AC22 PDF Issues

[Jeff Griffin]

We're noticing a nasty bug with PDFs created with AC22. When the resulting PDFs are opened in Bluebeam or Adobe Reader, we're finding that entire sheets act as hyperlinks to other pages. Clicking anywhere on the page (even when clicking on a blank space) you are transported to a different page. You can see this behavior for yourself by creating a PDF from the default AC22 USA template that ships with the software and then opening it in Adobe Reader. I've also included a link below to the PDF I created back in August. The issue starts on page #2, but also shows up on pages 3-6 & pages 16-31. It seems to only effect sheets that show plan views.

Try it for yourself. Here's that link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ql4ctnay0qpatmd/AC22%20Standard%20Template%20Test.pdf?dl=0

The other issue we've discovered is that the PDFs generated from AC22 can't be marked up in Bluebeam without the file becoming corrupted. Even something as simple as opening a PDF in Bluebeam, adding one small mark and then saving the file will corrupt it.

We've reported this issue to GSNA Support on 8/9, but haven't received a solution yet. We have been given a workaround that isn't acceptable. Here's the solution from GSNA:

"The problem is that the Section/Elevation Markers which are used in the project have two lines for relations. We are working on fixing the bug that makes the whole page as a link when you use this kind of Markers.

Until then here are the possible workarounds:
- Delete the hyperlinks with an unlimited area. You can do this using a PDF editor software (e.g. Bluebeam Revu or Adobe Acrobat Pro).
- Change the settings of your Section/Elevation Markers. If they are not linked to the placed Drawing/View, they will not create hyperlinks.
- Publish the Layouts one by one and merge after it using a PDF editor software."

Since even the USA template that ships with AC22 results in PDFs with this behavior, it's hard to believe that this issue isn't more widespread. GSNA has told me that this isn't an urgent issue since I'm the only user reporting it. I reminded them that "priority support" is a subscription benefit which we aren't getting.

[Anonymous]

We've been having this problem as well. Our estimators are having a hard time simply measuring and annotating and measuring the floor plan affected. One other workaround I've been using that may be more effective for you is to do a PDF save as with 'Selected Layouts in Organizer'

This method seems to remove all the hyperlinks, you just need to remember to manually update all the layouts since they do not automatically update.

It's quite a big issue, I really hope they address it soon.

[Daniel Kovacs]

Hello,

This is actually quite a high priority issue for us, and it has been reported from quite a few countries. If your initial report was indeed that early, I think they might have thought that you are the only one reporting it because you might have been the first one there.
We are working on a fix for the linking issue, and want to release it in the next regular update for ARCHICAD 22 (build 50xx - fix #252178)!

It is not quite clear yet whether the fact that BlueBeam corrupts the PDFs is related to the linking issue or not, but we are in communication with BlueBeam about these issues, so that we can solve them both as soon as possible!

Until the fix though, unfortunately I can't suggest any other workarounds than what you have already mentioned (I personally find publishing the PDFs into separated pages and combining them afterwards the most streamlined workaround). I hope you will get by with these workarounds until the fix.

Kind Regards,

[Nuge]

Dkovacs

Great news on this fix its been an issue for me also

While we are discussing hyperlinks

I have been wondering for quite a while if there is some way that i can place an image/object etc on a layout and have an external URL hyperlink automatically generated in the PDF (IE what works now if its a text based hyperlink but for an image (QR code to be specific))

The perfect option would be to be able to embed hyperlinks into our objects and they become "clickable" within the PDF

Hoping you can make it a reality!!!

Nuge
Hope you can make it an option

[Barry Kelly]

Nuge wrote:
(IE what works now if its a text based hyperlink but for an image (QR code to be specific))

QR codes work now of course if you use a QR reader (scanner).
But it would be nice to have a hyperlink attached to it so when viewing the PDF on a screen you can just click it as well - just as Nuge suggests.

I wonder if we can hide a text hyperlink behind it and have it still be active?
I might have to give that a try later.

Barry.

[Nuge]

Barry,

yes the QR codes can be scanned but as you say being clickable would be an added feature, what i really want is for my clients to be able to click on items within the plans set and be transported to a manufactures website for example. IE click on the toilet in the drawings and all of the tech specs/installation details are presented, similar to what happens in BIMx

I can dream!!

[Aaron Bourgoin]

We've been totally bitten by this bug and I sure hope a fix is in the works for release very, very soon.

A Project started in 18 and now in 22. Different plans open different links in Revu (Mac), and not Bluebeam (Windows).

The hyperlinks point to files on our network and so when they do open they open in a separate tab. In Acrobat Reader the original file closes and the reference file opens in it's pace.

When these drawings are opened by our client, the file returns an error because they're not on our network. At their end, the file is unusable because they can's get past this.

This is a BIGTIME PROBLEM in a world where collaboration is happening via pieces of digital paper.

[Jody S Keppers]

jffgrffn wrote:
We're noticing a nasty bug with PDFs created with AC22. When the resulting PDFs are opened in Bluebeam or Adobe Reader, we're finding that entire sheets act as hyperlinks to other pages. Clicking anywhere on the page (even when clicking on a blank space) you are transported to a different page. You can see this behavior for yourself by creating a PDF from the default AC22 USA template that ships with the software and then opening it in Adobe Reader. I've also included a link below to the PDF I created back in August. The issue starts on page #2, but also shows up on pages 3-6 & pages 16-31. It seems to only effect sheets that show plan views.

Try it for yourself. Here's that link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ql4ctnay0qpatmd/AC22%20Standard%20Template%20Test.pdf?dl=0

The other issue we've discovered is that the PDFs generated from AC22 can't be marked up in Bluebeam without the file becoming corrupted. Even something as simple as opening a PDF in Bluebeam, adding one small mark and then saving the file will corrupt it.

We've reported this issue to GSNA Support on 8/9, but haven't received a solution yet. We have been given a workaround that isn't acceptable. Here's the solution from GSNA:

"The problem is that the Section/Elevation Markers which are used in the project have two lines for relations. We are working on fixing the bug that makes the whole page as a link when you use this kind of Markers.

Until then here are the possible workarounds:
- Delete the hyperlinks with an unlimited area. You can do this using a PDF editor software (e.g. Bluebeam Revu or Adobe Acrobat Pro).
- Change the settings of your Section/Elevation Markers. If they are not linked to the placed Drawing/View, they will not create hyperlinks.
- Publish the Layouts one by one and merge after it using a PDF editor software."

Since even the USA template that ships with AC22 results in PDFs with this behavior, it's hard to believe that this issue isn't more widespread. GSNA has told me that this isn't an urgent issue since I'm the only user reporting it. I reminded them that "priority support" is a subscription benefit which we aren't getting.

I am also having this issue. As one of the other posters noted, this is a BIG DEAL. I converted several project to AC22 before I noticed this glitch, and it's too late to go backward on them. The workarounds are pretty poor from a workflow point of view. It reminds me of the bad old days of Plotmaker.

This is a pretty basic problem. How was it not found and fixed before R22 was released? I hope management is having a frank discussion with Quality Control here.

I am beginning to wonder if Graphisoft is losing its commitment to quality programming. This comes on the heels of an extremely poor response to the release of MacOS High Sierra. If I'm not mistaken, AC21 wasn't made compatible with High Sierra until nearly the time that Mohave was released.

[Riven]

I just wanted to report that our office has had the same issue consistently on our Windows 7 and 10 machines, after having upgraded to 22 after the new year. I see that AC22 Update 5009 has the fix, per this improvements list page.

Just reaching out before I schedule my office's next round of updates, to see if update 5009 has indeed corrected the issue for everyone?

Thanks,
Eric

[Daniel Kovacs]

Hello Jody S Keppers,

As Riven already mentioned, we had released an update that should solve this issue (build 5009). The feedback has been positive so far, so please check to see if it solves this issue for you as well.

On a different note: Thanks for the feedback about the quality of the software. We are constantly trying to improve our Quality Assurance processes, but as the software is growing, the things that can go wrong and needs to be tested grow as well - as you can see even though we tested the software ourselves, and involved plenty of users into testing the beta version in real-life conditions, this bug wasn't caught in time. This is definitely something we want to improve on, and we are actually restructuring the way our Quality Assurance works this year to reduce the number of these issues, and improve the overall quality of ARCHICAD.

I hope the update will help you. Let me know if you have any feedback on it.

Regards, Daniel