print/pdf fails

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davidjmcq
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Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 8:44 am

print/pdf fails

Post by davidjmcq » Mon Sep 05, 2016 2:36 pm

Version: 3.15.5.0 (3.15.5)
Ubuntu 12.04

I'm completely new to CAD, so forgive me if the answer is obvious.
I've imported a drawing created by a surveyor - no idea what program he used. I've then added my own bits to it. Now I need to print it - pdf or jpg or ps, anything will do.
Mostly I get a blank page. I created an enormous jpg which gave me a tiny image in the corner of the page. That makes me think that I may have a scale problem, but I find the scaling confusing. I've tried all of the suggestions I've found in forums with no luck.
I've attached the dwg file.

The problem is becoming urgent as someone is waiting for this drawing, so any help is appreciated.
Attachments
pool-v3.dwg
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andrew
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Re: print/pdf fails

Post by andrew » Mon Sep 05, 2016 2:39 pm

Please work through our detailed printing tutorial first at:
http://www.qcad.org/rsforum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=3317

If you cannot fix the issue, please post back, thanks.

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Husky
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Re: print/pdf fails

Post by Husky » Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:11 pm

Hi davidjmcq,
davidjmcq wrote:... The problem is becoming urgent as someone is waiting for this drawing, so any help is appreciated.

I checked your drawing and found a few "lost" text entities in the far upper right corner:
Husky-2016.09.05-01.png
Husky-2016.09.05-01.png (26.21 KiB) Viewed 4834 times
Delete or rearrange them and then try a printing scale around 1:400 - that should work.
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

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Husky
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Re: print/pdf fails

Post by Husky » Mon Sep 05, 2016 6:13 pm

davidjmcq wrote:That makes me think that I may have a scale problem, but I find the scaling confusing. I've tried all of the suggestions I've found in forums with no luck.
Yep - me too :wink:
I think you also found a bug and I've already filled a bugreport.

http://www.ribbonsoft.com/bugtracker/in ... sk_id=1475

We will see ... 8)
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

davidjmcq
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Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 8:44 am

Re: print/pdf fails

Post by davidjmcq » Tue Sep 06, 2016 8:11 am

Thanks for replies. This is what happened to me for the sake of anyone else stumbling on this post.

First, I had some orphan elements that were increasing the size of the printing area dramatically. Once I deleted those things started to improve. Thanks to Husky for spotting that. I found them by reducing the size of the image on screen (mouse wheel) until it was practically invisible, then "Select All", then the selected orphans showed up clearly as blue splodges.

I failed to understand what "scale" meant (because I'm new to CAD?) I was printing on A4 and the plan is about 63 metres by about 25 metres. By setting a scale of 1:300 in Edit/Drawing Preferences/Printing/Page it started to make more sense.

I found that the A4 page printing area was set with absolute zero on the bottom left corner. My drawing had zero at the top right. I have no idea how or why that happened. Does the print area always have absolute zero there? In "Print Preview" I simply moved the entire image (select all, move/copy) into the white page image area and now I can print/pdf.

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Husky
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Re: print/pdf fails

Post by Husky » Tue Sep 06, 2016 6:51 pm

Thanks for the update!
davidjmcq wrote:Does the print area always have absolute zero there?
No, the print area doesn't needs to be to absolute zero - QCad is able to handle all other position.
davidjmcq wrote:In "Print Preview" I simply moved the entire image (select all, move/copy) into the white page image area and now I can print/pdf.
QCad has extremely powerful tools to handle a situation like that one: Please check next time the Option bar after you launched the Print preview - you will find tools for "Move Paper position" / "Auto fit drawing to page" / "Auto fit pages to drawing" / "Auto center".
Husky-2016.09.06-01.png
Husky-2016.09.06-01.png (5.61 KiB) Viewed 4803 times
No need to change the drawing or to reposition a drawing just for printing. :wink:
Work smart, not hard: QCad Pro
Win10/64, QcadPro, QcadCam version: Current.
If a thread is considered as "solved" please change the title of the first post to "[solved] Title..."

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