PDFs in RevIt

[thomasf]

What is your prefered method of creating PDFs in RevIt, and AutoCAD for that matter?

We are looking at AcroPlot and Adobe Acrobat 8.


Thanks

[twiceroadsfool]

We currently use our Plotters PS driver to write to .plt, and use Acrobat Distiller on our server to generate PDF's automatically from the folder the .plt's sit in. We picked up the method from (i believe) Aaron Rumple, posted here. It works great.

As far as actual PDF plotters, ive used:

PDFXchange (works great but you have to pay)
PDF995 (eh...)
CUTE PDF plotter (good for single sheets, TERRIBLE for multiples... you have to type every name in)

[Teresa.Martin]

Hi! I have used Acroplot. I do like the product.

However, I have found using the native Adobe Acrobat/PDF is generally better. Usually you run into little quirks with the non-adobe products. Unfortunately these quirks do not become apparent until there is a dead line and you realize something is not appearing on the sheets or looks really bizarre. (hatches shift, fonts, etc....)

Best regards,

[Brian Myers]

Both products actually. I have both installed and tend to just choose whichever one I want to use that day. Both have worked very well for me. Adobe is the industry standard, but Acroplot typically produces smaller files.

You can't go wrong either way.

[affdesco]

I have always had a license for acrobat pro. I like the ability to modify PDF files... and it has its own printer driver so it shows up in the printers. I have just been printing to the pdf printer. I has full ability to size the sheets to arch D and so many others. I use the printer from every program I have. Recently priced acrobat pro. ... it's expensive. I got it years ago and still use version 6. Upgrade pricing is reasonable. I did like having the Revit adobe printer option and did get concerned when I couldn't find it.. I see there are many options that have been successful. I like this one because... it's pro.... and it's paid for. I like the other solutions because they are also easy... and they are free.

[peterjegan]

I say take a closer look at CutePDF in RAC 08.

On the print dialog, when you select the CutePDF as your printer, the "Combine multiple selected views/sheets into a single file" option becomes active. Select it and you only have to provide one file name and it actually does "Combine multiple selected views/sheets into a single file," not just tease you like it has for years. A few days ago, I PDF'd 248 sheets into one file.

[rjcrowther]

I use PDFCreator although there are some file recipients who tell me the file is corrupt when they try and read it. When this fails I revert to CutePDF Writer.

I would like to just use CutePDF but I don't really like the interface.

Can't complain - they both come at the right price.

Rob

[Firmso]

What is your prefered method of creating PDFs in RevIt, and AutoCAD for that matter?

We are looking at AcroPlot and Adobe Acrobat 8.


Thanks
I use Bluebeam PDF Revu. Works great.

[todd.69291]

We use both Bluebeam & PDF Factory. The both work great. Never a problem. But they are not free. We like PDF factory cause we can make multi-page PDF from any source without the cost of Adobe. Only a couple of our 100+ staff just used Adobe so they could combine PDFs. They never use Adobe Acrobat so there was no need to spend that kind of money on a software that never gets used. Bluebeam is great for redlining our PDFs. Again only a select few have this software. Not everybody needs to redline PDFs.

[Dave F.]

Neither.

We use Bluebeam (UK specific?) It's OK.

The downside of creating PDF's is it doesn't automatically not print unreferenced section marks.
Does anyone know of a way around this?

[brethomp]

Now that AutoDesk disabled the "Revit PDF Writer 4.2" we switched to PDFCreator (http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator). It is free and has a feature to combine multiple sheets into one PDF in the correct order.

[adegnan]

I say take a closer look at CutePDF in RAC 08.

On the print dialog, when you select the CutePDF as your printer, the "Combine multiple selected views/sheets into a single file" option becomes active. Select it and you only have to provide one file name and it actually does "Combine multiple selected views/sheets into a single file," not just tease you like it has for years. A few days ago, I PDF'd 248 sheets into one file.
Peter and BThompson,
Thank you so much for this! Peter, I've used CutePDF for years and until now the Revit PDF writer, and hence I would have never noticed the "combine sheets" option with CutePDF because I would have just kept plodding along in my old ways...