PDF writer 4.2 - link here

[Elrond]

I just realised that the computer I am currently working on does not have the PDF writer installed. I did a search and found the thread where Leonid pointed out that you could go to the Revit 8 download page and select another language to find the PDf writer still. I didn't have any luck with this method but I did find that by over typing "8" with "7" in the address bar you get taken to the Revit 7 download page which still has the PDF writer available!

Here is the link (http://revit.autodesk.com/7.0/common/download.asp?en-us) to the page in case anyone else needs it.

(EDIT: Moderators feel free to move me to Tips & Tricks if thats the best place!)

[DanielleAnderson]

While we're on the subject of Pinebush--has anybody had any problems using it with Revit 8? I was doing just fine until last night, all of a sudden, using Pinebush totally messed up my computer, it was so bad that I had to actually physically push the off button on the CPU itself. I tried it again a couple more times and the same thing happened every time.
I have discovered that just plain-old acrobat PDF writer works just as well, and for me, does not cause so many problems.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

I've had the same problem since installing 8. The Pinebush writer locks up Revit on my system. I've tried re-installing both the writer and Revit, in different order and any other combination of things I could think of. I gave up and have switched to PDF995.

Now that our local print shop seems to have ironed out the bugs in plotting DWF's I have been using that method rather than PDF with good results.

[rodneyf]

Dimitri,
What did your print shop do to iron out the bugs with DWF's? We have a terrible time here printing to DWF and I would love to be able to use that format because our designers love using DWF and some of our clients really like it and if we want we can give them a 3D DWF to explore. I have been having a terrible time using the Oce windows print drivers that I am thinking of dumping them all together. I don't know what else to do I am going crazy with this.

[sbrown]

Rodney Winter Park Blue prints dwfs.

[Chirag Mistry]

Does anyone had trouble using the REVIT PDF writer 4.2 (version 7 download page) for REVIT 8.0 ?

[SkiSouth]

Dimitri,
What did your print shop do to iron out the bugs with DWF's? We have a terrible time here printing to DWF and I would love to be able to use that format because our designers love using DWF and some of our clients really like it and if we want we can give them a 3D DWF to explore. I have been having a terrible time using the Oce windows print drivers that I am thinking of dumping them all together. I don't know what else to do I am going crazy with this.

From a previous post discussing plotters:

Our print shop uses the Oce 9800 plotter. I just called and confirmed they don't do anything else to my plots other than load them in repro and then run them.

I use the "outdated" Oce 2.8.2 Raster Driver, downloaded from the Oce website. - (I think I still have the zip file if its not still on the website)
Specifically:

1. Set the plotter up as a Oce 9400 NOT an Oce 9800.
2. Under the Printer preferences - Finishing MUST be set up in all categories as Printer Default.
3. Turn Remote Control Header Present OFF.
4. Plot to a file as your Port.
5. Send your plots to your local print shop for HPGL2 Happiness.. :smile:

Just a note, a pen weight of less than .01 has a tendency on the Oce's to greyscale. ( A percentage of the line is lost due to resolution of width). It's still prints - just not a solid line.

[SkiSouth]

Does anyone had trouble using the REVIT PDF writer 4.2 (version 7 download page) for REVIT 8.0 ?

I use server 2003 for operating system, so pinebush drivers haven't worked for me for two years or so. Use the PDF driver from Adobe (comes with Acrobat Professional.)

[DanielleAnderson]

[size=2]Now that our local print shop seems to have ironed out the bugs in plotting DWF's I have been using that method rather than PDF with good results.

The print shops up in Vancouver seem to be a little more on the ball then down here in Seattle, I too had a major disaster with OCE a while back. Maybe they could get together and compare notes. ;)

[rodneyf]

Let me state that printing to the Revit PDF Writer 4.2 from Pinebush prints just fine from Revit 8.0 over here. Also our print shop can print our DWF's but some of the lines I have as halftone show up as normal black lines in the actual print of the DWF file. We are using the Oce windows print driver oce_wpd16.exe which is version 1.6 I know they have later versions of this driver but those drivers dropped lines out of our plots consistently. One other thing now all of a sudden we are dropping lines from our plots with this driver so I don't know what to do.

[Damo]

[Off Topic]

Dimitri,

Hmmmmm. You wouldn't be the Dimitri from CompuServe days who used to jump in with advice on the Generic CADD forum, before it was bought by Autodesk?

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Nope!
But you look really familiar Damian ;-)
I have been around long enough to have used Compuserve but never been a Generic CAD user. Went straight from Autocad to smart, sorry, Revit.

Back on topic. I'll get some info from our repro shop up here as to drivers they are using and pass it on tomorrow if I can. They do use OCE machines and are printing directly from DWF with no conversion. Good results and I love the compact files in relation to PDF.

[DaveP]

I use the "outdated" Oce 2.8.2 Raster Driver, downloaded from the Oce website. - (I think I still have the zip file if its not still on the website)
.
.
.

Just a note, a pen weight of less than .01 has a tendency on the Oce's to greyscale. ( A percentage of the line is lost due to resolution of width). It's still prints - just not a solid line.
I'm still using version 2.8.2 for A**D, but I've got a printer set up on a different server that points to the same device (9600) I use with Revit. That one uses Oce driver 3.3.2 & the screens are WAY better. The old (2.8.2) driver tended to be very inconsistent on thin screened lines - especially at 45 degrees. Version 3.3.2 gives you a nice, smooth greytone. :D

My only gripe with 3.3.2 is that they changed all the paper size names. Instead of "E 34x44 in", now you have to use "Ocè E 34x44 in". Note the accent over the e, too. Doesn't matter too much with Revit, but now I need to change all my AutoCAD LISP routines & put that stupid Ocè in all the paper sizes.:cry:

[Dimitri Harvalias]

OK folks, as usual it's never as easy as it appears on the surface. It seems direct printing is not how our repro house does it. (they never complain so I always thought it was a piece of cake for them). They have managed to automate the conversion process somewhat so it goes a little quicker for them.
Not being an Oce expert their response below is posted verbatim and with no assurance that it will do the job for you..
Hope this helps

we open the DWF's in Autodesk DWF viewer (Version 6),
and plot to a multi-page Postscript file
using an HP 750 PS Plotter driver (attached), then we process the .ps file
in Oce Reprodesk (v1.6) using the Aladdin Systems Ghostscript
version 8.15 postscript to TIF converter. However, we process your
elevations with the OCE TDS 800 windows driver (oce_wpd17.exe), making an
RTL file
with the "poster" setting, and "Mixed data" switched on, to get the
greytones of your Elevations smoother, because the HP 750 creates
a coarser halftone screen. The Oce TDS 800 will crash if you try to make a
multi page document, but works to make individual pages. I cannot attach
the Aladdin or Oce TDS drivers as they are too large for Email, but they
can be downloaded from the NET. Sometime soon OCE claims
to support direct DWF processing, which will save a lot of steps, but for
now, that's the best way we've found.