Converting CAD files to PDF

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Converting CAD files to PDF

This topic has 26 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 4 August 2012 at 10:58 by Paul Lousick.

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31 May 2011 at 09:16 #69433
David Haynes
Participant
@davidhaynes53962
Hi folks,

I have produced a number of drawing sheets on AutoCAD. As I no longer have access to an A0/A1 plotter, I would like to convert the files to PDF as these prints work out much cheaper to print at a print firm, currently about £4 per A1 PDF sheet against £8 for direct prints of DWG or DXF files. I have been unable to find freeware that can do the conversion. Can anyone help please?

Thanks,

Dave
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31 May 2011 at 09:16 #21123
David Haynes
Participant
@davidhaynes53962
Changing from DWG or DXF to PDF format
31 May 2011 at 09:22 #69434
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi David

Email me a drawing in DXF format and I will see what I can do.

regards david

david.clark@myhobbystore.com
31 May 2011 at 09:43 #69436
John Coates
Participant
@johncoates48577
For a Linux user there is the program lx-viewer

Here’s the How to and here’s the program lx-viewer
31 May 2011 at 10:05 #69438
John Stevenson 1
Participant
@johnstevenson1
David.

Download Cute PDF [ it’s free ] and then in Autocad select print and choose the Cute PDF printer and this will ‘print’ your drawing to a PDF file.

Simples

Cute PDF download.

John S.
31 May 2011 at 12:33 #69448
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
Hi John, thanks for posting this link.

I have apparently, downloaded it successfully and have, again apparently used it to save a Cad file as PDF however I cannot find it in any of the cad files currently stored. I tried to save it again and there it is listed as already saved as – PDF file saved in XX ……… but when I go there no PDF file to be found, just the usual cad files. Any ideas where I’m going wrong?

Your help would be appreciated if you can spare a mo.

Regards – Ramon

Edited By Ramon Wilson on 31/05/2011 12:33:55
31 May 2011 at 15:14 #69458
Peter G. Shaw
Participant
@peterg-shaw75338
Ramon,

Perhaps you need to close the originating programme. Or Cute pdf. Or both.

Or perhaps a search using *.pdf to see if it is not where you think it is.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw
31 May 2011 at 18:11 #69469
Denis O’Kane
Participant
@denisokane59333
Ramon,

Go to the plotter manager in AutoCAD, printer selection and select DWG to PDF.pc3.

All AutoCAD releases have this facility, I use it all the time.

Regards

Denis O’Kane
31 May 2011 at 19:54 #69474
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
Hi Peter and Denis,

Thanks for responding.

I’m still struggling to make heads or tails of this I’m afraid, I am a little further forward – but not much

Ok this is the current situation.

I have a drawing filed as Super Tigre G32.

The Cute PDF appears to have downloaded correctly.

I have saved the file as a pdf but it does not appear in the Autocad files.

When I open plot manager there is no DWG to PDF.pc3

When I open the file STG32 there is no pdf file available in the file menu.

I carried out a search and sure enough there is a pdf file for STG32 sitting in My Recent Documents listed as being in ‘Autocad Files’ It opens perfectly (from the search facility)but it definitely does not appear in Autocad files when I open them – well not that I can see that is

Any ideas?

In the meantime I’ll keep plugging away

Thanks again – Ramon
31 May 2011 at 20:07 #69476
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi Ramon

You don’t say if it opens as a PDF or drawing.

Which is it?

If a drawing, I expect the file extension has changed to PDF so autocad does not recognise it.

Send me the DXF and I will try and convert it.

If I can’t do it, I can get it done proffesionally tomorrow.

regards david
31 May 2011 at 20:14 #69477
Mark Dickinson
Participant
@markdickinson21936
Ramon,

CutePDF normally defaults to save in My Documents folder.

Mark

edit.

You may also need the GhostScript program installed. If you are using windoze 7 it will complain about not installing properly but it has.

Edited By Mark Dickinson on 31/05/2011 20:17:55
31 May 2011 at 20:24 #69478
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
Hi David,

The files listed in the AutoCad file type for this specific drawing are dwg, dws,dxf and dwt.

I have just found by going to AutoCad files in My Documents the pdf file is there and can be opened no problem so I can now use it from there. (It opens as a pdf file)

I was under the impression though that this could be opened from Autocad itself but maybe I am mistaken on that.

This AutoCad thingy is all fairly new to me, I have managed to make it draw a line or too but this side of things definitely taxes the old grey cells.

If I can open these pdf files from within AutoCad itself I’d still like to learn how though so if anyone can point me in the right direction I’d be more than pleased to hear how.

Thanks for the offer though – much appreciated

Regards – Ramon
31 May 2011 at 20:31 #69480
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
Looks like that confirms it Mark.

Being able to open it from AutoCad is not important – My Docs will do just fine then. It’s just being certain I’m going about things the right way.

I’m still using XP and had no problems downloading – just as well as I’m really not a computer person full stop. I try, but it is a struggle at times – well most of the time I guess

Thanks for your help

Ramon
31 May 2011 at 22:55 #69496
John Stevenson 1
Participant
@johnstevenson1
Autocad will not open a PDF file.

The reason you print to a pdf is so that you can distribute it to someone who doesn’t have a drawing program that will handle the DWG or DXF files.

When you select print and choose Cute PDF it should come up with a save box where you name the file, look at the top of the save as window for the foile location it’s going to put it and change it if needed.

John S
31 May 2011 at 23:23 #69502
Ramon Wilson
Participant
@ramonwilson3
Posted by John Stevenson on 31/05/2011 22:55:10:

Autocad will not open a PDF file.

The reason you print to a pdf is so that you can distribute it to someone who doesn’t have a drawing program that will handle the DWG or DXF files.

Thanks John,

That’s exactly what I want to do and can now see the logic

I guess I’m on top of it now. Everythings so simple – when you know how

Regards – Ramon
1 June 2011 at 18:38 #69548
David Haynes
Participant
@davidhaynes53962
Thanks for the advice John, I downloaded Cute PDF and though it comes up as a printer in the Office software (2003), it doesn’t come up in AutoCAD print options. My AutoCAD is old but perfectly suited to my drafting needs. Someone may know how to make PDF an option in AutoCAD, but I think that it may just be an old software issue; I will take David up on his kind offer, but in the longer term it may be cheaper to buy a newer version than pay the higher print costs,

Thanks

Dave
1 June 2011 at 20:39 #69553
John Stevenson 1
Participant
@johnstevenson1
David, sorry I can’t help on this as i don’t have or use Autocad but thought it would behave just like any windows programs.

John S.
1 June 2011 at 20:53 #69556
Jeff Dayman
Participant
@jeffdayman43397
I have had great success with PDF995. You can get a free download at http://www.pdf995.com. Just make sure you click the right download for the free one, there are a number of extra-cost fancier optional ones on the site.

This utility works fine from several CAD programs as a printer pick, and also from Word and Excel as well.

Cheap as chips and it has worked for years for me.

JD
1 June 2011 at 21:01 #69559
Francois Meunier
Participant
@francoismeunier96697
Hi,
look in the list of printer available in your cad prgm, you should find CutePDF in the list, if properly installed in your computer. You don’t “save” but “print” a file in PDF format, i.e. in your computer. It is exactly why the pdf format was created, and btw the PDF format is in the public domain, and not the property of Adobe.
1 June 2011 at 21:24 #69561
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi There

Several years ago I used AutoCAD Lite.

I uninstalled the printer driver and installed Adobe acrobat as the printer driver and it worked.

At least I remember it working.

regards david
1 June 2011 at 22:28 #69565
Gone Away
Participant
@goneaway
I’m not familiar with CutePDF but these pdf printers generally all work in the same fashion. They install as a virtual printer in Windows (nothing to do directly with Autocad or any other program per se).

Then, when you print from Autocad (or any other program) the standard print dialogue shows whatever your default printer is but gives you the option of selecting any alternative printers that you have installed. If you choose that option, one of the selections should be the CutePDF printer.

You can (if you wish) make the CutePDF printer the default by going to:

<Start – Settings – Printers & Faxes>

then right-clicking on the CutePDF printer and selecting “Set as default printer”

(That’s for XP/2K … Win7 prides itself on doing everything it possibly can, differently)
2 June 2011 at 08:33 #69580
David Haynes
Participant
@davidhaynes53962
PROBLEM SOLVED (PARTLY)

I have restarted the pc and now find that CutePDF is on the AutoCAD printer list. Unfortunately, the quality of the image has become very poor, with much detail lost. I may have to tinker with settings in CutePDF.

Dave
22 June 2012 at 16:33 #92927
Adam Binnersley
Participant
@adambinnersley41973
as a few people have mentioned you can do this in autocad.

Go to print and where you select the printer, there will be an option to print "dwg to pdf" along with all the usual printing options like paper size, scale etc.

I use it all the time at work to send my CAD drawings as .pdf files so they can't be easily altered
23 June 2012 at 17:06 #92966
David Haynes
Participant
@davidhaynes53962
Thanks for the comment Adam. When I posted my initial question, I was using AutoCAD 2000 and there is no facility for printing to PDF. Installing CutePDF helped a little, but as stated above, the quality is poor. I have since had a failed new laptop and have had to replace it it with a 64-bit Win7 machine that will not run AutoCAD 2000. I have installed AutoCAD 2011 and the quality is as it should be. I still have a working older laptop with AutoCAD 2000 which, with conversion of drawings, is still used for drafting.

Dave
23 June 2012 at 23:02 #92987
Robert Dodds
Participant
@robertdodds43397
Dave,

Hope you aren't suffering info overload but with cutepdf ( or any of the other pseudo printers) installed you "print to a file …. xxxx.pdf from your autocad or almost any other document making software

This pdf file can be opened in Adobe Acrobat, viewed and checked from there and printed from Acrobat to your local printer or you can copy the pdf file to send to your A1 printshop by whatever your preferred method is, take it on a memory stick, email as an attachment etc.

Apologies, the year went by unnoticed until I read your last post and saw all that had occurred in the meantime.

Bob D.

Edited By Robert Dodds on 23/06/2012 23:16:05
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