However, unlike some areas in ArchiCAD that allow placing multiple files at the same time (by dragging and dropping, or by selecting multiple items in a list), you cannot place multiple pages at the same time. All the OptionsĪny page of a PDF file, be it textual or vectorial drawing, may be imported into the Floor Plan, or any Section/Elevation Window, Detail Drawing, Worksheet or Layout. The PDF import option resolved all of these issues, and provides a far superior and more general solution for ArchiCAD users. This technology was problematic in several ways: it had become PC only, as it was never made available by Microsoft for developers in Mac OS X it only handled a single page image and it required the Microsoft software and source document to be available on the computer that had the Plotmaker file. This was frequently used to place schedules as well as lengthy text blocks. TIP: It is also possible to drag and drop a PDF from a folder directly into the frontmost ArchiCAD window.īefore version 10, ArchiCAD on the Windows side supported Microsoft’s OLE technology, allowing users to embed spreadsheets and word processing documents into PlotMaker layouts. Placing a PDF is actually a special case of the File menu > External Content > Place External Drawing command, which can be used to place many different CAD file types such as DWG, DXF, DGN, HPGL, PLT as well as standard image formats such as JPG, TIF, etc. General notes, specifications or other long paper documents can be prepared in a word processor or dedicated environment and printed or saved to PDF, as can schedules and other spreadsheets.

Manufacturer’s detail drawings, reports from consultants (such as California’s Title 24 energy analysis), and a variety of forms are often made available as PDFs. Legacy paper-based drawings as well as other documents and images can be scanned and saved in PDF format for placement and reuse. Any program that prints can create PDF files, either internally or by using Adobe’s Acrobat software (or other free or inexpensive utilities widely available on the internet).

This opened up many options for bringing 2D information into ArchiCAD. Starting in May 2006 with version 10, ArchiCAD users gained the ability to import industry-standard PDF format files. Originally published in AECbytes – Tips and Tricks Issue #37 3 ArchiCAD Tutorial | Using PDF Files in ArchiCAD

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