Printing to a PDF...

[Lyle_Kat]

I looked around, and didn't see much on this. So I'll ask the masses here..

I'm having an issue with printing to a PDF, from Revit.....and getting anything decent looking!! With AutoCad, I used the built-in PDF creator - and never had an issue with getting a great looking PDF on screen (see image). With Revit, I'm currently using CutePDF creator...and my PDF's (on screen) look abysmal (see image).

Is it the printer driver I'm using? Is there a better one for Revit?

Printing the PDF, it turns out just fine. But on screen....it looks faded out completely!!

Thoughts??

[scourdx]

Check this site.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/suppo...-in-Revit.html

[biff]

Haven't left your crop region active?
Edit. Like dave said. I meant the view on sheet.

[DaveP]

That looks to me like you've got another View activated when you're printing.
Try Zooming way out and Double-clicking somewhere far outside the Elevation to Deactivate View.
(Assuming you've got your Double-click options set the same as mine.)
We've used Cute PDF for years with no problems.

[Lyle_Kat]

It simply boiled down to the challenges with line-weights in Revit. In AutoCad, it's mindlessly easy to adjust each part of your drawing....and dial in line-weights exacting where you want them. Revit....far more difficult!!
I've spent a considerable amount of time tweaking and adjusting the 'factory settings' to try and get a more pleasing looking result. It's slowly working. But it's not easy!
Thanks for the responses..

[DaveP]

Object Styles and View Templates are your friends in Revit

[PatrickGSR94]

It simply boiled down to the challenges with line-weights in Revit. In AutoCad, it's mindlessly easy to adjust each part of your drawing....and dial in line-weights exacting where you want them. Revit....far more difficult!!
I've spent a considerable amount of time tweaking and adjusting the 'factory settings' to try and get a more pleasing looking result. It's slowly working. But it's not easy!
Thanks for the responses..

It really just depends on what you're used to. I could say the same thing about CAD. I'm not used to CAD, and it's horribly difficult for me to try to print something from AutoCAD that looks decent. I don't understand how people associate line color to line weight. But in Revit I find it quite easy to adjust line weights and get things looking how I want them. And once you get it how you like it, assuming you get those settings into a project template, with various view templates set up, then you'll never have to do it again, aside from little tweaks as you go along.

[Lyle_Kat]

It really just depends on what you're used to. I could say the same thing about CAD. I'm not used to CAD, and it's horribly difficult for me to try to print something from AutoCAD that looks decent. I don't understand how people associate line color to line weight. But in Revit I find it quite easy to adjust line weights and get things looking how I want them. And once you get it how you like it, assuming you get those settings into a project template, with various view templates set up, then you'll never have to do it again, aside from little tweaks as you go along.

Exact same issue, in full reverse...haha. I've used AutoCad since around 1994. And only started 'dabbling' in Revit since about 10 years ago (getting far more serious, within the last 2 or 3). I've made the full switch to Revit recently - and it's gone very well (in some ways). Except for the deep learning curve with digging WAY deeper into the software than I have in the past. Seems like a bit of an oxi-moron. But my frustration with Revit, and how much work it is to produce higher quality 2D drawings, is a tricky situation. The background work is tricky and confusing (for me)....but once you figure something out....the result is amazing!! Revit is a VASTLY deeper program than AutoCad will ever be. And I know I'm barely just scratching the surface. But I'm committed to pushing forward with it. And my clients are absolutely loving it!!

Looks like I need to spend more time investigating Object Styles and View Templates....

[CADiva]

It really just depends on what you're used to. I could say the same thing about CAD. I'm not used to CAD, and it's horribly difficult for me to try to print something from AutoCAD that looks decent. I don't understand how people associate line color to line weight. But in Revit I find it quite easy to adjust line weights and get things looking how I want them. And once you get it how you like it, assuming you get those settings into a project template, with various view templates set up, then you'll never have to do it again, aside from little tweaks as you go along.

Many years ago I learned about Style based plotting (STBs) in ACAD rather than color based (CTB) ... I was convinced enough I even talked my company at the time to switching. It took a bit of educating, but suddenly the color didn't matter and we could use more colors so that there was visual differentiation on screen (and let the ACA default colors just be). Fast-forward to today: as much as I love STB for ACAD, my current firm has a fairly robust CAD standards/system already, including CTB plotting. A primary role for me is getting everybody up to speed with Revit ... not suggest overhauls to the ACAD process (maybe some time, but not right now).

Oh, but here's the fun part: I still see a colleague from my old firm now and then. He was one of the "old guard" that had the hardest time grasping the STB concept at first, but now he's also in a firm that uses CTB on most of their CAD files. But sometimes he uses files based on our old company's templates (no, I'm not advocating mixing standards) ... and recently he admitted he likes the STB setup better. Made me so proud.

Edit: I'm not particularly a big fan of the color order of the lineweights at this firm ... they seem random to me. They are not in color order nor are they in visually distinct order (blue is a middle lineweight, yet the hardest to see & green is very bright, but is one of the lighter pen weights). But I won't be able to change 30 years of experience on this one.