progeCAD support, tips and troubleshooting forum. progeCAD works very similar to some versions of AutoCAD. Moderated.

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#1140 by riroko2
Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:02 pm
As I had problems with printing jpg/tiff background images (mainly orthophotos) to pdf before with the ProgeCad2009 (see http://www.caddit.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=147) I'm having even more problems with ProgeCAD2010.

I'm using PDFill PDF&Image Writer now (I was using CutePDFWriter before, but somehow lost some of the settings). With PDFill PDF&Image Writer you can set PDF Colour Image Compression to jpg, which reduces the PDF-file-size by a large amount. As the progesoft PDF-Printers haven't got this feature, I always print to pdf with PDFill PDF&Image Writer.

Using this printer though, ProgeCad2010 hangs itself up during the printing and I'm not getting a pdf. Using ProgeCad2009 instead with the same settings, it's doing it without a problem.

But as I described last year, ProgCad2009 has got its problems with the printing, especially with rotated images. Most of the time I'm having no problems printing the same file with ProgeCad2008. The 2008 version handles more image types than ProgeCAD2007, but sometimes even ProgeCAD2008 doesn't print some background JPG-images. In those cases I'm still happy to have ProgeCad2007. I was really impressed with ProgeCad 2007. It handled background images with ease. It was displaying them very quickly, the print preview was really fast and it was printing the images.

I don't understand, why the image printing to pdf is getting worse and worse every year with every upgrade. I know that ProgeCad in total has improved every year, but can the developers please go back and have a look at the ProgeCad2007 version and how the image printing has changed since. Because it's a real pain to work in the newest version, but having to open the drawing in an older version to print it.

The printing hasn't been a problem in older versions, so I can't see why this can't be solved.

Thanks
#1141 by caddit
Thu Jun 24, 2010 1:45 am
Hi riroko2,


I'm using PDFill PDF&Image Writer now (I was using CutePDFWriter before, but somehow lost some of the settings). With PDFill PDF&Image Writer you can set PDF Colour Image Compression to jpg, which reduces the PDF-file-size by a large amount. As the progesoft PDF-Printers haven't got this feature, I always print to pdf with PDFill PDF&Image Writer.


Be aware that the developers will not make it a priority to support third party PDF printers. Most all users have no issue to use the PDF printer included in progeCAD. As I recall you did have a similar problem in 2009. and a special section of code needed to be re-written to accommodate your request. It may be that this change was not carried over to 2010 ..??

I know that ProgeCad in total has improved every year, but can the developers please go back and have a look at the ProgeCad2007 version and how the image printing has changed since.


This is because progeCAD has become much more complex since 2007. So we really do not encourage use of multiple PDF printers on progeCAD workstations anyway. We can't support or test products that aren't ours, and some of these 3rd party PDF printers can cause unforeseen conflicts with the one included in progeCAD (or vice-versa). But I will check about jpeg compression feature using our PDF printer for you.

How you are inserting these background images in progeCAD - using the progeCAD image tools?

#1142 by riroko2
Thu Jun 24, 2010 2:19 am
Thanks for your reply.

Yes, the images are inserted using the progeCad image tool
Image->Attach Raster Image

I would rather use the progeCad pdf writer, but it is not an option if I've got a 2MB background JPG-image loaded in ProgeCad, which is converted to a 20-40MB pdf using the ProgeCad PDF printer. I don't know how it works, when ProgeCad loads an image, but I suspect, once it is loaded it is in an uncompressed state. Unfortunately this stays like this, when it is printed to pdf. I think to have the option to compress an image is a must, because otherwise sending out those pdfs to our clients will be a problem.

Therefore I would welcome the integration of an image compression tool within the ProgeCad pdf Printer!!! (Please do your best!)


I understand, that progeCad has become more complex, but I still think that things that have worked before, should also work with the latest version, otherwise your product is not being improved. Features might change with an upgrade to a new version, but you should be able to do the same things with an upgraded software as you were able to do with a previous version.


I also tried to print my drawing with the image background with the progeCAD PDF printer and I couldn't print with this one either. Maybe that is related to having several PDF Printers installed on my machine, but again, without the image compression I don't want to use it in this case anyway.


Regards
#1146 by caddit
Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:02 am
Hi riroko2,


First, we re-tested your example file (from last year) and it plotted to PDF (A3 landscape) using the latest released of progeCAD 2010 without any issue at all. It did not stop or stall mid-way. One previous tip, which still holds true, try to disable spooling on the progeSOFT PDF printer "Advanced Properties" tab. "Print directly to the Printer" should be selected for huge files like this, same as in 2009.

Regarding performance, I really couldn't complain. Printing your last example file which included rougly 130MB of your original background images, using a 600 DPI quality filling an A3 sheet, resulted in an 18MB PDF and looked good to me. Under the circumstances, I wouldn't consider this to be"bloated" by any means.

Perhaps we should be looking at something in your configuration. Or else it is a problem with your CAD file perhaps.

Meanwhile, progeSOFT has agreed to anyway consider your suggestion of adjusting the JPEG compression in the PDF printer for the next release of progeCAD as a new feature.
Last edited by caddit on Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

#1147 by caddit
Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:06 am
The power of teamwork,

We did some more testing and one of us pointed out that the resulting file size changes dramatically depending on what region from this file is printed (still using A3). I can see what you mean (although file size has yet to actually *go over* the aforementioned file size of orginals being printed, it did get fairly large in size for a PDF nevertheless. However, there was no crash and the PDF printing always completed successfuly.

As stated, the request for better JPEG compression for PDF printing is being taken underconsideration for the next version.

#1312 by riroko2
Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:37 am
Ok, I have uninstalled all my previous versions of ProgeCad now and have only reinstalled ProgeCad 10.0.12.4.

This has solved my general printing problems with the ProgeCad 2010 PDF writer. It is printing now and it is also printing using other pdf writers.

Having only the 2010 version installed I'm relying now on good quality pdf prints from the 2010 version. Unfortunately I'm not getting the result I'm want to have.

If the background image (added into ProgeCad with Image->Attach Raster Image) is rotated to an arbitrary angle, the pdf looks terrible with little squares all over the page, like this:
Image

This is using the ProgeCad2010 Pdf printer. I'm getting the same result with printing to other pdf printers.

I'm printing to A4 with a comparably small jpg (less than 1MB).

It looks like I have to install ProgeCad 2008 again. There background images were printed smoothly without any squares at all.

I've also just sent you the dwg with the images and the resulting pdf to cad@caddit.net

#1444 by riroko2
Wed Feb 16, 2011 1:41 am
I just wanted to check again, if the developers of ProgeCad have recognized this problem. I'm using ProgeCad 10.0.14.8 now, but I'm still having this problem. I've sent you my file, so it would be nice to get some feedback.

Again, I'm ruling out a system related problem, as I can easily print the same file in ProgeCad 2008 without any problems.

#1446 by caddit
Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:31 pm
riroko2,


This time the developer has been able to reproduce the error. A solution is planned in the next progeCAD update.

Right now a possible work-around may be to open the DWG file (i.e. MMLayout.dwg) drawing with progeCAD, open the Image Manager (type _image in the Command bar) and set the Rotation Angle to 0 (in the highlighted area you see in the attached image). This way the image would print correctly.


Please let me know if this helps.

#1449 by riroko2
Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:15 am
I'm looking forward to the next update, as the workaround doesn't really help me, if I want to plot a frame oriented to north, while the image background I'm using is on an arbitrary angle.
#1724 by riroko2
Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:33 am
I've used the ProgeCAD2011 version now to try out, if there has been any improvement on this issue.

And I'm very disappointed. It is still the same problem!

Here is what I'm getting, using the same dwg-file using the same background picture (508kB jpg-file).

The pdf created using the ProgeCad2011 PDF Printer from ProgeCad 2011 looks like this (I've converted from pdf to jpg to be able to display it here):
Image

You can see the same squares in the print as it was with the ProgeCad2010 version using the ProgeCAD 2010 pdf printer, see here:
Image

But interestingly using older version up to ProgeCAD 2008 it was no problem at all. The print to pdf didn't create any squares at all and the pdf looked like I wanted it, see here (using ProgeCAD 2008 with the ProgeCAD 2008 pdf printer):
Image

So obviously the issue hasn't been fixed with the 2011 version. The question is why? It has been possible up to the 2008 version. If there has been any development in printing a picture, which sits in the drawing on an angle compared to the print view, please revert it!

I'm used to ProgeCAD since 2005 and was quite happy with it, up to the 2008 version. This problem started with the 2009 version and it hasn't been fixed since then. I am very disappointed with the development of ProgeCAD not trying to fix this issue, always having in mind that this problem didn't exist up to 2008.

If this problem is not solved quickly, we will have to look around for any other CAD distributions, which are able to print an image correctly.

Note: The image samples are created from the same dwg-file I sent you in October 2010.

[/img]

#1727 by caddit
Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:23 am
Hi riroko2,


We can confirm the problem still exists (the "white slashes" become more visible as you zoom in to the PDF - i.e. increase scale. Happens for different scales and paper sizes :?


We are re-sending your file from 2010 for testing with the new system and hope to get a response soon.
#1850 by riroko2
Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:00 am
I just tried the above sample file with the new ProgeCad2013 version.

And I'm happy to say the printing of the background pictures seems to have improved. No more white squares or slashes.

Unfortunately, I've got some issues with printing white now, but I'll start a new topic for that.

#1855 by caddit
Wed Nov 07, 2012 5:41 am
dear riroko2


I am happy to hear you confirm that.

CADDIT is working VERY closely on specific tickets with the developers regarding your past feedback to these issues. We went as far as including your earlier-submitted files in the new beta testing suite for progeCAD 2013.