pdf files coming in as complete bitmaps...but they are vectored!!

[gabagoo]

This seems to be something new that is happening with PDF files. Not all of them but if there is so much as any part of the file as a bitmap with vectored graphics, Signlab gives me no other options other than to import them as a complete bitmap. If I send the file over to Flexi, I can open them and I see the entire file is vectored except maybe there is a shadow effect or just one element being a bitmap. I don't recall this happening before. Thankfully I have Flexi which is subscribed and up to date where as Signlab is a few years old. Is there a way to bring the files into Signl;ab where they come in vectored... short of having to run them through Flexi and then exporting them back?

 

[McDonald Signs]

Maybe try opening in Flexi and take the file apart and export the vector graphics as one file and the bitmaps as another file and import them separately into Signlab and put them back together
in Signlab since you can see in Flexi what the whole image needs to look like?

 

[gabagoo]

...or just do all the work in Flexi lol.

 

[Neil]

Which version of SignLab?
I've always been given the option on import.
2 buttons on the pop up screen "Do not rasterize" or "Rasterize"

 

[gabagoo]

I run 8.75...

 

[Neil]

I run 8.75...

I run Version 8 too. Nothing has been updated or changed for years, so maybe something happened to the ini file?
Might be worth poking around and see if you see something under pdf import? Or drop in a backup ini file if you have one.

I know it was a feature they added to enable rasterizing of pdf's on import if they contained transparencies, because I originally suggested it to them!
Back when they had a forum.

 

[gabagoo]

Not sure what an "ini" file is.... but in the last year or so if I even try to import a tif file the program completely shuts down.... I am still running win 7 on this comp for fear that something will stop working if I upgrade.

 

[Bobby H]

This problem is one of the reasons why I have a Creative Cloud subscription. Nothing beats the combination of Adobe Illustrator and Astute Graphics' Vector First Aid plugin for harvesting vectors out of PDFs.

 

[Neil]

Not sure what an "ini" file is.... but in the last year or so if I even try to import a tif file the program completely shuts down.... I am still running win 7 on this comp for fear that something will stop working if I upgrade.

I'm still running Win 7 too - for the same reason. Don't want to upgrade Signlab8 or Windows7. This all works.
Plus they took out the profiling wizard in future versions and I make my own profiles for within Signlab/VPM.

That said, yes I also have to odd crash or shut down in SL- usually when trying to import things.
I'm in the habit of hitting Control+S lots and before I do anything risky.

The ini file is called Cadlink.ini within your Signlab8 folder. It stores all your preferences etc.
You can edit them and re-save them if necessary. Make a backup/rename of the original first and edit the copy.
Look through the text and compare the (IMPPDF) options to mine attached.
If something is different, change it and see if it fixes your import problem.