Multiple Pentable file required to handle multiple drawing sheets while converting to PDF

[RP_10384451]

While converting the drawing to PDF, I have multiple sheet sizes (A0, A1, A2, A3, and A4), and for all these sheets, I can only assign one pentable.pnt file in configuration, but the line thickness is not the same for all sheet sizes; the lines are not visible if I use the pentable setting used or an A4 sheet for A3 to A0. Need suggestion...

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

there is no simple solution.

Probably you have to export such drawing sheet by sheet and then merge resulting set of PDFs into single on outside of Creo. I use PDFsam Basic for this purpose.

[KenFarley]

Unless I'm mistaken, I believe the line thicknesses are the same on all the drawing format sizes. The problem is when they are viewed or printed. For example, we have a lot of old drawings that were done in the long ago when we would actually print them on appropriately sized paper. A "D" size drawing is twice the size of a "B" size. Printers can directly print "B" size at a 1:1 scale, they look fine. But printing a "D" size means the printer has to scale the drawing down. This effectively cuts the line width in half, making the drawing, in a lot of cases, really hard to read. This is especially bad if the person who created the PDF didn't save it at a higher resolution, like 600 dpi rather than the default 300 dpi.

Given that it is kind of rare to have a printer that can directly print the larger sizes, I haven't seen any reason to create drawings on those larger formats. They're not going to be very useful and can cause a lot of confusion when the numbers are really hard to read.

[RP_10384451]

Yes, you are correct; the line thickness is the same because Pentable is configured for a small sheet size (A4). The problem is that when Pentable is configured for a smaller sheet size and is used for the larger sheet sizes, the line thickness is not the same for the larger sheet size. So, is there anything that we can do? Or does PTC have to add this feature in their new version?

[MartinHanak]

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@RP_10384451 wrote:

Yes, you are correct; the line thickness is the same because Pentable is configured for a small sheet size (A4). The problem is that when Pentable is configured for a smaller sheet size and is used for the larger sheet sizes, the line thickness is not the same for the larger sheet size. So, is there anything that we can do? Or does PTC have to add this feature in their new version?

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Hi,

just small note ... do you know that every printer definition file (.pcf file) can its own pentable specification?

This means you can create separate .pcf files (for A,B,C,D,E formats) using different pen tables.

[RP_10384451]

I don't actually; I have to check, but I have to change it outside of Creo Parametric. It's better if I have a setting in Creo Parametric itself so that I don't have to modify my system's printer settings.

[KenFarley]

Just to be clear. The line thickness in the file is dictated by the pentable entry. It is the same physical thickness. YOU are seeing it as not being the same because when you open the file to view it, or print it, you are viewing it in a scaled down state, to fit your screen. If you open two PDFs created with the same pentable, but different sheet sizes, and zoom both to 400%, when you look at them side by side the line widths are the same.

What you are apparently looking for is a way to make a PDF from a large sheet size look the same in a scaled down viewing as a smaller sheet size. You're thinking this will be achieved by using a different pentable for each sheet size. I don't know if this will work so well, it might make the geometry look "muddled", but there you go.