SuzanneG. Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 I am currently running VW10.1.2 on OSX and each time I print to Acrobat Distiller to create a postscript file VW crashes. If I am working in Classic with an old version of VW it (creating postscript files)works just fine. Quote Link to comment
PeterT Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 If you are on OS X why don't you just use the PrintCenter to make your PostScript files? Just choose "Print", and in the print dialog, go to output options, and check the "save as file" checkbox. Choose "PostScript" in the "Format" pulldown and save the file. In my experience, this does not crash VectorWorks. Regards, Peter Quote Link to comment
Donald Wardlaw Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Peter, To the best of my knowledge, you can't create post script files in the manner you describe unless the printer you choose is a postcript printer. If it is not, the postscript option will be grayed. Which it so happens is the problem I am grappling with today. For reasons I find mysterious, the HP 800PS driver I was using simply disappeared from my computer. I used it with distiller as Suzanne recalls and the results were terrific. What perplexes further, is that now when I download the printer driver from the HP site, the Postscript function is not available even if I download the driver for a postscript printer. Donald Quote Link to comment
Donald Wardlaw Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 An added note: I'm not trying to print with distiller in the paper output sense, I am using it to create high quality acrobat files, something you cannot do with the print to pdf option in the print dialogue. Donald Quote Link to comment
Donald Wardlaw Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 An added note: I'm not trying to print with distiller in the paper output sense, I am using it to create high quality acrobat files, something you cannot do with the print to pdf option in the print dialogue. Donald Quote Link to comment
Kevin Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 I create postscript files in OSX with a virtual postscript pirnter. It uses the Apple Laserwriter software. As I recall I did not have to download or buy any software. Quote Link to comment
Kaare Baekgaard Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 The preview print button in the print dialogue will create af pdf-file ready to be saved as well. If you include placed renderings, it will tend to be rather large in size. You can use PStill or PDFSchrink afterwards to adjust the resolution. Quote Link to comment
Donald Wardlaw Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Kevin, I appreciate you posting that. I now can create high quality pdf's again. Neat trick! I deviated a bit, however, in that I could not find the AD ppd. (I'm using Distiller 5.05, not the latest version, maybe the ppd doesn't exist for that version). But it looks like the ppd for any PS printer will work. I used the ppd for the HP 800PS, which I found with the printer descriptions. thanks again, Donald Quote Link to comment
Kevin Posted April 17, 2004 Share Posted April 17, 2004 If found this on the Web. It explains how to set up a Virtual Postscript Printer. http://www.omnipress.com/shared/pdfsupport/macosxps.asp While you can create a PDF directly from OSX as Kaare indicates, it will be a larger file size than that which is created in Acrobat. Furthermore, if you want multiple sheets in your PDF, you will need to do this in Acrobat. Quote Link to comment
SuzanneG. Posted April 19, 2004 Author Share Posted April 19, 2004 I have taken these steps/advice and discovered the following: 1.It seems that any file that was created in a previous version of VW when opened in 10.1.2 just cannot be saved as a postscript file. It just keeps crashing. 2.If I create a new file in 10.1.2 and lower the dpi to under 600 it works just fine. If I leave the dpi at 1200, which I guess is the default, it doesn't work. Quote Link to comment
SuzanneG. Posted April 19, 2004 Author Share Posted April 19, 2004 On another, more depressing note, I made the mistake of pasting from a corrupted AutoCad file into a VW 9.5.1 file. I was able to create a postscript file however, when I went to convert it to .pdf an error came up saying that the file is corrupted. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment
Guest Posted April 19, 2004 Share Posted April 19, 2004 You shouldn't copy between AutoCad and VectorWorks. That may have actually been what caused the file corruption. If you are on OS 10 however, printing may have also corrupted the file. You can email the file to tech@nemetschek.net and put ATTN: Katie in the subject line. Please include the exact version of VW, the Operating System being used and the selected printer. I'll have one of the engineers try to salvage the file. Quote Link to comment
Guest Posted April 19, 2004 Share Posted April 19, 2004 The problem with printing at 1200 DPI is most likely memory related. The computer doesn't have enough memory to process a PDF file at 1200 dpi, probably because the VW file is large or has alot of hatches, complex polygons, or patterns. Quote Link to comment
SuzanneG. Posted April 19, 2004 Author Share Posted April 19, 2004 I should clarify what I did Katie, I imported a .dwg into a new VW file, and then I pasted from that file into the VW file that I was working on which is now corrupted, I believe. Quote Link to comment
Guest Posted April 19, 2004 Share Posted April 19, 2004 Suzanne, Are you on a mac or pc? What software are you using to create the PDF with? Quote Link to comment
Donald Wardlaw Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 I've found that in my experience a "corrupt file" is usually a corrupt object. It is possible to sit by the fire and find it. Start by finding which half of the drawing it lies in by deleting one half. Then try printing or whatever is not working. You should have either deleted the object or kept it. Then go for half of the side you know it lives in and so on until you find it. When you find the object, delete it and away you go. Naturally, undo as you do so as not to lose the good things. Best, Donald Quote Link to comment
aersloat Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 Just so you guys know... if you do have embedded images in your file and you use Panther's save to pdf feature you can compress those images by using the "Reduce File Size" Quartz filter under ColorSync in the print dialog. You can also bind sheets quite easily using the free "Combine PDFs" Program (look on versiontracker.com). If you need more control, like selective font embedding, Distiller is the way to go. Although we have Distiller we have not used it for producing pdfs for a very long time. This, of course, has nothing to do with Suzanne's issue. Quote Link to comment
Guest Posted April 20, 2004 Share Posted April 20, 2004 And to continue on that point - VW 11 supports image compression durring import, or copy and pasted into your drawing, or converted old to version 11 files. It also compresses image based textures to aid in file size reduction and speedier saves and potentially prints. Quote Link to comment
SuzanneG. Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 Mac, I use Acrobat Distiller, or atleast I try to use it. Quote Link to comment
Guest Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 Email the file to me at katie@nemetschek.net and I'll take a look at it. Quote Link to comment
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