Printing & Exporting DXF Dimensions

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rgrunwell
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:57 pm

Printing & Exporting DXF Dimensions

Post by rgrunwell »

Hi! This is a bug along with some enhancement ideas. I have a table layout for a convention that I did in FCAD Architecture. It looks good, but I cannot get a decent printing of it. I just tried to attach the FCAD file, and it is too big. Oh well. Anyway, when I try to print, I get no option to set the print area nor the resolution. The attached screenshot of the print preview shows it being off-center and smaller that ideal (there is an 8.5 x 11 scaled box marking the ideal page edges).
2023-05-24 00_29_25-Print Preview.png
2023-05-24 00_29_25-Print Preview.png (63.34 KiB) Viewed 621 times
The PDF generated within FCAD for this file is unreadable (see FCAD PDF Detail).
FCAD PDF Detail.png
FCAD PDF Detail.png (68.77 KiB) Viewed 621 times
So I have been exporting this to another CAD program via DXF, and printing it that way. This works for the layout in general. But I need a dimensioned drawing for fire safety. I turned on these values, and tried to export it, but the dimension numbers and arrows do not transfer (see attached Original FCAD Detail and Exported DXF without Dimensioning).
Original FCAD Detail.png
Original FCAD Detail.png (27.16 KiB) Viewed 621 times
Exported DXF without Dimensioning.png
Exported DXF without Dimensioning.png (20.75 KiB) Viewed 621 times
Also, the gap in from the dimension lines to the elements has been lost.

I finally took screenshots 8 screenshots and manually stitched them together to produce the required drawing.
2024 National Table Layout 20230522.png
2024 National Table Layout 20230522.png (71.34 KiB) Viewed 621 times
This is using FCAD 0.17, 0.20, and 0.21 (the latter is shown in the pictures).

If I am not completely missing how to create drawings and printing them, I'd like to ask for:
The print feature needs at least a print area selection, and a resolution input. The select area could be as in the Export where the elements are highlighted.
Outputting vector graphics instead of pixel bitmaps (which destroyed the resolution in the PDF detail above) would be preferred.
Export the arrowheads, dimension numbers, units, and the dimension line gaps in the Export function.

Sorry for the length. I hope that I'm just missing something basic, but I did not find way to make a clean printout.

Thanks!

R-
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Shalmeneser
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Posts: 9475
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2020 12:04 am
Location: Fr

Re: Printing & Exporting DXF Dimensions

Post by Shalmeneser »

I think Inkscape would be a better program for this kind of drawing.
rgrunwell
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:57 pm

Re: Printing & Exporting DXF Dimensions

Post by rgrunwell »

The ability to have dynamic layers and to create a scaled layout is perfect for an architectural CAD program. The inability to print or export remains.
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Roy_043
Veteran
Posts: 8450
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2018 12:28 pm

Re: Printing & Exporting DXF Dimensions

Post by Roy_043 »

Maybe look a little further...
Attached is a PDF created with the TechDraw WB.
And a DXF created with the legacy exporter.
Attachments
rec_dim.FCStd
(25.71 KiB) Downloaded 7 times
rec_dim.dxf
(1.86 KiB) Downloaded 7 times
rec_dim_td.pdf
(219.5 KiB) Downloaded 10 times
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