AutoCAD Printing to PDF

After searching thru the postings, I see that there has been a lot of discussion about plot file names over the years. I don't think my problem has been brought up yet, so here goes.

We're running 2005 on XP. We use PDF995 as a printer driver to create PDF files from our drawings. This driver has the ability to automatically name the output file based on the filename of the drawing. The problem is that on some PC's on our network, this file is named as "filename.dwg - model (1).pdf". While on other machines, mine specifically, it is named "filename.pdf". We use several small LISP programs that I've written to make the printing function easier for our group, but I'm mystified as to the difference in the filenames. As you imagine, we need consistency in the names for the LISP programs to work correctly for everyone. I've already tried conditional loops to look for specific names on specific user's PC's, but I'm doing some things with the PDF files that make the manipulation of them through LISP a little cumbersome. Bottom line, anyone know why there is a difference in the filename created between AutoCAD and PDF995?

Thanks,
Kelly

 

bonguy wrote:
[...]

[...]

I've noticed that when I make pdf files I don't get the "model" or
"layout" in the file name if I initiate the plot from the print preview
window. Don't know if that helps.

 

this is not an answer to your query but I would like to know if yuo have experienced the following or does your pdf driver get around this , if so can you let me know where to get the driver from and i will experiment Despite the existence of Autodesk's DWF file format, all our clients use Adobe Acrobat PDF file format, hence my request stated herein. When attempting to plot a drawing file with multiple tabs to pdf format using the publish feature and an acrobat distiller .pc3 file the resultant file does not attribute the tab name to the filename, it seems to always use the original drawing filename and therefore we do not attain the desired separate pdf files attributed to x no. of tabs but one pdf file with the original drawing filename which is obviously the last tab plotted. Please note that we were able to do this on acad 2000 for a number of years with Batchplot utility which I believe is no longer available (if so please advise, I have not been able to find it on the Autodesk site for 2005) for ACAD 2005 seeing they have incorporated this within the publish feature of ACAD 2004 & 2005 please advise if there is a way of doing this or if it is an inherent feature of 2005 due to publish. Please also note when attempting to plot a single tab via this method it seems to attribute the tab name to the filename. I have also tried renaming each file within the publish list prior to publishing only to have the default drawing file name still override these.
I look forward to hearing from you on this matter

 

The LISP program that is being run doesn't use the print preview. It creates a script file, which then runs the print commands all from the command line. I've tried manually printing from the others PC's to compare the output and even printing from the print preview gives the same result. Theirs has the extra text, mine doesn't. Since we're on the same version of Windows, AutoCAD and using the same plot driver, it must be a setting somewhere that I changed on my PC and can't find again.
Thanks anyway,
Kelly

 

Sorry, but we don't deal with multiple tabs. Or even with layouts (paper space). Call us old school, but everything we do is in plain old model space on one tab. We do use multiple layers though. 99.9% of our work in AutoCAD is 2D and to scale. We just scale our borders and text up to fit around our parts. Like you, we found that PDF files are more universal and will show everything as we need it. So, unfortunately, I can't help with your question.

 

Do you have a PC3 setup for PDF995 or are you using the system printer
driver?

I'm using a shared PC3 file to force the same PDF creation regardless of
station. They just need the PDF printer driver software installed.

Could be the defaults that were setup for the printer driver is different
than yours...

discussion about plot file names over the years. I don't think my problem
has been brought up yet, so here goes.

files from our drawings. This driver has the ability to automatically name
the output file based on the filename of the drawing. The problem is that on
some PC's on our network, this file is named as "filename.dwg - model
(1).pdf". While on other machines, mine specifically, it is named
"filename.pdf". We use several small LISP programs that I've written to make
the printing function easier for our group, but I'm mystified as to the
difference in the filenames. As you imagine, we need consistency in the
names for the LISP programs to work correctly for everyone. I've already
tried conditional loops to look for specific names on specific user's PC's,
but I'm doing some things with the PDF files that make the manipulation of
them through LISP a little cumbersome. Bottom line, anyone know why there is
a difference in the filename created between AutoCAD and PDF995?

 

We are using PC3 files for the printing. The LISP program specifies the PDF995.PC3 plot device for every user. You may be on to something with this though. Since each of our PC's has it's own copy of the PC3 file, I'll see if I can find a difference in them.

Thanks,
Kelly