thing. I preferred the Adobe version.

[f700es]

my fave that F7 showed me is http://www.cutepdf.com

I don't know if it is still true but I know there were some issue with support for PDF's that had a 36" sheet size.

 

Our office does the CutePDF thing. I preferred the Adobe version.

 

I just tried one and it looked OK to me. I did not print it our though. Yeah, I prefer Acrobat Pro myself.

[macareewall]

The most convient tool that i have used is AutoDWG DWG to PDF converter. Just few steps of click.

http://www.autodwg.com/PDF/

[Organic]

PrimoPDF is pretty good.

[LifeoRiley0]

When I got to plot I simply select dwg to pdf in the printer/plotter section of the plot window.

[Tankman]

Adobe Pro 8.1 works great.

 

Been using Adobe 6.1 Standard on my Thinkpad™ works very well but, doesn't have all the markup options.

[svenglezz-ASMEIL]

I second the pdf995 for very low cost works great.

 

It's funny to read that people still have plotters in the office, it cost us more to print drawings then the printing co's.

 

Just pdf' and email to the printer and most of the time, same day delivery or first thing in the morning. Plus I find it keeps y'a more organized in stages for check sets' etc. not running around plotting as you go, walking over to it, adding paper, fixing it....praying to it :wink:.

[Chris77]

i recomend this open source pdfcreator http://www.pdfforge.org/

 

and also i really like Pitstop pro as a plugin for acrobat pro to edit pdf files as if you were in illustrator almost, worth every penny

[darrellk-1]

Dude go to www.pdf995.com they can supply a pdf add on.

 

Thanks for the tip. I downloaded the free version so I could test it and it looks fine so far. I haven't printed it, but usually just want to send the drawing for overall review and not printing anyway.

 

Thanks

[Bill Tillman]

I have used just about everything out there and CutePDF Writer takes care of everything I need. And you can't beat the price. If you've got the bucks of course there is real power using Adobe Standard or Professional but these packages can set you back some real green.

 

There is another method that I didn't see anyone else metion. In ACAD 2009 at least there is a DWG to PDF.pc3 print driver available which will take care of this. I've only used it a few times and found it adequate.

 

The real finese with doing PDF's from AutoCAD is to combine several drawings into a single PDF file which can be e-mailed or sent electronically to your clients. This is easier said than done, but the DWG to PDF.pc3 driver above when worked with Publishing instead of plotting in AutoCAD can do this. The one time I tried it, the computer crashed but that might have been because I was trying to publish 15 layout tabs at once. My co-worker then tested only three layout tabs and it worked fine. The drag with this is that you've got to have all the layout tabs configured properly before you run it.

 

Now my easiest and again free alternative to this is to plot all the things I want to individual PDF files and then using another free utility called pdftk that works with unix or windows. It will combine a bunch of PDF files into a single file, rotate the pages, add watermarks and more.

[Tankman]

Now my easiest and again free alternative to this is to plot all the things I want to individual PDF files and then using another free utility called pdftk that works with unix or windows. It will combine a bunch of PDF files into a single file, rotate the pages, add watermarks and more.

 

Adobe can add all the *.pdf files you require into one "package", rearrange pages, highlight, pointers, underline, whatever you need.

 

I do recommend the cute program, if you can spend a few bucks, Adobe is the way to go.