No PDF option in File/Publish

[hinnam]

Greetings,

 

I am attempting to streamline my drawing publishing process by making use of sheet layers. However, I am encountering a roadblock regarding the publish options. I have attached a screenshot of the drop down menu in question. I have seen other videos and screenshots where there is a PDF option here, but as you can see in my screenshot, there are only DWG/DXF & DWF options. I was wondering if any kind souls could advise regarding this discrepancy. Your help is highly appreciated; thank you!

 

System specs:

macOS Sierra v10.12.6 MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)

Vectorworks Fundamentals 2018 SP2 (Build 401138) (64-Bit)

[Nina Ivanova]

@hinnam,

 

Publishing to PDF is not allowed in Fundamentals. You could try the Cloud Publish instead:

 

 

 

Best regards,

Nina

[hinnam]

Hi Nina,

 

Thank you for your quick reply. Is there another workaround that allows me to print the sheets and compile quickly? I prefer not to use Cloud Publish as I still have to sign up for VW Service Select. Currently I make my drawings and print/export directly from design layers, but because of this I cannot take advantage of the viewport functions (since we can only create viewports in sheet layers). Is there a workaround in this case?

 

Thank you.

[Benson Shaw]

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but you have the option to "print" individual design layers as PDF via the print dialog (MacOS for sure, probably something similar in Win).  The individual pdf files can be compiled quickly in Preview. Probably in other software, too, but Preview is installed on every Mac.

 

My workflow is:

•Print each page (layer? view?) as a separate PDF file. Name them logically, eg sheet numbers.

•Save them to a new folder. They should auto order numerically.

•In the folder, duplicate the Page1 pdf file and rename it eg MyProjectIssue_mmddyy (it will soon receive all the other pages).

•Open MyProject in Preview, enable thumbnails.

•In the folder with all the pdf files, select all except Page1.  Drag them en masse onto the thumbnail in Preview.

•Scroll through all pages to verify completeness, rotate, add missing items (drag icons onto the thumbnail area), reorder by dragging thumbnails up/down, etc.

•Save, and you have a multi page pdf ready for print or distribution.

 

HTH

 

-B

 

 

 

 

 

[hinnam]

Hi Benson,

 

Appreciate the attempt to help, but it seems like a rather tedious workaround. I know that you can print\save as pdf but that does not preserve any classes to be saved as layers as compared to exporting as pdf instead. The file also gets uncontrollably big especially when using a lot of images. For now, I gather that the only workaround if I still intend to publish my drawings via sheet layers, is to export individual sheets as PDF and then manually compile it in Acrobat/Preview, as you have described.

 

Rather disappointing that VW Fundamentals lacks such a rudimentary function to publish in PDF. In any case, thank you for the advice.

[NeedHelp]

Hi there, is there still no way to publish to PDF in Fundamentals 2020?

Thanks

[Nina Ivanova]

@NeedHelp,

 

Publish to PDF is not allowed in Fundamentals. I am attaching a link to the Publish functionality help page:

http://app-help.vectorworks.net/2020/eng/index.htm#t=VW2020_Guide%2FPrintPublish%2FBatch_publishing.htm%23CSH_6

[NeedHelp]

Gosh, that is so frustrating, and pretty ridiculous considering the money it cost, even for the Fundamentals (which is still crashing for us, with Catalina, when we add a title block). Seems there is a huge demand for publishing to PDF at the fundamentals level. Any chance that VW is considering allowing us "cheap" users to publish to pdf....  So either we pay for the design series ($900 more?) or service select? How much is service select, no prices posted online? Thank you for your help, feel frustrated and stuck. 

[Breadsticks]

Wait so not only can you not use classes/layers/sheets window in fundamental you cant publish in PDF absolute ******* joke!! This not a cheap programme! for **** sake!