print to .pdf - set save file destination

[bambuko]

I am not sure if it is QCAD or my OS setting?
but...
when I choose print to .pdf , QCAD insist on saving the file to QCAD application location:

printo to pdf.png (20.02 KiB) Viewed 880 times

of course I can change it on individual basis, but it gets tiresome (and I often forget to do it before pressing "save" ).
any changes I make are not persistent and it always come back to original setting...

Where do I set (in preferences?) this destination as my default, please?

Code: Select all

QCAD Professional
Version: 3.29.6.0 (3.29.6)
Internet: QCAD.org
Build Date: Mar 27 2024
Revision: 773deb4
Qt Version: 5.8.0
Architecture: x86_64
Compiler: gcc 4.8.1

[andrew]

This is your system.

Maybe you can use File > PDF Export instead?

[bambuko]

...

I suspected it might be... (although I remain not convinced )

Most (if not all?) applications I use, allow me to customise path from within the application,
regardless of OS.
Here is an example of one (can provide more examples... ):

path dialogue.png (95.95 KiB) Viewed 859 times

I can use "File export" but it has similar problem - it defaults to last one used.
Well, it is a minor one.
Another one to learn to live with?

Thank you.

[bambuko]

and another app settings:

another.png (81.36 KiB) Viewed 855 times

[bambuko]

This is your system.

Looks like it is at least 12 year old question...
https://qcad.io/rsforum/viewtopic.php?t=2195

...PDF export is supposed to use your home directory ~ by default, e.g. /home/username...

That would be far more acceptable than what QCAD is doing currently

[CVH]

That would be far more acceptable than what QCAD is doing currently

IMHO ... From the same linked topic as above:

In the current development version this has been slightly changed to default to the same directory where the current drawing is stored and, if the current drawing is unsaved, default to ~ (/home/username).

And for what I can test on a Win system it proposes the drawing document folder or the user folder when yet unsaved.

It seems that for 'Print to a file(PDF)' your printer driver proposes the application path where the print command originates from.
This is nothing that QCAD can interfere with.

May I wonder why you refer to https://qcad.io/...
Why not use https://www.qcad.org/...

Regards,
CVH

[bambuko]

...It seems that for 'Print to a file(PDF)' your printer driver proposes the application path where the print command originates from...

in the absence of any other setting in QCAD, system defaults to application location...

...This is nothing that QCAD can interfere with...

Oh yes, it can
I have provided at two examples of applications where user is allowed to set custom default paths.
All apps I use (apart from QCAD) seem to be able to do it.

...May I wonder why you refer to https://qcad.io/...
Why not use https://www.qcad.org/......

You may,
I didn't even notice it.
web search came up with and it looked like normal QCAD forum, so I didn't even give it a second thought.
I am guessing it is because it was 12 years old???

My issue here is, that QCAD does not provide for setting of default paths.

[bambuko]

Same OS, etc
another application, when "Print to PDF" is used it defaults to (quite sensibly) to /home/user:

Screenshot_20240429_121202.png (25.54 KiB) Viewed 812 times

Same OS, etc
QCAD defaults to /home/user/app_location

printo to pdf.png (20.02 KiB) Viewed 812 times

P.S.
I also tested another (totally different version of LINUX and QCAD print to pdf behaviour is exactly the same...

[andrew]

Printing to PDF is a printer driver installed on your Linux system that (instead of printing to an actual printer) writes a PDF file to disk. I don't know if / how QCAD could influence its choice of directory since this really does not have anything to do with QCAD at all.

You might want to do some more research on the topic of where this printer driver saves files (there might be a configuration file or similar):
https://www.google.com/search?q=linux+print+to+pdf+path

[bambuko]

... I don't know if / how QCAD could influence its choice of directory since this really does not have anything to do with QCAD at all....

I know when to stop flogging the dead horse
so this is my last post on topic...

Perhaps you should ask guys at https://www.xnview.com/en/ (example in my previous post).

They know how to point in sensible direction (i.e. for example /home/username)

and yet when it comes to QCAD it points in rather un-helpful and un-desirable direction of QCAD folder....

same printer driver, same OS, and different behaviours depending on whether one uses QCAD or some other application

[petevick]

... I don't know if / how QCAD could influence its choice of directory since this really does not have anything to do with QCAD at all....

I know when to stop flogging the dead horse
so this is my last post on topic...

Perhaps you should ask guys at https://www.xnview.com/en/ (example in my previous post).

They know how to point in sensible direction (i.e. for example /home/username)

and yet when it comes to QCAD it points in rather un-helpful and un-desirable direction of QCAD folder....

same printer driver, same OS, and different behaviours depending on whether one uses QCAD or some other application

It's possible that those other applications do not use the printer to create a pdf file but it's done within the application by it's own pdf drivers, therefore it would be possible to be able to save a particular folder for saving pdf's, as Andrew stated above, Qcad uses the printer to produce pdf files, ergo the destination folder is set by the printer.

[CVH]

My issue here is, that QCAD does not provide for setting of default paths.

You are right ...
Simply because QCAD sends its printout data to a certain printer device. Point final - End of line.

In essence there is no file path associated with an output to a printer device, it is intended to end up on paper.
The difference is when you Export to PDF (XD) with QCAD or hit the [Export to PDF ...] button in print preview mode.
Then QCAD creates a QPrinter (https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qprinter.html) and sets an OutputFileName by dialog.
The default path for this dialog are as explained by Andrew and as verified by me a few posts up.

Why printing to PDF using a PDF device?
Are you expecting a better result than a QCAD PDF export?
For what I know, printing to PDF may simply store an image in a PDF file, at best it is some crippled vector data from vectorization.
All that depends mostly on the installed PDF printing device and/or the OS of course.

The QCAD PDF export stores vector data ...
... In the same folder as the drawing document or in the user path when not yet saved as DXF/DWG.

Regards,
CVH

[bambuko]

...The difference is when you Export to PDF (XD) with QCAD or hit the [Export to PDF ...] button in print preview mode.
Then QCAD creates a QPrinter (https://doc.qt.io/qt-6/qprinter.html) and sets an OutputFileName by dialog.
The default path for this dialog are as explained by Andrew and as verified by me a few posts up.

Yes, you are right.
"Export to PDF" available in QCAD is a better option and the dialogue is correct and as expected.

Using "Print" and selecting "Print to file (PDF)"
(which is available on Linux), has limited dialogue options in QCAD

...Why printing to PDF using a PDF device?
Are you expecting a better result than a QCAD PDF export?

There is no difference in quality of created PDF files by either of these two methods.
It was force of habit - it has worked for me in every other applications for many years...

...printing to PDF may simply store an image in a PDF file, at best it is some crippled vector data from vectorization.

have you used "Print to file (PDF)" utility available in Linux?
I have never found it to be "crippled"


case closed - I shall, from now on, be using "Export to PDF" in QCAD

Thank you

[CVH]

There is no difference in quality of created PDF files by either of these two methods.
...
have you used "Print to file (PDF)" utility available in Linux?

No, I am a Win user, but you can only be sure if you zoom in on it like say beyond 1000%.
Real vector data will be perfect at almost an endless zoom scale.

Printed to PDF ... This is not how Arial should looks like !!!

TextOfPrinting2PDF.png (8.52 KiB) Viewed 557 times

The best test is to load the PDF back into QCAD ....

Regards,
CVH

[bambuko]

using export (at 1600%)

using_export.png (51.82 KiB) Viewed 544 times

and using linux print to file (also at 1600%)

using_print_to_file.png (33.88 KiB) Viewed 544 times