Attach a PDF file to a drawing as an underlay and import a PDF file, and understand when to use each option.
Transcript
00:04
The ability to bring PDF files directly into Autocad has been a real game changer
00:10
for years. If designers needed PDF content in their drawing file,
00:14
the recommended workflow
00:17
was to save the PDF file as a Tiff or JPEG file,
00:22
then insert that image
00:24
into Autocad.
00:28
This was an issue
00:30
because of the additional time it took in creating additional files to bring in.
00:35
There are now two options for bringing PDF files into AUTOCAD,
00:40
PDF underlay
00:42
and PDF import.
00:44
In this example,
00:46
you'll see how to bring a PDF of a civil grading plan into a drawing as an underlay,
00:51
then you will import that same PDF file and see the differences between
00:57
PDF import and PDF underlay.
01:02
To start off, I'll create a new file
01:06
using the civil DWT file
01:10
to bring in a PDF underlay. We'll go ahead and type in the command X
01:14
ref.
01:14
Then in the upper left hand corner of the external references, pallet,
01:19
we'll go ahead and choose attach PDF,
01:23
we'll grab our PDF file,
01:25
click open
01:27
and then in the attached PDF underlay dialogue box,
01:31
you'll see some of the different options that we have
01:35
in these options, not path type
01:38
I usually recommend using relative path
01:41
as it is the most flexible option.
01:44
Why?
01:45
Because it only requires a partial folder path
01:49
that assumes that the drive letter or current folder are to be the same.
01:54
This can be useful in project team situations
01:57
where teams are working on the same project
02:00
but have different servers.
02:03
The no path option
02:05
means there will be no path saved.
02:07
The PDF file must reside in the same directory as the drawing file.
02:13
If the PDF or drawing are moved to a different directory,
02:17
the PDF will not appear in the drawing file.
02:20
The full path option
02:22
means that the directory must be identical at all times.
02:27
We'll go ahead and leave the scale
02:30
insertion point and rotation options as the default settings,
02:35
we'll then click the OK button
02:38
and the PDF file comes into the C AD file
02:42
as an image import.
02:46
The PDF underlay option
02:48
has been a time saver because it does not require
02:51
you to save the PDF as an alternative file type
02:55
such as a Tiff or JPEG file
02:59
before moving on to the PDF import option.
03:03
Let's go back into the X ref dialog box
03:06
and we'll go ahead and detach the PDF underlay
03:10
to do this, go ahead and select it
03:13
right click and detach.
03:15
Now for the PDF import option,
03:18
spoiler alert.
03:20
The import process provides specific functionality
03:23
that's unavailable with the underlay process.
03:27
I'll cover this functionality during this example
03:30
to start the PDF import process. We'll go to the insert tab
03:35
over to the PDF import drop down
03:39
and we can select PDF import
03:42
in the select PDF file dialog box, select the desired PDF file
03:48
and click the open button
03:51
in the import PDF file dialogue box.
03:55
Notice that it is very different than the attached PDF underlay dialogue box.
04:00
Specifically
04:02
look at the options in the middle of this dialogue
04:06
PDF data to import and layers are the settings for importing the PDF content
04:12
as autocad content.
04:15
This is what turns PDF raster and vector data
04:19
into autocad vector data.
04:22
For this example, keep all the options selected
04:25
for PDF data to import,
04:28
choose
04:29
use PDF layers
04:31
under the layers options
04:33
and check all other options except for
04:37
import as block.
04:41
Click the OK button.
00:04
The ability to bring PDF files directly into Autocad has been a real game changer
00:10
for years. If designers needed PDF content in their drawing file,
00:14
the recommended workflow
00:17
was to save the PDF file as a Tiff or JPEG file,
00:22
then insert that image
00:24
into Autocad.
00:28
This was an issue
00:30
because of the additional time it took in creating additional files to bring in.
00:35
There are now two options for bringing PDF files into AUTOCAD,
00:40
PDF underlay
00:42
and PDF import.
00:44
In this example,
00:46
you'll see how to bring a PDF of a civil grading plan into a drawing as an underlay,
00:51
then you will import that same PDF file and see the differences between
00:57
PDF import and PDF underlay.
01:02
To start off, I'll create a new file
01:06
using the civil DWT file
01:10
to bring in a PDF underlay. We'll go ahead and type in the command X
01:14
ref.
01:14
Then in the upper left hand corner of the external references, pallet,
01:19
we'll go ahead and choose attach PDF,
01:23
we'll grab our PDF file,
01:25
click open
01:27
and then in the attached PDF underlay dialogue box,
01:31
you'll see some of the different options that we have
01:35
in these options, not path type
01:38
I usually recommend using relative path
01:41
as it is the most flexible option.
01:44
Why?
01:45
Because it only requires a partial folder path
01:49
that assumes that the drive letter or current folder are to be the same.
01:54
This can be useful in project team situations
01:57
where teams are working on the same project
02:00
but have different servers.
02:03
The no path option
02:05
means there will be no path saved.
02:07
The PDF file must reside in the same directory as the drawing file.
02:13
If the PDF or drawing are moved to a different directory,
02:17
the PDF will not appear in the drawing file.
02:20
The full path option
02:22
means that the directory must be identical at all times.
02:27
We'll go ahead and leave the scale
02:30
insertion point and rotation options as the default settings,
02:35
we'll then click the OK button
02:38
and the PDF file comes into the C AD file
02:42
as an image import.
02:46
The PDF underlay option
02:48
has been a time saver because it does not require
02:51
you to save the PDF as an alternative file type
02:55
such as a Tiff or JPEG file
02:59
before moving on to the PDF import option.
03:03
Let's go back into the X ref dialog box
03:06
and we'll go ahead and detach the PDF underlay
03:10
to do this, go ahead and select it
03:13
right click and detach.
03:15
Now for the PDF import option,
03:18
spoiler alert.
03:20
The import process provides specific functionality
03:23
that's unavailable with the underlay process.
03:27
I'll cover this functionality during this example
03:30
to start the PDF import process. We'll go to the insert tab
03:35
over to the PDF import drop down
03:39
and we can select PDF import
03:42
in the select PDF file dialog box, select the desired PDF file
03:48
and click the open button
03:51
in the import PDF file dialogue box.
03:55
Notice that it is very different than the attached PDF underlay dialogue box.
04:00
Specifically
04:02
look at the options in the middle of this dialogue
04:06
PDF data to import and layers are the settings for importing the PDF content
04:12
as autocad content.
04:15
This is what turns PDF raster and vector data
04:19
into autocad vector data.
04:22
For this example, keep all the options selected
04:25
for PDF data to import,
04:28
choose
04:29
use PDF layers
04:31
under the layers options
04:33
and check all other options except for
04:37
import as block.
04:41
Click the OK button.
