Original LXSeries Forum

I'm having some frustration in getting consistent size output to PDF from LXBeams.

I understand that LXBeams creates symbols in 1/4" scale (or 1:50 metric). I have my drawing set to imperial measurements and an Arch C paper size to fit my theatre. When I export to PDF from either the Export menu item or Print, PDF pulldown tab, I keep getting different sizes. Even without changing anything on the drawing, I will export and the drawing will be what I expect 18"x24", then I'll look at it in Acrobat on my PC and it is 48"x63"! Then it is something different again.

If I export to PDF with paper size set to Arch C (18x24) and it looks fine on the screen, why does it go all whacko when I look at the document properties in Acrobat?

Getting a PDF through Export and getting one through printing are different. Printing to PDF uses the page format specified as if you were printing. If the page is smaller than the plot, it gets broken up into pages. Exporting creates a PDF that is the same size as the plot without any pagination.

Exporting a PDF and printing always print at the current zoom setting. So, if you've been scrolling to zoom in and out it is quite possible that you don't have the setting quite back to actual size which is 1:50 scale. You can use the View->Zoom->Actual Size command to be sure the zoom is set to zero before you export.

The reason that the output is at the current zoom is that it allows for other effective scales. Printing at 50% gives you 1:100 or 1/8" and at 200%, 1:25 or 1/2". You can print at different scales by scaling the output with the printer settings as well. However, since PDF export does not use the printer settings, there would be no way to get alternatively scaled PDFs. This is a different approach than some CAD programs. But, you can effectively achieve the same results either way.

The idea of setting the zoom to zero is a very good use for a saved view. A saved view remembers the zoom and other view settings as well. In fact, a saved view remembers the View->Draw Symbols in B&W setting. So, if you work in color and print in black and white, it is useful to set the zoom to zero and the symbols to black and white and save that as "print view". Then before exporting, you just control or right click the plot and pick "print view" from the popup menu. It restores all those view settings and you are good to save the PDF.

Terrific response thank you. When you explained "zoom affects size of PDF" it rang a bell as I'm sure I've read that on this forum before.

However, it is still very strange to me that my zoom level would ever affect output. But I guess that is part of the learning curve in moving to Mac OS from Win/PC.