PDF

With regard to last week's post on modifying the PDF sheet display, I've taken another approach and come up with the following lisp code that will allow you to import some or all of the sheets of a multi-sheet PDF all at once. I realize that the built-in PDFATTACH command allows you to place multiple sheets at once, but you can't see the sheets as you place them. This lisp code is also more of a "how-to" for use in larger routines perhaps - and because such, this is raw lisp code with no error checking. Feel free to dress it up and append the header.

Load the lisp file and then type in the command PMP. Select a multi-sheet PDF file, and then enter the number of sheets you want to insert (this should be equal or less than the total number of sheets in the PDF). At this point you can start picking the lower left corner for each sheet until you reach the end.

When you attach a multi-page PDF file as a reference in AutoCAD, you can choose which sheet to display (see below).





But what if you want to change that reference to a different sheet in the PDF file, later on? There is nothing in the Ribbon to do this, and "Page Number" is a read-only property in the Properties Palette. You could detach the reference and add it again with the new sheet number, but the following lisp function is quicker.

The lisp function below allows you to pick the PDF Underlay object on the screen, and then enter a new sheet number. The image on the screen is updated as soon as the command completes. Make sure you choose a valid sheet. If the PDF file contains 9 sheets and you enter 10, then the PDF reference will disappear.

Autodesk presented a webinar this morning to review the new version of AutoCAD WS 1.4 that is now available for download. If you are not aware of it, AutoCAD WS is a free web and mobile application for viewing and editing DWG files stored in the cloud. The "cloud" in this sense generally refers to storage space allocated to the user by Autodesk, but it was reminded to us that the "cloud" can mean other things such as SharePoint, Buzzsaw, and even your own servers, with the proper setup. It was even hinted that we might see some object enablers appear soon for WS.

ISM Technical Marketing Manager Kate Morrical presented a list of the top five reasons to use AutoCAD WS.

I see a lot of posts in the discussion groups where someone creates a PDF from a drawing and the PDF file size ends up being several times larger than the drawing itself.

OLE objects or images in the drawing. Both can cause the resulting PDF to be large. Remember that images are referenced into drawings and they are not included in the file size of the DWG file.

If you have not already heard by now, Autodesk has released "Bonus Pack 2" for AutoCAD 2009. This update includes two PDF enhancements. The first gives you the ability to attach PDF files as underlays. The second includes enhancements to PDF output.

The download is only available for AutoCAD 2009, AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2009, and AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite 2009. Of course it is also only available to subscription customers.

Have you ever needed to Xref (or reference) a PDF file? One way would be to save the PDF as a TIFF and reference the image.

You are probably reading this because you have a PDF file that you want to convert to editable geometry in a DXF or DWG file.

First off, if someone gave you a PDF instead of a DWG, it was probably for a reason. Ask the DWG author for the DWG file. This is the easiest method, and you don't have to worry about data loss during the conversion.

If you cannot obtain the source DWG file, try these steps.

If you need the ability to launch a PDF file from a menu macro, lisp file, or VBA routine, check out the code shown below. This will launch the PDF using the default registered application, just as if you had entered the file name in the Windows Start-Run dialog

This avoids any browser related issues which can arise if you use the AutoCAD "BROWSER" command.

It makes no assumptions regarding the application (or it's version) used to open a PDF document, or the presence of a properly configured PGP file.