Printing PDF sets from plotmaker

[Anonymous]

We are trying to get a system setup to archive PDF progress sets from our plotmaker plot book. We are using publisher within plotmaker to do this and I have run across some issues that I am hoping to get some advice on. When I publish a view set, every layout is created in its own PDF file versus a single file with multiple pages. In addition as the publishing process proceeds, I am prompted to give a name to each file created. The default name is always that of the lbk file. This makes background publishing out of the question. I am sure I have missed some setting that will allow the view set to be published into a single file but that setting has eluded me.

In addition we are in the process of deciding which PDF writer to purchase. I have trial versions of Acrobat pro and one called Bluebeam. In addition my computer had a PDF writer already installed made by Amyuni – however this version had limited paper sizes and the single custom size sheet required input in mm which is not ideal for us. I have chosen all of these different writers under page setup, but get similar results. What are the opinions of these different possibilities for PDF output? Thank you for any advice you can give us.

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike,

I've been down the same road myself. Even though I prefer to run all my output tasks through Publisher in Archicad or PlotMaker, in this case, I don't recommend it. I usually just simply select the layouts that I want to include in the PDF and then I just make sure that the print dialog is set to "Selected Layouts in Navigator" and I print. It's pretty quick and not as difficult as pasting multiple PDFs into one.

I use Acrobat, I have no complaints.

[Djordje]

Mike wrote:
We are trying to get a system setup to archive PDF progress sets from our plotmaker plot book. We are using publisher within plotmaker to do this and I have run across some issues that I am hoping to get some advice on.

Don't use Publisher, just print. No need to buy any PDF writer, Amyuni is free with ArhiCAD ... can't say more.

[Anonymous]

I use Publisher and Amyuni. When Publisher opens drag the whole Layout Book into the publishing window. Set to print and select Amyuni (or other PDF printer), set the options required, and then select publish. This prints the whole Layout book to the file location selected. When the PDF file is opened the file has an index with each drawing included.
Cheers,

[Anonymous]

Great suggestion! It looks like the key is actually just placing your layouts in a folder does the trick. So if you don't want to print your entire layout book, you can just pick and choose whatever layouts you want and place them in a folder and then publish. That saves a little time.

[Djordje]

virtual-e-home wrote:
Great suggestion! It looks like the key is actually just placing your layouts in a folder does the trick.

Making subsets does wonders for Publishing.

For example: you have to print basically the same set of drawings on three different paper sizes (A4 for the inclusion inthe contract, A3 for the client's approval, A1 for the submission). Using mostly the same views, threee masters, and three main subsets, just drag the subset into the Publisher window, set the print options FOR THE SUBSET, and viola! (c) Duane.

[Anonymous]

Thank you (Brian, Djordje & Graeme) for all of your comments and suggestions. They are, as always, very helpful. Publisher works beautifully when the desired drawings to output are in a folder. The only issue I am having has to do with page setup and is likely related to margin size. I have decided to proceed down the free route with Amyuni. When I chose print setup from within publisher it automatically choses the custom size. My test size sheets were 30 x 42 so this is a good option. The problem is that the PDF file created has a blank sheet at every other page. In an ideal world one would chose the Amyuni printer and the custom setting would match the page size I have set via plot setup in the associated master. Thanks for any suggestions to resolve this issue.

[Djordje]

Mike wrote:
In an ideal world one would chose the Amyuni printer and the custom setting would match the page size I have set via plot setup in the associated master. Thanks for any suggestions to resolve this issue.

Make sure your margins in Amyuni are set to zero; see TechTips by Erika Epstein, both Tips of the Month on ArchiGuide. Also, set your Master for the appropriate margins - that way it will automatically fit. Don't forget to set the Print options in Publisher - there you will see whether the fit is good, or it takes more than one page, inserting a blank.

[Link]

And if you go to Start>Printers & Faxes> and right click on the Amyuni printer to access the Properties and change the margins there, they will remain set at 0 permanently.

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

Any way to publish multiple layouts (drawings) to PDFs with the Mac OSX PDF writer? I've been doing them one by one.