EMERGENCY - AutoCAD --> PDF to scale..

[mzagorski]

Bit of a nightmare here. Final presentation for arch school and trying to get Autocad files printed to PDF to exact scale on exact paper size. Then I am bringing those PDF files into Adobe InDesign... final presention has a mix of CAD, Graphics and Text overlapping 12 A1 sheets!

 

Problem is that I cant get AutoCAD to print to a PDF at the exact papersize. I set up a new papersize as 840 x 594 with no borders... but printable area in autocad is showing up as 840.99 x 594.11 ... which nicely fu**s up my scale and ruins the tiling of the sheets.

 

I have also tried going to START -> SETTINGS -> PRINTERS -> FILE, SERVER PROPERTIES, ADD NEW FORM etc... but that doesnt work either.

 

Anyone know how to get this to work!???

 

Thanks

 

Mike

P.S. Deadline is this Friday so I need to be printing on Wednesday at the latest!

[xgarcia]

Mike,

For this situation I always go with the postscript level 2 printer in autocad (go to add printers, my computer, postscript, print to file). I print the eps and open it in adobe illustrator - export as tiff file - open in photoshop. The paper size stays constant so i don't have to worry about scale because i did that in the eps file. hope that helps. btw - i've never used the pdf printer in autocad. oh - dont forget to use paperspace - it is much easier then model space to plot.

 

xavier

[mzagorski]

Thanks, I'll give it a go. I always use Paperspace... I cant understand people who work in Modelspace for printing.. insane

[xgarcia]

If you need more help just ask! I know about those school deadlines.

 

Xavier

[mzagorski]

Dude.. I think u saved my ass... Printing fine to exactly the size that I want, plus.. if need be, I can take that EPS into Acrobat to make PDF's Sweeeeeet.

 

Tnx

[mzagorski]

Xavier - Everything is going excellent so far, but I have a question. I would like to add a bit of colour to them in Illustrator. Is there a way to export from EPS without losing quality / scaling or is that getting a bit tricky? I think that AI saves it files with extents based on the artboard maybe?

 

How do you tackle colouring?

[xgarcia]

----mike emailed me for more help on setting up the plotter - i'll post it for others-------

 

1. open autocad.

2. go to file....ploter manager

3. go to Add-A-Plotter Wizard

4. click next

5. make sure my computer is chosen - click next

6. make sure abode is chosen in the left box - make sure PostScript Leve1 or 2 is chosen in the right box (don't know the difference b/w 1 or 2 - I use Level 2) - click next

7. click next again

8. make sure "Plot to File" is chosen up top- click next

9. give it whatever name you want - I just leave it as the default

"PostScript Level 2" - click next

10. click next

11. done.

 

You can add custom paper sizes (for example one time I had to use a 36" x

60" sheet which is not a default paper size for this plotter) by going to the plotter manager again - click your PostScript

Level 2 plotter - Device and Document Settings - Custom Paper Sizes - Add.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

About the coloring Mike:

I'm not too familiar with Illustrator's color control. I've always just used it to export the tiff. I do the color control (levels/contrast/brightness) thing in photoshop if it needs it. By the way - I usually export at 150 (most of the time) or 300 dpi. Sometimes Illustrator will give you an error message saying "file is too large bla bla bla...." All you need to do is play with output resolution (small, medium, large) and maybe grayscale it if it's a simple B&W dwg. Hope that helps.

 

[ May 25, 2003, 08:14 PM: Message edited by: xgarcia ]

[STRAT]

or you could look in the T&T section - http://www.cgarchitect.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=23;t=000018

[xgarcia]

hmm...i knew it was somewhere in the forums. i was too lazy to wait for the search (btw why is it so slow). thx strat.

 

xavier