Exporting to a different PDF reader

[geoform]

Does Vectorworks work with PDF readers other than Adobe? I recently moved to an office that uses a program called "CutePDF Editor" which they support/update, and they don't use Adobe Reader at all. I tried exporting a drawing but Vectorworks didn't recognize the CutePDF program. I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. I told them Adobe Reader is free to install and maintain, but I suppose the IT department see it as yet another program they have to watch over and redundant with what they already have. I just need to make the case that I need Adobe Reader and nothing else will work (if that's true)

[PVA - Admin]

You should be able to OPEN PDFs (created by exporting them from Vectorworks) in CutePDF without issue.

However, if you are trying to use File > Print and then using a printer emulator to create PDFs, you may run into problems.

Make sure to use Vectorworks' built-in File > Export > Export PDF to create PDFs instead. The File > Print interface for making PDFs is out of Vectorworks' control:

[Elite Exhibits]

One for Jim Wilson ... VW / RW Export PDF vs Export Image (Especially the Batch Export of PDFs) -

What does VW / RW do when it exports a PDF vs an Image file.?

In our discipline, where nine pages are rendered perspectives and one is a plan view ...

(1.) The File / Export / PDF (Batch) ... appears as the optimum way to go.

Set the resolution in the Document Preferences and VW / RW makes a compiled PDF ready to email or print. Looks great Works Great

(2.) There is another logic that says - Export each as an image file, and then import them into Adobe Acrobat and save as a single PDF. This results in a better image

Question: Does #2 produce any "better" renderings than #1 if the preferences are set correctly.

Keep in mind that the end result is a PDF to email - Especially if Adobe Acrobat is set to "Optimize" the PDF for easy delivery via email.

For a large, high quality print we assume the export Image will be the best bet.

Thanks - Peter

[PVA - Admin]

PDF isnt inherently better or worse than an image export, both quality levels can be controlled, I believe PDF defaults to a higher quality than the default image export setting (which is JPEG2000 or something like that) but they can be set to give equally high quality output.

For PDF export it is inside the Export PDF dialogue, the DPI can be raised as needed. Usually 300 is fine but 1200 can be used for very large page sizes or very high quality printers.

Image export, as long as it is set to an image format that supports it, like PNG, can also have its DPI/pixel width and height increased to very high quality.

In both of those export types, Renderworks should behave exactly the same way.

The main benefit of PDFs is that in exported PDFs, the text remains select-able and searchable, and the Publish/Batch Export will bundle the PDFs into pages and the class/layer structure is controllable, without the need for Acrobat or another PDF editor to combine them after the fact.

(There is currently an issue being tracked in 2013 and 2014 where exported PDFs are slow and oversized however, but that's not intentional or necessary, just an unintended side effect of other changes that were made internally.)

[Elite Exhibits]

This is helpful - Thanks ... Peter