Expert: Bill DeShawn - 11/3/2008

Question
QUESTION: Is there a way to print an Autocad 2002 file to pdf and print all layers at the same time.  Now I have to print 1 at a time and then use Adobe to put them together.

ANSWER: Greg:
It's a little odd that printing to PDF allows you to print only 1 layer at a time.  I can print ALL layers at once  using free software from SOFTWARE995.

Check out PDF995.COM.

http://www.pdf995.com

Let me know how it goes, please
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I still have no idea how to print multiple layers at one time without printing them all on the same layer. Is there a setting in Autocad because this SOFTWARE995 does the same thing as Autocad using the printer in plot device... I am using the PDF995 in the plot device is this wrong?

Answer
Greg:
Printing to PDF is like Printing to paper.  You can't freeze and thaw layers on paper.  There is no layer control in PDF format.  PDF is not CAD.  When you are in AutoCAD, you choose what layers you want to print.  You print to the PDF printer, whatever that is, and your output will show all the layers you have thawed and turned on at the time you hit the print button.  Thaw all the layers, turn them all on, and your output will display all the layers.  If objects on one layer are hiding things on another layer, there could be a "merge lines" problem or a draworder problem.  I have a hunch that you might not be explaining this fully or I'm just not understanding you.  Can you email me a copy of your drawing and tell me what it is you want to print from it so I can do it here?  
Go to my web page (listed below) and click on my email icon and send me the dwg.  I'll do the best I can to understand and help you through this.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn