Incomplete PDF output from AutoCAD

Nobody encountered this problem? Or has any clue on how to solve this?

Help is very much appreciated.

We also have the same problem only like you say "occasionally". We are using the following applications:
- Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0.7
- AutoCAD ADT 2007
- OS: Windows XP Pro SP3

The problem:
Printing from AutoCAD through the system printer "Acrobat distiller" with the proper PC3-file produces good PDF's most all the time. In recent weeks, we have noticed that every once and a while it produces an incomplete PDF where a not all the information is transferred over to the final PDF. One case in particular is a section line with a bubble. Most of the line makes it over to the PDF file okay but one segment of the line does not. We can replot immediately after and the missing information is back on the new PDF.

The problem occurs only once and a while and without any pattern. Usually when re-producing the PDF instantly after the error has been spotted, the newly produced PDF is correct, checking every file is not an option with us either. We can have from about 50-200 PDF's per job. We are considering going back to making plot files and then making PDF's from the plots.

Have you had any responses???

Thanks again!

Hello Mr. Paul Thomas,

I've been trying to contact both Adobe and Autodesk about this problem and neither have a solution to this problem.

Autodesk posed the solution to using a PDF printer they made for AutoCAD 2009, but this came with only a few options to set. Thus making it a solution we could not use in our department. Plus they only suggested to upgrade our software to get rid of the problem and we rely on the earlier version as a 3rd party application makes use of 2007 and not 2009.

Adobe seems to stay unresponsive in this matter, not helping out on any point.

In my perspective the print process seems to get interrupted whilst making the PDF file, but you can find no real evidence of that happening. The one thing I did do, was to automate the making of a PDF-file from AutoCAD. In which I preset the printing options under a pulldown menu, but this only solves the problem of everybody making the same PDF's. I've found this problem to be one of the hardest ones to solve, as it happens at random and leaves no trail what-so-ever to track it down. One minute the PDF is incomplete, repeat the same PDF-making-procedure and the PDF will be fine. Other suggestions people have on this matter ar that it might be a memory problem, but it would have to be a glitch while writing to memory, because a few seconds later, with the same memory usage a PDF would be properly produced.

Here's the topic I started on Autodesk forums: http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?forumID=30&threadID=663518 there are many other topics about it on the Autodesk forums, but no real answer had been posed at the time I was looking for it.The topic remains unsolved in our subscription area from Autodesk and no real solution is posed by either parties. If you find any solution or if I find one, it's good to update each other.

I have not been having much luck with this. It has seemed to just start happening to us in the past 5-6 weeks or so. Really in the past two. I have not found anything that fits that time frame to cause the problem with several users affected. We are nearly all on Autocad 2007 and Adobe 7.0 with a couple users having the problem on Autocad 2009.

I caught a hint in one place of the size of the Windows Temp folder maybe having something to do with it but that has not paned out. One user who had the problem only had 20 MB in the folder. Others have around 200 MB. It does not seem to make a difference from what I have seen so far.

I did have one user say that he saw a message about Adobe having to stop but it only flashed by and he did not get to read it. Others have said they have the problem with large raster files but I have seen that before too.

To me, it is almost as if the process gets interupted somehow (memory or whatever) and you get part of the file missing. Then if you re-do the process it completes okay. Like it started up from where it left off.

I will keep at it for now but have no leads as to where to go from here.

The problem may result from using a vertical version of AutoCAD (i.e., mechanical, civil, etc.). Acrobat supports only the basic version AutoCAD not vertical.

Does this only seem to happen on large page sizes?

The missing views may be proxy objects from these vertical versions of AutoCAD. As a workaround, try exploding the walls (which come as outline only in the PDF) and make block references out of them.

There is another thread on the [url=http://forums.adobe.com/message/2095250#2095250]U2U forum[/url] that discusses this as well that you might be interested in.

Hello-

I'm an ACAD support person for an architecture firm in Seattle, WA. Here's the software we're using.

AutoCAD Architecture 2008 SP1
Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Version 9.1.1
OS: Windows XP Pro Version 2002 SP3

Currently we are experiencing similar issues to what SBuurma is experiencing. The missing information can be text one moment and then drawing elements the next. I've even go so far as to print the drawings to DWF and then convert them to PDF and still experience missing information from time to time.

I took a look at looked at the posts on the U2U forum, thanks for the link, but unfortunately the 2D polyline fix does not apply to our situation.

It seems like a lot of folks are dealing with similar issues and while there has been mention of minor changes to print setting there hasn't really been any difinitive answer to what the problem is.

Thanks for putting so much detail in your posts, it's very helpful even if it's just to say we're all in the same boat.

-Rob

We have been having the same problem with missing lines and objects. I lowered the Adobe PDF Converter resolution from 1200dpi to 300dpi and it worked. I tried 600dpi but that didn't work. Let me know if this fixes the problem for you.

For anyone who may not be familiar with how to change this setting here is what I did:

1. When plotting from AutoCAD choose the Adobe PDF printer and click Properties to open the Plotter Configuration Editor.
2. In the "Device and Document Settings" Tab click the "Custom Properties" button
3. Click the "Layout" tab and click the "Advanced" button
4. Lower the Print Quality to 300dpi. (You could try 600dpi but it didn't work for me.)

FYI, I am using:

* Autocad LT 2007
* Adobe PDF Converter (Printer)
Driver name: PSCRIPT5.DLL
Data file: ADPDF7.PPD
Driver version: 6.00
* Adobe Acrobat Standard 7.0
* OS: Windows XP Professional Version 2002, SP2

I've just posted a reply in here: http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?forumID=30&threadID=663518