Rhino PDF Print Driver in Rhino 6

Ive noticed that when printing with the Rhino PDF driver the file sizes are much larger than when printed from the Adobe PDF printer.

Example, the same file printed in Rhino PDF vs Adobe PDF yields the following file sizes:

RHINO PDF = 4,132 kb
ADOBE PDF = 164 kb

Printed in Version 6 SR5
(6.5.18128.14431, 5/8/2018)
Commercial

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Do you have a sample file for this big difference? We can probably trim the size down when we understand better what geometry types are causing the bloat.

I’m experiencing a similar issue with pdfs becoming very large.

My current process is, while in an active detail view on layouts, I’m using grasshopper to bake make2d objects and then using then use a python script to print the layout to a pdf using the rhino driver. The resulting pdf’s are only be vector graphics in the pdf, no raster. I have the same file size results when i print from model space and not in a layout page.

The shape is an extrusion that is pretty simple.

just creating a pdf set is quite large, 40 MBs using the python script on the layout.

import Rhino
import scriptcontext as sc
import System.Drawing
import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs
import System
import Rhino.Geometry as rg

Nm = PageName
fPath = Folder
dpi = 150
ind = 0

size = System.Drawing.Size(17dpi,11dpi)

pdf = Rhino.FileIO.FilePdf.Create()
view = sc.doc.Views.Find(“11X17”, True)
filenames = fPath + “\DIRECTIVES3.pdf”

if page:

for i in range(pageNum):        
    setting = Rhino.Display.ViewCaptureSettings(view, size, dpi)
    pdf.AddPage(setting)
    pdf.Write(filenames)

I found that the way we were adding text to the PDF was very inefficient and made a fix for it this week. Please try next week’s SR6 release candidate (should be available next Tuesday).

Hey Steve,

The update was a huge improvement. It cut down my file size to 1/6 of what it was before. The test only print is now very reasonable.

Thank you for all the work on it. I’m really enjoying the PDF driver!

Thanks for letting me know. @NavArch, you may want to try the latest Rhino 6.6 release candidate to try out the reduced PDF file size.

Yes! File size is much improved. Thanks for fixing that!

Great! One step closer. I still have to examine the raster quality bug that you reported recently.

The update has dramatically improved the file size; however, it still doesn’t clip hatches and text that are inside referenced blocks as the attached image shows the pdf output. Could I also request development of transparency for hatches… would completely transform the sophistication of CAD drawings.

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I have stumbled on a situation that is creating large size pdf files. My apologies if this is something I should know not to do…

A standard print of a layout is 290 kb, however, if the detail is active it prints at 1.5 mb.

is this an intended functionality? should I always exit/disable the detail edit?

follow up if true, does anyone know how to exit out of the ‘edit detail’ state in python ? I have been searching…

After some further testing on another computer and with a separate instance of Rhino, printing the active viewport does not produce a sizable larger file.

I am using a Grasshopper script with a python component to generate the layouts I’m testing on. perhaps their is an issue with something the python script is doing.

I’m using the ‘Rhino.FileIO.FilePdf’ to create and print the layouts. However, my tests that result in 290 kb and 1.5 mb are in the same file after the layout have been generated but are using the manual print dialog.