When creating a PDF file, a PDF layer structure can be assigned. Unfortunately, this feature is rarely used. The layer structure in PDF has a tree-like structure. In contrast, the layer structure in DWG or DXF is flat. Print2CAD offers the possibility to convert the tree-like structure from PDF to the flat layer structure of DWG or DXF.
Print2CAD offers the possibility to create a layer structure based on the colors of PDF elements. If the recognition function is activated, all elements will be sorted by color into separate layers. The layers receive the name: Color-[Number] or Color-[RGB]. Under certain circumstances this function may create too many layers so we recommend to change the colors to 10 index colors. This feature can be combined with the option “Sort Elements onto Separate Layers According To Entity Line Weight.”
Print2CAD offers the possibility to create a layer structure based on the line weight of PDF elements. If the recognition function is activated, all elements will be sorted by line weight into separate layers. The layers receive the name: Width-[Number]. This feature can be combined with the option Sort Elements onto Separate Layers According to Entity Color.
Important:Some PDF files contain paths with many small lines. This happens mostly when dotted lines have been generated in PDF files as single lines. These single lines can easily be converted to PDF as the paths do not have many Settings or properties.
After the conversion in DWG or DXF, every line will be a full CAD line and may feature many additional Settings and properties. This data may strain the capacities of a CAD system and RAM.
The minimum allowed line length can be set with the parameter “Smallest Line”. If a line is smaller than the parameter “Smallest Line” then the line gets deleted.
Print2CAD allows the user to assign the 256 AutoCAD® Index Colors into the resulting DWG or DXF elements.
Print2CAD allows the user to assign a uniform color to all converted elements.
The program Print2CAD allows the user to assign a PDF line weight to all DWG or DXF elements. Contrary to DWG elements having compulsory line weights, PDF elements can have any user-defined line weight.
Turn off the line weight view in the Adobe Reader under “View Line Weights”. If the lines do not appear with line weight 0.0, then no real line weights exist, but rather hatches displaying line weight. When converting, it can be difficult to find the appropriate line weight in DWG or DXF.