DWG to PDF Converter

[todd.mackay]

Does anyone know of a DWG to PDF converter with saving capability that's free? Eventually, I will buy it but for now I have a November 12th deadline to produce the drawings in dwg and pdf. I have to go through my boss to buy it and that might take a week.

I'm running Acad 2005 and Windows XP.

I am currently searching on the web for one but I figured I'd drop a line on AUGI's Forums.

Thanks - Todd

[mjfarrell]

Use the SEARCH function on this forum to look for other
references to PDF converters.

[Glenn Pope]

Check out this thread
ACAD to PDF ? (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=4328)

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

In addition to Glenn's fine link ;-)

Have a search within the Forums for AcroPlot / Bluebeam -

Search Forums (http://forums.augi.com/search.php?)

Have a good one, Mike

[todd.mackay]

There is a God - and his name is Bluebeam and he's Free!!!! Well, for now, until the trial runs out. But these guys have their trial version setup where you can save the pdf and without having a watermark on it or anything. That to me is a software company that makes me interested in buying their product.

Well anyway, Thank You - Thank You - Thank You!!!!!

Todd

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Personally I can't praise Bluebeam enough when it comes to PDF Solutions for AutoCAD. I would rather not have to deal with PDF in CAD but that's another story....

The below might also be interesting, comes from a very recent CADalyst CAD E-mail Newsletter -

<snip>
Autodesk also is working with Bluebeam Software to develop solutions that enable AutoCAD users to more easily convert large-format AutoCAD drawings into lightweight Autodesk DWF (Design Web Format) digital files. Bluebeam will enhance its current PDF publishing solution, Bluebeam Pushbutton Plus, to give users the option to convert any file to DWF format. http://www.autodesk.com (http://www.autodesk.com/), http://www.bluebeam.com (http://www.bluebeam.com/)
</snip>

Have a good one, Mike

[keelay711]

My company often has to PDF for clients, but the "boss" is cheap on the software. We discovered PDF995. It has a free version which lets you plot to PDF. Its main drawback it that everytime you plot PDF, it opens its website. It can get annoying if you have many dwgs to send, but works.

[jaberwok]

My company often has to PDF for clients, but the "boss" is cheap on the software. We discovered PDF995. It has a free version which lets you plot to PDF. Its main drawback it that everytime you plot PDF, it opens its website. It can get annoying if you have many dwgs to send, but works.
Easy fix - use it on a pc that's not connected to the internet. Let your browser open once, then ignore it.

[jlapointe]

I know this an old thread, but I hope someone still visits it. I had a pdf to dwf converter, but when the pdf's were converted, it created a mess. It seem like every object was drawn as a spline, with a left click at every drawing unit. Does anybody know of a good coverter?

[david_peterson]

We have a convertor for .plts to .pdfs. Works great. With this method you can create the .plt's (native acad) which most copy companies (and caddies) like because they usually process much faster than .pdfs. Convert them (I've converted over 150 plts in about 2 min) to pdf's for you client and your done. I believe this s a product offered by Adobe, but I'm not sure. I can check if you like.

[rkmcswain]

I know this an old thread, but I hope someone still visits it. I had a pdf to dwf converter, but when the pdf's were converted, it created a mess. It seem like every object was drawn as a spline, with a left click at every drawing unit. Does anybody know of a good coverter?

You want to convert a PDF to a DWF?

Open the PDF in Acrobat Reader and print to DWF using the DWF Writer (http://www.autodesk.com/dwfwriter-download) print driver.

[jlapointe]

I apoogize, I meant to say DWG, not DWF. I have the DWF viewer/ writer from auutodesk. I was looking to go the other way. PDF to DWG.

[rkmcswain]

I apoogize, I meant to say DWG, not DWF. I have the DWF viewer/ writer from auutodesk. I was looking to go the other way. PDF to DWG.

PDF to DWG?

Take a look at: http://rkmcswain.blogspot.com/2006/03/convert-pdf-to-dwg.html

FYI: We use the PDF Import tool that is part of ToolPac (http://www.dotsoft.com/toolpac.htm) mentioned at the bottom of the above link.

[jlapointe]

Just got finished checking out the Adobe illustrator C2. That is a pretty cool program. Not only can you change to a DWG format without As much of a data loss. At least it didn't appear as bad as the first converter I had. But you can also edit the pdf in that format. Which I was under the impression couldn't be done. Thank you so much for the step in the right direction.

[avdesign]

Just got finished checking out the Adobe illustrator C2. That is a pretty cool program. Not only can you change to a DWG format without As much of a data loss. At least it didn't appear as bad as the first converter I had. But you can also edit the pdf in that format. Which I was under the impression couldn't be done. Thank you so much for the step in the right direction.Illustrator is very good at converting vector based PDF's to DWG formats but it's not the best way to convert DWG to PDF. I always recommend that when ever you need a PDF for a CAD is first print to DWF and then to PDF. I find you have better control over the final product this way.

[jlapointe]

Lucky for me I don't have to share any drawings. I just get builder's plans and modify them. But most are in PDF. So I am loving that Illustrator. I don't even have to convert to dwg, if I don'y want to. But it still alot easier to edit in dwg.

[robert.1.hall72202]

I didn't see PDF995 listed in this thread so I thought I would mention that it
is free. Look it up on google.

Download the pdf creation utility, the signature utility, and the pdf editor.
All are free!!!

I have only had a couple of times where the PDF files were not created correctly.
A simple reinstall of the software fixed the problems.

[terryh]

I downloaded and used Bluebeam when I was looking for a decent PDF tool. I compared it with PDF995, DeskPDF, Jaws PDF and a bunch of others that I managed to find. I think it is the best program I've used so far, and after trialling it, I purchased 5 licenses for our drafties, and purchased 9 licenses of DeskPDF Pro for our engineers and other staff. I compared file sizes and quality of print, and found that Bluebeam produced very small file sizes. Desk PDF was the best and was equal (and sometimes better) than Adobe 7.0 Standard. For the cost, these 2 products were by far the best.