PDF export bug? Includes example figures
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Or you should be able to just drag the skp file onto the LO icon and it opens automatically.
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Oh no, I have no problem opening LayOut. However, once I'm in it, I can neither view nor load SU files. They simply don't appear in the directory because LO is looking for only .layout files. If I then switch to . file types I can then of course see them, but attempting to load a .skb, I get an expected message box, "Error reading LayOut file".
This is wierd; It's almost like I have a different version of code than you guys...
Regarding all the tricks that can be done to make it work, like I said before, I have dozens of drawings to deal with. I just don't have time to babysit a bugged application to make it work. If it was one file, sure, fine, but for all of them? No.
Please understand I appreciate the help and you guys are just trying to find a way to make it work for me. It's just too much work do do the same on every drawing.
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No. You don't "Open" an skp file in LO but "Insert" it from the same, main File menu (just lower). There you can select image files to insert as well. It's like importing in SU.
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@gaieus said:
Or you should be able to just drag the skp file onto the LO icon and it opens automatically.
I just tried that and while it does open LO, the workspace is blank.
I also made sure I'm running LO in Admin mode (which can cause trouble if not done) but it made no difference.
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It must be some system problem then. The two apps work very fine (and interactively) together, really.
I'm sorry but I can't really advise on Vista.
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@gaieus said:
It must be some system problem then. The two apps work very fine (and interactively) together, really.
Understood, could be. However, it doesn't get Google off the hook since they claim it works with Vista.
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Yes, in LO. If it's greyed out, there must definitely be some problem. There are lots of folks who use it with Vista though. It's just me who is stopped here.
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@gaieus said:
No. You don't "Open" an skp file in LO but "Insert" it from the same, main File menu (just lower). There you can select image files to insert as well. It's like importing in SU.
I don't follow. Is the above when I'm in LO? If so, "File>Insert" is grayed-out.
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Okay, my bad, I didn't have a paper sheet in the LO workspace. Now File>Insert is active so I selected it and Inserted the .skb file. It did it but took a long time... anyhow, I then exported it, put it in the manuscript and printed it out. Looks better, though the picture is now about half-size... huh?
Well okay, so it is possible to make it work, squeeling like a pig bent over a barrel, but I digress. Thanks for all the help guys.
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@midlana42 said:
I don't follow. Is the above when I'm in LO? If so, "File>Insert" is grayed-out.
do you have a document open (even if it's only a blank template) when trying file->insert? is the 'save as' option greyed out as well?
my 'Insert...' option is greyed out too if i don't have a document open to insert in to..
[Edit] nevermind
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You can always resize the SU viewport in LO to fit the page or whatever. You can even print to scale and all.
As for the quality; did you do any settings? -
I left it at medium just to see how it would turn out, and yes, I went back in and resized it successfully. Timewise I should probably leave all figures as PNGs just to get on with things, then when the manuscript is done, bite the bullet and convert all figures into PDFs.
Again, thanks a lot guys. It's good to know it can at least be done, warts and all.
[edit] Oh, and if anyone's interested, the figure is part of a tube-frame chassis of a sports car. If you ever considered building a car from scratch, check out http://www.midlana.com/
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@unknownuser said:
@thomthom said:
Any chance you can post the two PDFs Jeff? I'd like to poke around at something...
sorry for the delay.. i left right after i posted that..
here they are. i just exported them with the default settings as a quick test.. i didn't try to match them up size wise but it's interesting that the layout version is 6x the size.. (maybe something to do with layout keeping the background color intact.. probably keeping other things intact as well.?)
Thanks.
The reason for Layout's PDF being different, also in size, where as I suspected due to that SU exports a PDF with vector lines while Layout exports a PDF with an embedded bitmap image. So if you want vector output, you can't use Layout. Not sure what format LO uses to embed the image, but I don't think it's JPEG, I couldn't see any compression artefacts. Maybe PNG...
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It is png (the files you can find in the *.layout file after renaming it to zip - actually, if you uncheck "Background" in the LO tray for the SU model and you don't have sky and ground on, this is a png file with transparent background so it can easily be used for various things).
Also, AFAIK only the Mac can export vector based pdf even from SU, isn't that correct?
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@gaieus said:
Also, AFAIK only the Mac can export vector based pdf even from SU, isn't that correct?
Incorrect, at least for SU. http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=16156&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=15#p130313
Not sure about LO. I have a Mac, but not with Pro version. -
Wait... you're saying the "PDF" from LO is actually a PNG? Comparing the outputs it looks better than PNG, or maybe I'm imagining things.
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Yes. It's not vector, it's a bitmap. So it'd be the same as exporting a 2D bitmap and wrapping it in a PDF.
I don't know what it is that looks better. To me it looks the same. Might you not have exported in large enough resolution when you have previously tried PNG?
You're not comparing against a JPEG where you might see the compression artefacts?
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@thomthom said:
@gaieus said:
Also, AFAIK only the Mac can export vector based pdf even from SU, isn't that correct?
Incorrect, at least for SU. http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=180&t=16156&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=15#p130313
Not sure about LO. I have a Mac, but not with Pro version.OK, my bad. I haven't had the need yet to export to vector pdf. Thanks anyway.
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SU exports only vector PDFs, to get a raster PDF you will have to print using some PDF printer and with "Use High-accuracy HLR" DISabled.
Layout can export either vector or bitmap, and also a hybrid file (with vector lines on top of the bitmap textures and shadows).Anssi
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Had a quick go at importing an SU PDF in to photoshop and it had to rasterize it first, which would suggest your right anssi.
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