Publish

Tips &Tricks

DWF

TM

View & Print

Review & Mark Up

easy. Since design files are large, sending sheet sets and
3D models to printers or sharing work with extended
team members has taken a lot of time and effort, not to
mention bandwidth. DWF technology changes all that.
DWF-based designs are compact, secure, and easy-touse. In fact, because sharing rich 2D and 3D design
information is a snap with DWF, completely digital

Publish
The ability to publish DWF files is built
into every Autodesk design application.
It is also available free of charge when
using third-party applications with the
Autodesk DWF Writer.
Learn more on how to publish DWF
files from Autodesk products at
www.autodesk.com/dwf-publishing.

workflows become possiblestreamlining the flow of

Publish 3D DWF Formats

information across the entire project team.

Use the 3D DWF PUBLISH command

from AutoCAD (2006 or later), Revit or
Inventor to publish 3D DWF formats:

This handy pocket guide of DWF Tips and Tricks provides

individual users and entire project or product teams with
the information needed to get the most from DWF and
applications like Autodesk Design Review. To learn more
about DWF visit www.autodesk.com/dwf.

1. On the command line, enter

3ddwfpublish.
2. In the 3D DWF Publish dialog box,
under DWF File Name, change the
name and location of the DWF file
to be saved, or use the [...] button to
navigate to a new location for the
3D DWF file.

3. Under Objects to Publish, click one of

the following:
All Model Space Objects: All model
space objects are published to the 3D
DWF file
Selected Model Space Objects:
Create a selection set of model space
objects, which are published to the
3D DWF file
4. If the drawing contains xrefs, the
Group By xref Hierarchy option is
selected by default. Clear the check
box if you do not want to display the
objects grouped by xref hierarchy in
the published DWF file.
5. Under Group Individual Objects By,
select one of the following options to
group individual objects in the DWF
file for viewing.
Layer: Group individual objects
by layer
Object Type: Group individual
objects by object type (for example,
by block)
6. Click OK.

Publish

Sharing complex design information has never been

Publish

Add Object Properties from

AutoCAD Blocks

Pass It On: Publish DWF and Email

From Windows Explorer

Specify the pixel resolution for vector

and raster graphics when creating DWF
files. The higher the resolution, the
greater the precision but the larger the
file size.

Enable team members to access

AutoCAD block properties in the DWF
file by setting DWF publishing options.

Easily email a DWF file when using

Autodesk DWF Writer.

1. From the File menu, choose Plot to

display the Plot dialog box.
2. Ensure that DWF 6 ePlot.pc3 is
selected. Click Properties to display a
tree control.
3. Select Graphics from the tree, and
expand it. Select Custom Properties
in the drop down menu, and then click
the Custom Properties button.
4. Set Vector Resolution to the desired
value. You can leave the other DPI
values (Gradient Resolution, Color
and Grayscale Resolution, and Black
and White Resolution) as they are.
Valid values from the pull-down menu
are between 150 and 4800. Use the
keyboard to enter a custom value,
such as 30270.
A table of useful resolution values is
available at dwf.blogs.com.

1. From the File menu, choose Publish.

2. In the Publish dialog box, under Publish To, click DWF File, and then click
Publish Options.
3. In the Publish Options dialog box,
under DWF Data Options, Block
Information, select Include from the
drop-down list.*
4. Click OK.
5. In the Publish dialog box, either continue with publishing tasks or close the
dialog box.

*By default, Block Information is set to Dont Include.

If you change the setting to include block information, you can use the viewer to view or print block
property and attribute information in the DWF file.

1. Start Windows Explorer and open

the folder containing the file to be
published and emailed.
2. Right-click the file and choose Publish
DWF and Email. The default email application opens a new email message

with the published DWF file attached.

The subject displays the name of the
published DWF file.
3. Type email addresses in the To..., Cc...,
and Bcc... fields and add a message, as
necessary. A link to download the free
Autodesk DWF Viewer is automatically
included for email recipients who dont
have it.
4. Click Send.

Publish

Increase the Precision of the

DWF File

Publish

Publish from SolidWorks

Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire, or
CATIA

1. From the file menu, select Publish DWF

to automatically turn your 2D drawing
or 3D model into DWF.

Install Autodesk DWF Writer 3 to

publish 3D models and design data from
SolidWorks 2006, Pro/ENGINEER
Wildfire 2.0, or CATIA V5 software.

2. Learn about publishing from other

applications, by visiting
www.autodesk.com/dwf-publishing.

Publish from Microsoft Office

Documents

1. Click the Publish DWF button on the

Microsoft application toolbar, or from
the File menu, choose Print and then
select Autodesk DWF Writer in the list
of available printers.
2. Specify a file name and location for
the published DWF file.
3. Click save or choose print.

In the past, viewing rich design data

required the purchase of a full license of
CAD software. Now, the free, downloadable Autodesk DWF Viewer means
that everyone on the team can navigate
sheet sets, access design information,
and print whatever they need.
Download the free Autodesk DWF
Viewer at www.autodesk.com/
dwfviewer-download.

Quickly Zoom and Pan

Use the mouse wheel button to zoom in
and out.
To pan, press and hold the mouse wheel
button and move the mouse.
Note: Your mouse settings may need to be
changed to enable panning in this manner.

Rotate 3D DWF Files

1. Choose View and then select
orbit to enable the Orbit tool.
2. Click the 3D model and drag in any
direction to rotate the view.
3. Select Standard Views and navigate to
the Front, Back, or see Shaded Edges.

Search and View Design Data

1. In Explorer, click Search to open the
Search Explorer Bar.
2. Type search terms for the DWF file
such as doors, bolts, and more.
3. Select the location to search and click
Search Now.
4. Microsoft Windows Explorer search
will list DWF files that contain the
search term.

View & Print

With Autodesk DWF Writer installed,

users can publish DWF files from
Microsoft applications (PowerPoint,
Word, Excel, Visio, Outlook, and
Internet Explorer) and share them as
part of the project set.

View & Print

Viewing Assembly Instructions

Use the Pane Layout drop-down to

select which panes are displayed.
To hide or show the Text or Grid panes:

Pull Apart a 3D Model

1. Click the Pane Layout drop down.

Autodesk Design Review and DWF

Viewer users can navigate 3D models
published from Autodesk applications
or with the free Autodesk DWF Writer.
Follow these steps to rotate and pull
apart individual pieces of a model:

Show Canvas and Grid Panes

Hide Data Pane
Hide Canvas Pane
Show All Panes
DWF View and Design Review display
the pane configuration you selected.

1 degree clockwise or the Up Arrow key

to rotate 1 degree counterclockwise. To
rotate the part in 45 degree increments,
press and hold the Shift key while using
the keyboard arrows.

Move along an axis

On the axis along which you want to
move the part, click that axis near the
origin. Drag in either direction along the
axis. Alternatively, press the Up Arrow
key to move away from the origin or the
Down Arrow to move toward the origin.

Important information: Although loading

a DWF may populate the text or grid
panes with data, the data panes will not
be displayed automatically.

2. Choose from:

3. To remove a part from the selection,

press and hold the Ctrl key and click
the part again (Ctrl+click). In the
Model palette, use Shift+click to select
consecutive parts by clicking the first
and last parts in the series.

1. From the Tools menu, choose

Move>Rotate.
2. In the Model palette or view area,
click the parts that you want to move
or rotate.

Move within a plane

Roll the cursor over a plane defined by
two axes until a plane icon with arrows
appears, and click. Drag the part in any
direction.

Begin Move

Move parallel to the screen

Click the origin, and drag the part in any
direction. Or use the keyboard arrows to
move left, right, up, or down.
Rotate
On the axis around which you want to
rotate the part, click near the end of the
axis and drag the part around the axis.
Or press the Down Arrow key to rotate

Result

View & Print

View & Print

When an animated DWF file with

assembly instructions is opened in
Autodesk DWF Viewer or Autodesk
Design Review, the instructions are
displayed for the current task or
sequence in the left sub-pane below
the Canvas Pane.

The left sub-pane displays text such

as step-by-step instructions for an
assembly.

Create 3D Cross Sections

Cut through a model with a section plane
and manipulate the view in various ways
by moving and rotating the section plane
and flipping the view.

2. A transparent purple sheet (the section plane) and a tripod drop into the
center of the model, cutting through
the model to reveal a cross section.
Move or rotate the section plane
to reveal a different cross section
each time.
3. The three legs, or axes, of the tripod
meet at a central point called the
origin. To change the cross section
revealed, move or rotate the section
plane by moving the cursor over
the tripod. Hot spots appear, each
enabling the user to move the section
plane in a different way.

Move within a plane

Roll the cursor over a plane defined by
two axes until a plane icon with arrows
appears, and click. Drag the section
plane in any direction.

Before

Autodesk Design Review and the DWF

Viewer both feature sectioning and pull
apart capabilities when working with 3D
DWF files. Though these capabilities are
easily accessible and very powerful, some
users do not know how to undo them.
After applying a section or pulling a piece
of a model apart from its original location, users can restore the original view
of the model using:

Move parallel to screen

Click the origin. Drag the section plane in
any direction.

View->Go->Home

Rotate
On the axis around which you want to
rotate, click near the end of the axis.
Drag the section plane around the axis.
If you press and hold the Shift key while
using the keyboard arrows to rotate,
the section plane rotates in 45 degree
increments.

Access Design Intelligence

A shortcut for this capability is Ctrl+ G.

Publish detailed design information from

Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2004
and later versions, AutoCAD 2007
based products, and Autodesk Inventor
software, for viewing in Autodesk Design
Review or DWF Viewer.
After

1. View and sort object properties: Click

the Properties window.

View & Print

View & Print

1. Open a model and from the Tools

menu, choose Cross Section >XY
Section, YZ Section, or XZ Section.

Undoing Pulling Apart a 3D Model

or a Sectioning

Move along an axis

On the axis along which you want to
move the section plane, click the axis
near the origin. Drag in either direction
along the axis. Click the Up Arrow key to
move away from the origin or the Down
Arrow key to move toward the origin.

2. Access block information: In the

Content Browser, select the Properties window, and then choose Object
Properties from the drop-down menu.

3. Search for design data: In Microsoft

Windows Explorer, select Search, and
enter your search string to find data
within the DWF file such as doors,
bolts, and more.
4. Navigate sheets or views using hyperlinks: From the main menu, choose
View>Show>Hyperlinks (Ctrl+H) to
display hyperlinks in blue. To follow a
hyperlink, hold down the Ctrl key and
click the hyperlink (Ctrl+click). The
drawing, file, or web page to which it
was linked opens.

Preview the job before sending it to the

printer. Partnerships with printer manufacturers like HP and Oc help assure
fast, high-quality output.
1. Print to spec: Customize the settings
that affect output from standard to
large format. Choose from among the
following options:
Full Page or the Current View
Paper Size or select Use DWF Paper
Size
Landscape or Portrait
Fit to Page or Print to Scale
Tile across multiple pages

2. Preview what you print:

From the File menu, choose Print to
open the Print dialog box
Choose the settings that affect your
preview, like paper size or landscape
view
Click the Show Print Preview button

3. Print instantly to HP printers:

Click the HP Instant Printing
button
Note: The button automatically
appears if you are connected to a
supported HP Designjet printer.
The optimal print settings are chosen
automatically based on the properties of the DWF file

Present in Microsoft Office

Applications
Share the full design intent in Microsoft
PowerPoint, Excel, or Word whether its a
client presentation, product documentation, or bill of materials.
1. Drag the file from Windows Explorer
into the document.
2. Alternatively, from the Insert menu,
choose Object and Autodesk DWF
Viewer Control, then right-click and
select Autodesk DWF Viewer Control
Object Properties to embed an interactive DWF.

View & Print

View & Print

Click the selector button, and

then click the block to display
the block data.

Use Flexible Printing Options

Post Files to Autodesk Buzzsaw

Autodesk Design Review and the DWF
Viewer are fully integrated into the
Autodesk Buzzsaw collaborative project management solution. Follow these
steps to efficiently share your designs:

View & Print

1. Drag DWF files into the project folder.

2. Notify the project team using the
Buzzsaw notification system. Updates
and versions are automatically tracked.

Review, Measure
& Mark Up
No more looking through faxes and
emails to incorporate feedback by hand.
With Autodesk Design Review software,
team members can review, measure, and
mark up designs, and then round-trip
redlines and changes back to the original
design application. All changes are automatically tracked and kept in the context
of the design.

2. Zoom in for greater accuracy: To

achieve greater accuracy, zoom in to
the section of the drawing to which
you are applying the starting and
ending points of the dimension.

Work with Advanced Redlines and

Markups
Autodesk Design Review includes easyto-use shapes, text, freehand, stamp,
and custom symbol tools in addition to
markup tools.

Measure Accurately
The dimension tools with the AutoSnap
feature help project team members determine lengths, polylines, and areas.
1. Control markup shape: Hold down the
Shift key to constrain the range of
movement when marking up drawings.
To start again, press the Esc key and
try again
To delete a markup, use the Selection
tool and press Delete

Review & Mark Up

1. Snap to endpoints: Set the measure

tools to snap to endpoints, midpoints,
and lines for precision measurement of
design elements in the DWF file. Click
the Tools command, and turn on the
Snap to Geometry feature.

2. Color code reviews: Use different

markup colors to indicate different
users.

Use Custom Symbols and Stamps

Use symbols to annotate and mark up
information in the office or in the field.

Select from the 48 predefined colors

or one of your own

Select Import DWF as Symbol

Catalog

Manage Your Project Information

in One Place

Browse for and select the DWF file

that contains your symbols, and click
Open or press Enter

Work with multiple document types in

one multisheet DWF sheet set, combining images, sketches, project timelines,
specifications, bills of materials, and
other project information.

2. Create your own stamp: Create custom

annotations and stamps by doubleclicking a stamp and typing to insert
text, or highlight the text you want to
change.

Change the Text Color and Line Color

on the main menu, and then click
your chosen color

1. Capture information with Snapshot tool:

Add a snapshot to an existing DWF file,
or create a new DWF file by adding one
or more snapshots to a blank file.
Click the Snapshot button
Set up the subject of your screen shot

3. Save a new markup view: When you

create a markup, the current view of
the page is stored with that markup.
To change and automatically store a
new view, pan and zoom to the desired
view, and then move the markup
slightly or modify it in some way.

1. Create custom symbol catalog: Publish

the 2D drawings, images, or text to
a DWF file using the Autodesk DWF
Writer. In Autodesk Design Review, import this file into the symbol catalog.
From the toolbar, click the
Stamps and Symbols button

2. Drag and drop: Combine DWF files,

raster images, and other project information into a single DWF file or send it
out for review:
Drag and drop, or use File>Open to
view and mark up many different
types of image files, such as JPEG or
GIF files
Drag a page or pages into an email
or onto the desktop to create a new
DWF file

Review & Mark Up

Review & Mark Up

Click the Capture button on

the Snapshot window title bar

Using the Grid Snapshot tool in Autodesk

Design Review, you can capture bill of
materials on a separate sheet for markup
purpose.
1. A bill of materials must be loaded in
the Grid Data Pane below the canvas
to enable capture.

2. On the Standard Toolbar, display the

Callout Tool button drop-down list.
3. Click the Grid Snapshot Tool button.
4. A snapshot is of the bill of materials is
added to the Contents palette.
5. Select the BOM snapshot in the
Contents palette to add markup.

Advanced Tips
Take advantage of these advanced DWF
tips from the experts.

Autodesk DWF Viewer Tips

1. Use the mouse wheel button to zoom
in and out. To pan, hold the button
down and move the mouse.
2. Select Options in the Content Browser
to show thumbnails, list views, or
bookmarks of the original DWF data.

Review & Mark Up

Capturing bill of materials

script. For example, this is particularly

useful when installing Autodesk DWF
Viewer company-wide using SMS.

Embed Autodesk DWF Viewer in

HTML Documents
Autodesk DWF Viewer is available as an
ActiveX control that is embedded in
Microsoft Internet Explorer, providing a
smooth installation of the free Autodesk
DWF Viewer in web pages.

3. When rotating 3D objects, keep the

triad at least slightly oblique to the
screen to move or rotate. You cannot
move or rotate the axis that points
directly toward you.
Install Across Your Company
Autodesk DWF Viewer can be installed
silently via the following:
msiexec /i SetupDWFViewer.msi /qn
Your IT department can install the
Autodesk DWF Viewer across your company. By installing the Autodesk DWF
Viewer silently, the viewer can be included as part of a company-wide automated

1. Embed DWF files directly in web pages

by using the <object> element tag.

Advanced Tips

Markup Bill of Materials

Save DWF Files That You View

Follow these steps to save a local copy of
a DWF file published to a website:
1. Right-click the DWF file and choose
Save As. Alternatively, click the Save
As button on the toolbar. (Note: The
Save As options appear only when you
are using DWF Viewer in embedded
modefor example, in a web page.)
2. To save a local copy of the DWF file
you are viewing, specify a file name.

Advanced Tips

Printing DWF files on Oc Devices

With its default settings, some Oc devices (e.g., TDS800, TDS600, or TDS400)
cut off the leading or trailing edge of
DWF plots. There is an option in the Oc
Windows Raster Driver to override the
cutting method on the Power Logic
Controller. In the Printing Defaults dialog
box, there is a Delivery tab. In the Delivery tabs Cutting Method section,
there is a combo box that has 3 options:
1. Synchro: Trims to fit the plot size.
2. Standard: Trims to a standard
paper size.
3. Printer default: Uses whatever the
default on the controller is set to.
When plotting DWF files, you should use
the Standard cutting method by changing the printer properties.
When printing DWF files on the Oc
9800 or Oc TDS800. some users found
that when architects and engineers used
pen 0 in their AutoCAD drawings, the
published DWF files would print out too
light on the 9800 and TDS800 devices

(especially on hatches and fills). Using

Poster Mode on these files typically
resolved the issue.

Learn and Get More

Use API to Customize and Extend

Functionality

Visit the DWF Blog

dwf.blogs.com

Use the Autodesk Design Review and

DWF Viewer and application programming interface (API) documentation to
integrate Design Review or DWF Viewer
within websites or third-party applications. The documentation provides
instruction on features such as navigation to a specific page or view, control
over layer visibility, the ability to show
and hide the toolbar and context menus,
as well as control of the viewer behavior.
Visit www.autodesk.com/dwf-developers
to download the API documentation.

Participate in the discussion groups

www.autodesk.com/
designreview-discussion
www.autodesk.com/dwf-discussion

Visit the DWF Center

www.autodesk.com/dwf

Get free downloads

www.autodesk.com/
dwfviewer-download
www.autodesk.com/designreview-trial
www.autodesk.com/dwfwriter
Find product information
www.autodesk.com/designreview
www.autodesk.com/dwfviewer
www.autodesk.com/dwf-publishing
Find developer tools and information
www.autodesk.com/dwf-developers
www.autodesk.com/dwftoolkit
Try our newest software
labs.autodesk.com
dwfit.com

Advanced Tips

2. Access, copy and paste a sample HTML

that demonstrates how to embed a
DWF file in HTML:
http://dwf.blogs.com/
beyond_the_paper/2006/05/
how_do_i_embed_.html

Advanced Tips
Review & Mark Up

View & Print

Overall, DWF and Autodesk Design Review

are helping us improve productivity.
Patrik Chartrand, CAD Administrator
Advanced Dynamics

This product is subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user

license agreement that accompanies download of this software.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, AutoSnap, Buzzsaw, DWF,
Inventor, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and other countries. All other brand names,
product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
2006 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
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