Ability to Publish PDF with "Print as Image" Option

[Josh Verran]

Due to the vectorial nature of fills etc, our PDFs end up lagging and freezing, often to the point where some are unusable. There are workarounds, but these usually involve substituting certain fills for plain or simple ones. That's often not an option when trying to visually annotate different building elements. My mindset is "we've got the resources let's use them". There's websites where you can flatten PDFs but hit and miss success.

Our current most efficient work around is; once we have published the PDF from Archicad, we then open the PDF in Adobe or Foxit and print to the "Microsoft Print to PDF" virtual printer, we then tick "Print as Image".

My wish is:
In the Publisher, under Document Options, there should be a "Print as Image" option like above, to avoid the below...

Perhaps in here:

[Taupo]

This is a great idea. It has become a real problem, hidden as most people think it's their computer system or PDF software

[hugo1529]

PDF files reach 150 to 200 MB when we're modeling a project in great detail. We can create the most beautiful models, but if we can't publish them because the PDF is so large, it's pointless. Graphisoft needs to consult with Adobe about this problem; make the PDF flat and small!

[Laurentiu]

@hugo1529 - PDF has been developed by ISO for quite a while now, not by Adobe. I don't think Adobe has anything they can do.

But I do agree that Graphisoft does need to adjust the export options to better manage the resulting file size.

[PB]

Why has this problem not been consigned to history ?

I shudder to think of the time and resources wasted on the useless gimmick that is the AI visualiser in AC29. This fundamental problem in Archicad - lamented for decades - should be addressed as a matter of utmost urgency.

Furthermore, Graphisoft's silence on the matter speaks volumes...Graphisoft, where are you? Response ? Explanation ?...or, better still, a commitment to solve this MAJOR problem in the basic functionality of Archicad !

[SimSmi1]

Revit has the option to publish as a raster or vector. I don't like the fact that someone can download my PDF drawings from the UK planning application portal and explode to start using my work

[Taupo]

This still has not been addressed by ArchiCAD. The print as image is not an option in Microsoft Print to PDF or other paid for PDF printers. We pay large fees and this is not been fix with clients struggling to open and view PDFs....

[Kris Adriaenssens]

I agree.
This is solvable and has a major impact on our operations.
It is very time-consuming to continue engaging third parties to reduce the file size of PDF files.

This is not a secondary problem for our office. It is a primary one.

[PB]

Come on Graphisoft: resolve this ongoing pain point for so many of us!

[hugo1529]

this  drawing gets 25 MB !! as pdf!! not ok

[DamianW]

OK, I think it's important to understand this so we can clarify the wish, because I have been dealing with this for a long time.

So the vectorial fills that come from Archicad - 'scripted vector fills' (see attribute image below), vs symbol fills, vs image/ other fills (as shown in your example) etc. all behave differently in PDF, because they're all effectively being re-scripted in PDF language when you print. This topic also bleeds into DWG hatch conversion if you have ever experience the explosion of %fills the theory also applies here.

You will also notice that there are performance advantages to using publish to PDF vs print to MS PDF vs Adobe Print to PDF vs ... Personally, I see advantages to print to MS PDF because it's very efficient at the scripting/ coding (e.g. when you convert pdf back to linework it can save time over publish to PDF because lines are joined). But I digress... Archicad/ GS should clarify what the publisher set does vs the save as.

*** Archicad should have Raster vector images (with various DPI) per the wish described above and potentially convert/ replace fonts.

There's also a bunch of PDF compression tools that you now see in Adobe/ Bluebeam etc. that should be implemented. ***

And, maybe this should also be available on import when embedded in the file.

To clarify the workflow I use -  the above I would do as a series of (design option) 3D doc cutaways, saved as PMKs, placed and published as PDF.

Personally, I use 3D docs to PMKs because they're more reliable, faster and lighter, but each to their own (image 2 below showing a range of vector fills).

When I do use PDF's it's more because it get's used in other documents/software such as presentations, specifications, reports and schedules.

Where this would be most useful is large masterplans with diagrammatic hatching (particularly if you use grass hatch). It also shows up in A2 and greater plans, particularly in presentations where PMKs are impractical to setup and we would rather use live views or it duplicates an existing process.

Hit me up if you want to know more.