Here is the latest software for processing PDF and DWF files to paper.
To go beyond the paper, DWF has to be able to get to paper first.
— Scott Sheppard
Here is the latest software for processing PDF and DWF files to paper.
To go beyond the paper, DWF has to be able to get to paper first.
— Scott Sheppard
Posted at 07:09 AM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink
Strategic Planner, Tim Moore, of Océ Reprographic Technologies in Phoenix, Arizona reports that the Oce Plotwave 300 supports DWF natively:
Specs include: Page description language HP-GL, HP-GL/2, TIFF, JPEG, DWF, PS/PDF-option, CALS, NIFF, NIRS, ASCII, Calcomp 906/907/951, C4
For more information, download OcePlotWave300SpecSheet.pdf (252.0K).
To go beyond thw paper, you have to be able to get to the paper first.
--scott
Posted at 03:41 PM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: DWF, plotting, printing Oce
Océ have just announced in a technical update that a new and enhanced version of the Océ Client Tools is available for download.
Océ Client Tools software automates your CAD printing workflow. Batch-process multiple file types, preview them exactly as they will be printed, and then submit locally or remotely for printing.
What’s New in the Océ Client Tools 2.2 Software
• Updated AutoCAD® DWG® and DWF file processing
• Support for 24-bit color files including JPG, BMP & PNG
• New “Direct Transfer” secure remote printing technology
• Compatibility with Océ Repro Desk® Server 1.6 software
• Microsoft® Windows Vista® support (32-bit)
We are happy that Océ have implemented these changes and that DWF is now an integral part of their systems.
-Volker
Posted at 03:29 PM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: 2.2, DWF, OCE
I have been a member of a commercial printing (reprographics) forum hosted on Yahoo. Today one of the reprographers shared his perspectives on processing DWF and PDF files received at his shop. I thought I would share it with you. Recall that there are several ways DWF files can be handled at a reprographers shop. This reprographer played and tested various file ripping software with various DWF and PDF files for both full size and half size printing requirements. The shop uses Océ Repro Desk Server 1.6.5.
Ghostscript: This is great for fast ripping of PostScript and PDF files that are not complicated. Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical disciplines are good examples where these consultants generally do not require top notch quality.
Océ Client Tools: DWF full size prints are acceptable, but they really do not use it much for ripping. Half size printing of scaled line weights are acceptable but solid hatching quality is poor. The Océ Client Tools suite does not support direct rip to half size files.
Océ Postscript 3: This handles PDF files only, and they find it is about 10 versions behind in updates (slow and not recommended).
CADzation AcroPlot Repro: This works great with PDF and some DWF. As they tested, they found light line weights drop from time to time with different files, especially 45 degree lines. But for the most part, AcroPlot Repro worked well for both full and half size DWF and PDF files (recommended).
PLP PlotWorks Convert: This was the best rip software available with great support. They use this as a standard for file ripping if they need to rip any DWF or PDF files. Both full size and half size prints are excellent quality and, like AcroPlot Repro, has a few different dither patterns. They get the best solid fill hatch pattern printing using PlotWorks Convert. The draw back is that it is more expensive and their clients prefer them to rip the files with PLP so they are currently spending more time processing files than they did months back as the clients send unprocessed PDF files in via Repro Desk (highly recommended).
Full size and half size ripping (two separate files) is recommended when using the AcroPlot Repro or PlotWorks Convert when using anything other than the default settings. Océ VIC (Vector Image Compressed) or generic PLT files still have the best output quality of all file types in the reprographer's opinion as they can be used as one file prints all (vector based) sizes but with all the collaboration and printers that reprographers and project teams use today and the in-ability for the file creator to review the files prior to sending (unless they use Repro Desk) it can cause problems with the quick turn arounds expected in today's world.
The reprographer agreed with the forum from another reprographer that reprographers are having more difficulty ripping or printing PDF files than DWF files. He also agreed that there are too many 3rd party PDF writers that have been customized and Ghostscript has not been able to keep up. Some of their PDF issues also come from Macintosh based design software as they find it difficult to troubleshoot these types of PDF files.
Today reprographers spend more time file ripping to TIFF from PDF and DWF file types as there is nothing on the market that our clients can use in place of Ghostscript for file prepping before sending. The reprographer coined new terms:
So when it comes to DWF, you can see that reprographers have a variety of options. Autodesk continues to work with the reprographics industry. To get beyond the paper, DWF has to be able to get to paper first. Reprographers have choices available that make that possible. As with all things in life, some choices are better than others.
--Scott
Posted at 01:14 PM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (1)
Tags: CADzation AcroPlot Repro, DWF, Ghostscript, Oce Repro Desk, PDF, PLP PlotWorks
recently broadcasted the availability of an upgrade to its Océ Repro Desk® Server software. Customers operating on Océ Repro Desk Server 1.X and Oce Repro Desk 4.X platforms can now upgrade to Océ Repro Desk Server 1.6.5. Océ Repro Desk Server software enables commercial reprographers to connect their print shops electronically with their AEC customers and streamline workflow from design desktop to digital print room.
Key benefits and features included:
DWF Issues Resolved:
Océ Client Tools software continues to help users simplify printing by making digital print job submission fast, easy, reliable and secure and will help architects and designers:
--Volker
Posted at 07:30 AM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: DWF, OCE, PDK, Repro Desk
On his The Blueprint blog, John Cronin noted that there is a focus in the reprographics industry on charging for digital services. The International Reprographics Association (IRgA) has created a committee to set standards for charging more. As an Autodesk employee sympathetic to Autodesk customers, I am saddened by this news. Imagine if an airline charged me more for booking a flight electronically instead of calling their 800 number to talk to an agent. After all, someone has to pay for web servers, internet connections, and software to book the reservations and collect the money. Extra charges for services like file creation (e.g. publishing plot files from a set of AutoCAD drawings) or file storage/archiving (keeping masters around for reprinting) seem like fair game, but should I really pay more for printouts because I email a reprographer a DWF file instead of providing a master copy? After all, the time it takes for the print operator to scan in my master is eliminated. In the grand scheme of things, this seems like a wash.
The IRgA standard lists the difficulties that reprographers face when working with digital files:
To mitigate these issues, the IRgA standard suggests that when providing digital files, reprographic customers should:
As someone also sympathetic to the reprographers' plight, if you don't want to be charged more, you need to do your part to ensure a smooth workflow that starts with design software, e.g. AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, and makes it all the way through to the paper. Perhaps the extra charges should only apply if the submitted job was incomplete? DWF can go beyond paper, but it has to get to paper first. Doing that optimally costs everyone less - reprographers and Autodesk customers alike. By working together, everyone wins.
Posted at 07:30 AM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: DWF, International Reprographics Association
Autodesk supplies some of our DWF partners in the commercial printing industry with technology that allows DWF files to be printed by reprographic software. This technology is referred to as the DWF Printer Development Kit (PDK).
A reprographic customer recently reported two problems:
PDK Software Developer, Ben Cochran, developed fixes for these issues:
PDK 1.3.0.17 includes Ben's two corrections. PDK 1.3.0.17 is being integrated into updates for PLP PlotWorks and KIP Powerprint. Océ Repro Desk Client Tools 1.6.4.002 uses DWF PDK 1.3.0.9. This application does not yet benefit from these corrections.
In case you are wondering why there was a difference between DWG printouts, DWF printouts, and the printouts from the reprographer (from the PDK), the goal is to get the same printing from all of the following use cases:
Note that in each case if the user has objects (lines, etc.) with “zero weight” then AutoCAD will send the zero-weight object to the output as an object with a weight of 1 pixel. As you know physical printers can’t print lines with a single pixel.
Although DWF allows you to go beyond the paper, getting the design data on the paper is also important. Autodesk continues to support the reprographics industry in the printing of DWF files.
Posted at 07:30 AM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Tags: Client Tools, DWF PDK, PlotWorks, PowerPrint, Repro Desk
In my part of our Autodesk University 2006 presentation on "What Can DWF Do For You?", I used an example provided by Kirkor Architects:
One of our customers, Luis Cevada from Kirkor Architects in Toronto, CC’d me an email he sent to his commercial reprographer. His reprographer was accustomed to receiving plot files for printing, but Kirkor sent him DWF files instead. In his email, Luis shared the benefits of using DWF files in house and then sending those same files to a commercial reprographer for printing. Not only can Kirkor use the same files, but the files are smaller. In his example, the Plot file and PDF were about 3MB each. The DWF was only 667K. Smaller files are easier to store and transmit. As such, Kirkor Architects standardized on using DWF.
Truth be told, the DWF file was 666K not 667K. I just said 667, because I was not comfortable using the 666 number ("and his number shall be 6-6-6...") while standing in front of and presenting to 328 people. :-) Thanks Luis and everyone at Kirkor Architects!
Posted at 07:30 AM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
Back in the stone age, reprographers would receive native DWG files. Reprographers would fire up a copy of AutoCAD, load the DWG files, apply the pen mappings using CTB (Color Table) or STB (Style Table) files, and generate PLOT files specific to their devices. They would then send the device-specific files to their high-speed printers. If anyone wanted to know how a printout was processed, the reprographer could point to the CTB or STB file to show what line thicknesses and line patterns were applied.
Now reprographers receive DWF files. The CTB and STB settings have already been applied. The resulting lines widths and patterns are in the DWF file. All the reprographer has to do is print. Still, sometimes the question comes up - "How was the file processed to generate the printout?"
Autodesk has a free tool, CTB and STB Printing Tool for AutoCAD 2007, which is available for download from the Autodesk web site. This could be used to provide a permanent record of how a DWF file was processed. A user would:
An alternative to this process is to open the CSV file in Microsoft Excel, save it as a workbook, and insert the workbook into one of the layouts of the DWG. The layout would then be published to the DWF along with the other layouts.
I tried a simple example:
When anyone asks how the sheets in the DWF file were processed, a reprographer could look at the sheet in the DWF. The information would be right there - all in one place - the DWF file.
Posted at 07:30 AM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
In his address to the International Reprographics Association (IRgA), Senior Architect and DWF Technical Evangelist, Brian Mathews, pointed out the ways in which DWF files can be printed.
Basically DWF files can be printed 4 ways:
Directly from a DWF viewer
The Autodesk DWF Viewer and Autodesk Design Review provide basic Windows printing capabilities. Unlike AutoCAD which has drivers specific to the application, the Autodesk DWF Viewer and Autodesk Design Review use standard Windows printer drivers. Thus DWF files can be printed to any Windows printer. In addition, Autodesk Design Review includes a Batch Printing solution that prints to Windows printers. Features like HP Instant Print make printing of many files, including DWF, even easier while reducing paper waste.
Using a Converter Program with Legacy Commercial Reprographics Software
The workflow at many commercial reprographic shops is not suited to printing via the user interface of an Autodesk viewer. These shops need a process where a DWF file can be printed through an automatic process without user intervention. Many legacy printing systems for commercial printing were developed prior to the advent of DWF files. For these systems, conversion software is used to convert the DWF file to a format that is known to the printing system such as Tiff. The resulting Tiff file then integrates into the reprographic shop workflow. AcroPlot Repro from CADzation is an example of a DWF to Tiff converter program. Similarly Océ Client Tools 1.6.4 converts DWF to the Océ LDF format.
Using Modern Commercial Reprographics Software
As the popularity of DWF files continues to grow, Autodesk continues to work with industry leaders to build support for DWF into commercial reprographics software. Solutions like Océ Repro Desk Server 1.6.3 (with makeldf.exe as an integrated processor), Océ Repro Desk 2.0, PLP PlowWorks 5.7, and ARC MetaPrint accept and process DWF files. Document Fulfillment System 2.2 from Adenium Systems allows DWF files to be viewed on the web and printed via Tiff or through HP Instant Print.
Through Native Device Support
Some hardware manufacturers recognize DWF as a differentiator when it comes to comparing printing devices. As such they integrate support for DWF into the controllers for their devices. This allows the DWF file to be sent to the device where it will be processed to paper. The KIP 3000 was the first device to do this via Powerprint 6 that is included with the printer.
In addition to these technical working relationships, DWF has also been featured in some promotional activities. Autodesk DWF Composer R2 (former name of Autodesk Design Review) was bundled with devices from HP and Epson.
For DWF to go beyond the paper, it has to get to paper first. There is more than one way to skin a cat. There is also more than one way to print a DWF.
Posted at 07:30 AM in DWF Reprographics | Permalink | TrackBack (0)