PDF export has lines missing

[daniellesimpson]

I'm fairly new to cad, been using it for less than a year but have never had this problem before: when i export a dwg file to pdf not all the lines appear... it is not a layer issue as some of the missing lines are in the same layer as those that are showing up. if you zoom in to the pdf they will appear but i have quality issues when plotting. i don't think it's the drawing because if i use autocad on the windows side of my mac it is fine although appears to be exporting faintly - blacks are more grey in colour. so i am assuming it's some sort of bug on autocad for mac? i had 2014, deleted it and upgraded to 2015 but have the same issue. i've upgraded to yosemite but the drawing was fine after this, it has only happened in the last few days. please help, my final crit is in 2 weeks!

[ReMark]

Why do some users immediately assume going nuclear (deleting and replacing a program) is the only option?

 

I'm pretty sure the topic of missing lines in a PDF have been discussed here numerous times. Did you try a search of CADTutor for similar threads or look at the bottom of this page where it lists Similar Threads?

[daniellesimpson]

It wasn't my first attempt at fixing it, it was actually my last in the hopes of it being a bug and that upgrading might fix it. I have searched through multiple threads but nothing worked and also asked the tutors and other older students at my university with no luck.

[ReMark]

Here's what you do then. Attach a copy of the DWG file to your next post. Not an image file (jpg or png) but a DWG file. Someone here will take a look at it and perhaps figure out what's going on. We'll also need to see a copy of the ctb or stb plot style you are using.

[daniellesimpson]

It wont let me upload the DWG file for some reason.. might be too big.. i know it's not very helpful but i've attached a PDF that shows what's happening.. i found a suggestion of saving it as an EPS file and it's fine and like i said it works okay on my windows autocad. would you assume it's just a bug?

scheme97.pdf

[ReMark]

I would not necessarily assume it's a bug.

[Dana W]

Are you using a third party pdf software? AutoCad 2015 has a superior dwg to pdf.pc3 plotter driver, and there is no longer any need for third party pdf creators.

[marulaboz]

did you found a solution ? i'm having the same problem, lines appear only when you zoom A LOT in

[SLW210]

Can you do as ReMark requested of the OP in post #4 and post a .dwg and plot style?

 

It may help if you also post some screen shots of what you are seeing.

[marulaboz]

Okay, so here it is. I'm using Mac AutoCad 2015. I've always used it and i've never have this problem. I usually export pdfs from the layout, using a ctb which i cannot attach (invalid file), but it happens when i use black continous lines in 0.00 or 0.05. The result on pdf looks very pale and lots of lines do not appear. As you zoom in, lines begin to appear, and they all appear just at 200% or more...

legal_1.dwg

[SLW210]

ZIP your ctb file and it should post.

[marulaboz]

here it is the ctb.

legal_ctb.ctb.zip

[SLW210]

Looks good here with my monochrome.ctb, looks like your images with your legal_ctb.ctb.

[marulaboz]

The image i attached does not look good, there are lines that are not shown. If I use the monochrome ctb happens the same, it doesn't work. I don't know why it happens and it's driving me crazy.

[SLW210]

Monochrome looks great here. Maybe you have altered yours.

 

Are you using DWG to PDF.pc3 from AutoCAD?

 

I'll post images tomorrow, time to go home now.

[marulaboz]

thanks, on Mac the printing process from AutoCAD is completely different than on PC and there is no .pc3 files at all. AutoCAD for Mac uses Mac OS System printer to output the drawing...

[SLW210]

I can't help you with MAC issues, maybe some with AutoCAD on Mac will help sort some of these issues.

[RobDraw]

Okay, so here it is. I'm using Mac AutoCad 2015. I've always used it and i've never have this problem. I usually export pdfs from the layout, using a ctb which i cannot attach (invalid file), but it happens when i use black continous lines in 0.00 or 0.05. The result on pdf looks very pale and lots of lines do not appear. As you zoom in, lines begin to appear, and they all appear just at 200% or more...

 

I would not expect a linewidth of 0.00 to even plot and 0.05 would be barely visible unless magnified. Have you tried heavier lineweights?

[Dana W]

Okay, so here it is. I'm using Mac AutoCad 2015. I've always used it and i've never have this problem. I usually export pdfs from the layout, using a ctb which i cannot attach (invalid file), but it happens when i use black continous lines in 0.00 or 0.05. The result on pdf looks very pale and lots of lines do not appear. As you zoom in, lines begin to appear, and they all appear just at 200% or more...

These line weights are simply below the hardware capability of your display screen to show at their actual width, so they are shown as a sort of proxy ghost thingy until you zoom in to a level where the lines are actually as big or bigger than one physical display screen pixel. Look at a white portion of your computer screen with a strong magnifying glass. You see a grid. If the line width is not as big as one square in that grid, it will not trigger a pixel on or off.

 

EDIT: I almost forgot. Your video card is also probably having brain cramps. PDF and plot preview are HUGE graphics memory hogs.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Dana W

[Dana W]

I would not expect a linewidth of 0.00 to even plot and 0.05 would be barely visible unless magnified. Have you tried heavier lineweights?

Oh, they'll probably plot, but the driver will default them to the lower limit of the hardware capability of the print head. This gives the result of all the very thin lines below the hardware limit having the same width.

 

Now pdf viewers and AutoCad plot preview are entirely different. They will let you zoom out until you run out of enough width to light up a pixel. The OP is seeing pretty much normal behavior with these line weights.