Configure the Autodesk AutoCAD Rendering Module Options

The Autodesk AutoCAD rendering options specify which drawing layouts to render and to which format in the destination system.

For information about installing AutoCAD on the Meridian Enterprise Server computer, see Additional Requirements.

Besides configuring the rendering module, we recommend that you also configure the AutoCAD installation on the Meridian Enterprise Server node to prevent rendering interruptions and from showing interactive dialog boxes. Do so while logged on to Windows with the same account as the Meridian Enterprise Server service

We recommend these settings:

• This module uses the following plotter configuration files, which are installed with AutoCAD and must be present on the rendering node: DWG To PDF.pc3, DWF6 ePlot.pc3, PublishToWeb JPG.pc3.
• If A0 size drawings will be rendered to Adobe PDF format, you must create a custom page size in the print server properties. If the A0 page size will be used in landscape orientation, you must also create a custom page size in the AutoCAD DWG to PDF.pc3 file for Publisher to use. Publisher can use the A0 page size from the unmodified DWG to PDF.pc3 file for drawings in portrait orientation.
• The AutoCAD SDI (single document interface) system variable must be set to 0 for use with this rendering module or else rendering could fail and result in ARX cannot load errors in the event log.
• If AutoCAD drawings (particularly legacy drawings) that contain AEC objects will be rendered, set the AutoCAD AECFILEOPENMESSAGE system variable to 0. This will prevent dialog boxes from appearing when the drawings load that suspend rendering. The text of the dialog boxes is Saving the drawing will update any AEC object in it to the current version, which will be incompatible with earlier versions.

• Autodesk Infocenter must be disabled by setting the InfoCenterOn value of the following register key to 0:

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\RXX.X\ACAD-XXXX:XXX\InfoCenter

  Where the Xs represent the release number and application code for the installed version of AutoCAD. This prevents the InfoCenter process (WSCommCntr4.exe) from starting and consuming processor resources.

• Add the Meridian Enterprise Server program folder (by default, C:\Program Files\BC-Meridian\Enterprise Server) to the TRUSTEDPATHS system variable in AutoCAD by clicking Tools>Options>Files>Trusted Location.
• Set the AutoCAD REGENMODE system variable to 1 to automatically regenerate drawings, if necessary, without prompting.
• Set the AutoCAD PLQUIET system variable to 1 to suppress plot-related dialog boxes and nonfatal error messages.
• If you have problems creating a rendering profile with the Autodesk AutoCAD rendering module and have verified the preceding settings, test AutoCAD interactively with the AutoCAD user profile of the Windows account that will be used for rendering. If the problem persists, recreate the AutoCAD user profile.

• If the normal rendering log output described in View the Event Logs doesn't reveal the cause of rendering problems, you can enable additional logging for this rendering module by setting the AutoCADRenderExtendedLog option to true in the following file.

  C:\ProgramData\BlueCieloECM\EnterpriseServices\PublishingCapability.dat

To configure the Autodesk AutoCAD rendering module options:

1. In Meridian Enterprise Server Administration Console, in the Data Exchange group, click Rendering Profiles. The All Rendering Profiles page appears and lists the existing profiles grouped by the name of the computer (cluster node) to which they are assigned.

2. Double-click the rendering profile that you want to configure. The AutoCAD rendering options page appears.
3. Click options or type values using the descriptions in the following table.
4. In the app bar, click SAVE.

Autodesk AutoCAD rendering module options

Option	Description
General group
Name	The name of the rendering profile as seen in the Administration Console.
Computer	The name of the Meridian Enterprise Server cluster node on which to run this job.
Input extensions	The quantity of source file extensions to be rendered by this module. To select extensions: Click Configure. The INPUT EXTENSIONS dialog box appears and lists the supported file extensions. Select the file extensions that you want to be rendered. Click OK. The quantity is refreshed to reflect your selections.
Output group
AutoCAD version	If the computer has multiple AutoCAD installations on it, select the one that you want to be used with this rendering profile.
Rendering command	Select a command to use for rendering: PLOT – renders drawings with AutoCAD plotter configuration files using the options that are set in the Plotter and Plot options groups AutoLISP command – shows options with which you can configure an AutoLISP function that you have created for plotting
Export group
Layouts to export	Select the layouts to render. For the Custom option, type the layout name in Custom layout.
Use job advanced rendering settings	Uses the value retrieved from a source document property. The property name is specified in the AutoLISP option of the publishing job as described in Configure Rendering Options.
Plotter group
Plot configuration	Type the name of a plotter configuration file to use for rendering. Note: For successful rendering, the file must be fully configured and operational without Publisher before it is used with Publisher.
Output file format	Select the desired output format.
Use all values from layout	If enabled, the options in the Plot options group are retrieved from the selected layout. If cleared, the options are available and can be configured.
Plot options group
Media size from advanced rendering settings	Uses the value retrieved from a source document property. The property name is specified in the Page size option of the publishing job as described in Configure Rendering Options.
Media size from layout	If Media size from advanced rendering settings is not enabled, uses the value retrieved from the layout, if one is set. If a media size was not set, the default size will be used.
Default media size	Select a media name from AutoCAD to be used as the default (for example, if the page size retrieved from the source document property cannot be matched with an AutoCAD media name).
Plot style	Select a source for the plot style to use for rendering. The Use job advanced rendering settings option uses the value retrieved from a source document property. The property name is specified in the Pen style option of the publishing job as described in Configure Rendering Options.
Skip incompatible drawings	If enabled and the selected plot style cannot be applied, generates an error and the drawing is skipped. Otherwise, if an incompatible value is used then the plot style is taken from the layout. If the plot style from the layout is not present on the Meridian Enterprise Server computer, then no plot style is used.
Use values from layout	If enabled, the remainder of the options in the dialog box are derived from the layout to be rendered. Otherwise, the options are available and can be configured.
Plot area	Select an option from the list to specify the area to render. The available options correspond to those saved in the drawing.
Center plot	Centers the output within the selected media.
Fit to paper	Scales the selected plot area to fit the selected media.
Scale	Select a scale at which to render the output. Only available if Fit to paper is cleared.
Orientation	Select an option from the list to specify the orientation of the selected plot area within the selected media. The Use job advanced rendering settings option uses the value retrieved from a source document property. The property name is specified in the Page orientation option of the publishing job as described in Configure Rendering Options.
Units	Unit of measurement to scale the drawing to the media.
Use line weights	Renders line weights in the output.
Scale line weights	Adjusts the line weights relative to the value selected for the Scale option.
AutoLISP command group
Command	Type the name of an AutoLISP function to plot the source drawing. For help creating the AutoLISP function, see Configure an AutoLISP Plotting Command.
Output extension	Type the extension of the output file to be created. It should be the extension that is normally generated by the plotter that is specified in the plotter configuration file that is used by the function. By default, the name the output file will be the name of the drawing being plotted.