Importing PDF Files as Blocks (Premium and Enterprise Plus)

You can insert content from PDF files as blocks into your drawings. You can insert all or selected pages from multiple page PDF documents.

1. Import PDF files as blocks:
   1. Click Import > PDF (or type ImportPDF).
   2. In the PDF Import dialog box, under Mode, select Insert as Block.
   3. Click Options to define preferences for the conversion of PDF files to block insertions (For details, see step 2).
   4. Under PDF File, click Browse.
      The dialog box provides the following information:

      • File Path. Displays the complete path and name of the PDF file you selected.
      • Reference Path. Displays the complete path to the image files referenced in the Block you create from the PDF file.
   5. In the Open dialog box, select a PDF file and click Open.
      The PDF Import dialog box opens.
   6. If the PDF file contains multiple pages, select the pages to insert as blocks and click OK.
   7. In the PDF Import dialog box, under Scale, enter a scale factor or select Specify later to specify the scaling on screen after closing the dialog box.
   8. Under Rotation, for Angle, enter a value or select Specify later to specify the rotation angle in the graphics area during insertion.
   9. Click OK.
   10. In the graphics area, specify one or more insertion points for the blocks originating from the specified PDF file pages.
       To break the block you inserted into its component entities, use the Explode command.
2. Specify preferences for converting PDF files to drawing blocks :
   1. Click Import > PDF (or type ImportPDF).
   2. Click Options.
   3. In the Options dialog box, specify preferences for converting PDF files:
      • Intelligent recognition. Specifies whether the converter attempts to recognize objects in the PDF file that represent circles, arcs, or ellipses, to create circles, arcs, or ellipses in the block that is inserted into the drawing. Otherwise, these objects are converted to splines. Note that conversion takes longer when intelligent recognition is enabled.
      • Ignore Image objects. Specifies whether raster images are converted. Raster images are referenced in the block inserted into the drawing as externally stored files. Use the Reference command to manage image references in the drawing.
      • Ignore Path objects. Specifies whether vectors are converted and inserted into the drawing. Vectors (such as lines, arcs, and splines) become part of the block that is inserted into the drawing.
      • TrueType text. Specifies whether text entities that use TrueType fonts are converted and inserted into the drawing. If possible, drawing text uses the same fonts as PDF text. If a corresponding font is not available on the system, the active text style is used in the drawing.
      • Ignore white fills. Specifies whether closed boundaries contained within the geometry of the converted file are filled white by a solid hatch.
      • Maintain LineStyle. Specifies whether the line style properties of the imported entities are retained or ignored.
      • Maintain LineWeight. Specifies whether the line weight properties of the imported entities are retained or ignored.
      • Use PDF Layers. Specifies whether layers are created from the layers stored in the PDF file. If the PDF file contains no layers, entity layers are created.
      • Create entity layers. Specifies whether layers are created according to the entities imported from the PDF file. For example, PDF_Text, PDF_Images.
      • Use current layer. Specifies whether all specified PDF entities are imported to the current layer.
   4. Click OK.
      The settings from the Options dialog box are maintained until you change them.
3. Convert PDF files to DXF drawing files in a batch processing operation:
   1. Click Import > PDF (or type ImportPDF).
   2. In the PDF Import dialog box, under Mode, select Batch Processing.
   3. Under PDF File, click Browse to specify a Source Path that contains the PDF files to convert to DXF files.
   4. Under PDF File, click Browse to specify a Destination Path where the resulting DXF files and their dependent referenced images are stored.
   5. In the Files list, activate the PDF files to convert during batch processing.
      Click Select all to mark all PDF files in the list.
   6. Click OK to start batch processing of the specified files.