Allplan 2014-1: 'Export PDF Data' dialog box

Specify the path and name for the PDF file in the data entry box or click

to do this in a dialog box.
Allplan proposes the name of the drawing file or the name of the layout with the lowest layout number.

When you select Add bookmark, a bookmark is added to the PDF file. You can enter a name for the bookmark in the data entry box.
When you select several layouts, this name is used for the first PDF file. The file name assigned automatically is used as the bookmark for the other PDF files.

When you select Password, you can specify a password which is required if a user wants to open the PDF file.

This option is only available when the file proposed in the PDF file area already exists or when you have selected an existing file by clicking

. When you have selected several layouts, the Combine selected layouts to a single document option must also be selected.
When you select Add to file, the new PDF file is attached to the existing file. Otherwise, you can overwrite the existing file.

When you select Open file with associated application, the new PDF file is immediately opened in the application that is associated with the pdf file type.

This option is only available in the Layout module when you have selected several layouts for output. When you select Combine selected layouts to a single document, all the selected layouts are exported to the file you have defined in the PDF File area. Otherwise, a separate file is created for each layout

You can specify the resolution the program is to use to export bitmaps, fills with gradients and OLE objects to the PDF file. You can enter a value between 32 and 2,400 DPI. The DPI value has an effect on the size of the PDF file and thus defines how long it takes to create the PDF file.

Paper size (with margins) or Page: the sheet size of the PDF file depends on the paper size set in the print preview or on the size of the page in the Layout module. Therefore, the margins displayed in the PDF file are the same size as the non-printable area.

Printable area (without margins) or Printable area: the sheet size of the PDF file depends on the printable area. In the print preview, this is the paper size set minus the margins; in the Layout module, this is the size of the page minus the margins.

Note: The format for 3D PDF is determined as follows: the paper size is taken from the default Windows printer (Control Panel - Printers); the orientation (portrait or landscape) depends on the orientation of the animation window.

When you select Export document as a bitmap, the entire contents of the layout are exported as a bitmap file. The advantage is that fills with transparency are exported as they are and that the resulting PDF file is protected against unauthorized copying, as it cannot be imported in vectorized form again.
However, the amount of data generated increases significantly, which may cause problems when you want to send or import PDF files of large layouts.

This option is only available in the Layout module. When you select the Entire layout content option, the entire contents of the layout are exported to the PDF file. The sheet size of the PDF file depends on the contents of the layout (the page size is irrelevant). If the Page option is set for Document size, the layout is enlarged by the margins of the page.

When you select Archiving format PDF/A 1a, the PDF file is saved in the PDF/A 1a format. This option is not available for Export 3D PDF.

PDF/A is an ISO standard that specifies how to use the Portable Document Format (PDF) for long-term preservation of electronic documents. As opposed to the standard PDF format or other proprietary CAD formats (DXF, DWG, DGN), the ISO standard provides a permanent, non-proprietary certification that can be accessed by everybody.

Advantages of archiving using PDF/A:

You can archive layouts straight from Allplan. You do not need additional tools or make edits later.
You can use a file format certified by ISO.
Digital layouts can be archived more quickly, easily and inexpensively than paper layouts.
Archive DVDs require less space for storage than paper layouts.

As opposed to the conventional PDF format, PDF/A is limited with intention so that archiving is possible:

Layers cannot be transferred
TrueType fonts must be embedded
Transparent fills are not possible
Key words cannot be assigned
Printing cannot be restricted or excluded

For more information on PDF/A see http://www.pdfa.org/doku.php.

When you select Export layers, the program creates a level in the PDF file for each layer in the drawing files and documents used. Hidden layers are not transferred as levels to PDF files. You require Acrobat Reader Version 6 or later to display levels in PDF files. You can download the current version of Acrobat Reader from Adobe's website. This option is not available for Export 3D PDF.

When you select Embed TrueType fonts, all TrueType fonts used are integrated in the PDF file. This ensures that the document is always displayed correctly, whether or not the relevant font is installed. This option is not available for Export 3D PDF.

This option is only available in the Layout module. When you select Use print profile, you can select an existing print profile by clicking the button on the right.

Note: The print profile you select here has a higher priority rating than the print profiles saved with the layouts; therefore, this print profile is used for all the PDF files that are created in batch mode. This setting is saved in the favorite file and can thus be used in conjunction with

Allplan Exchange Layout Distribution.

When you select the Grayscale check box, color fills and bitmap areas are converted to grayscale during export.

Note: You can use

Save as a favorite to save the settings in the Properties area as a favorite file, which you can retrieve and, if necessary, adjust using

Load Favorite. You can use

Reset to reset the settings in the Properties area back to their defaults.