Batch Convert DWG Files

Looking for some advice from other users dealing with client supplied
CAD files. I've received quite a few DWG files and I would like to batch
convert them into PDFs so I can share them with the sales staff. Also,
DRAW deals with PDFs much better than DWG and the added feature that the
PDFs will have all outlines converted to black.

My workflow now is to open each DWG in DWG Trueview and plot it to PDF
using there built-in engine. It works but I have to convert all outlines
to black inside DRAW plus I have to do each file one at a time. If
anybody has used a program that can batch convert I would love to hear
about it. I've downloaded a trial version of deskDOC DWG to PDF with
less than stellar results so I'm still searching.

Steve
www.brutefish.com
  • Hello Brute-Fish; There are getting to be more and more programs dealing with "PDF" files, and I got a email from Avanquest and I think they had a free trial down load? You may want to take a look. I use WebEasy 8 by them that's why I got the add I ques.

    George

     

     

     

     

     

     

    • Hi.

      If you import the dwf and publish to pdf is this result you want?

      Are you syaing you want to batch process these 2 steps.

      ~John

      • Hi John,

        I'm saying that I have an architectural set of 30 or 40 DWG files that I
        want to convert to PDF so the sales staff can view the files. I'll be
        using about a dozen of these in DRAW to lay out sign locations or show
        placements in elevations. DRAW tends to lock up when importing the files
        or takes an extremely long time to open them. When they are converted to
        PDF, I can open them much more reliably and quickly. Plus the sales
        staff doesn't have the time or inclination to learn DRAW or DWG Trueview
        (which is a lite version of AutoCAD) to view the files so PDFs also work
        for them.

        They make software specifically for converting DWG to PDF but the first
        one I downloaded wasn't very successful in converting a site plan.
        Rather than download and try out a dozen programs I was hoping that
        someone on the board might have run into this and be able to share some
        info. This happens a few times a year. I expect to receive batches of
        these files maybe 8 or 10 times this year so that would be a lot of
        wasted time doing these one by one.

        Steve
        www.brutefish.com
        • Brute-Fish said:
          DRAW tends to lock up when importing the files

          That doesn't bode well for the prospects of being able to run a batch file conversion.

          Presumably, you can print from autocad? If so, I'd be tempted to install a PDF printer (bullzip etc) and create the PDF with that.

          • Hi Harry,

            I'm not trying to convert inside or using DRAW. I'm looking for third
            party solutions that specialize in this. I can print or plot to a pdf
            just fine but if you have ever imported an AutoCAD file you'll see that
            all the layers are color coded, so you'll have a multitude of RGB
            colored lines (lime green, yellow, red, etc.) that look just fine
            against AutoCAD's black work area but is extremely hard to read when
            printed on white paper. If I use DRAW I have to run the extra steps of
            switching all the lines to black. Third party solutions have a feature
            to do this automatically so I was hoping that someone has used on of
            these before. In the meantime I'll be installing and trying out trial
            versions.

            Steve
            www.brutefish.com