MicroStation to PDF to reduce file size

Unknown said:

I am trying to convert very large .dgn file sizes to a smaller pdf size

MicroStation files contain 3D models.  They store data, such as 3D coordinates, in 64-bit precision floating point numbers.  DGN is a very different format to PDF, which uses a different representation for 3D geometry. It's not clear what you mean by 'convert very large .dgn file sizes to a smaller pdf size'.

You can print from a MicroStation to a PDF?  Have you tried that?

Yes, that is what I have been doing - print to PDF and in the settings I can change the dpi, which reduces the size, but I still need to make it smaller. I wasn't sure if maybe there are settings when printing to PDF that I can change to help reduce the size of the file once it is printed. I have tried to reduce the size once it is a PDF, but that hasn't worked too well either.

What type of data are you trying to print from MicroStation? Just vector or a combination of raster and vector? Are you using the "Rasterized" option at print time? Are you using patterning? Perhaps you are using a dot pattern which can cause a large .pdf file.
Are you using a copy of the delivered pdf.pltcfg or printe.pltcfg to interface to a PDF printer on your desktop?
Options which can be disable under the Device Properties for PDF.PLTCG if they are not being used to reduce size are:
Enable Georeferencing
Enable measuring
Enable Searchable Text
If printing raster images (will decrease fidelity as you zoom in but decrease file size)
Set RGB Raster Compression to JPEG

What type of data are you trying to print from MicroStation? Just vector or a combination of raster and vector? Are you using the "Rasterized" option at print time? Are you using patterning? Perhaps you are using a dot pattern which can cause a large .pdf file.
Are you using a copy of the delivered pdf.pltcfg or printe.pltcfg to interface to a PDF printer on your desktop?
Options which can be disable under the Device Properties for PDF.PLTCG if they are not being used to reduce size are:
Enable Georeferencing
Enable measuring
Enable Searchable Text
If printing raster images (will decrease fidelity as you zoom in but decrease file size)
Set RGB Raster Compression to JPEG

I do not know a lot about MicroStation, so please forgive me if I'm not understanding you correctly or answering all of your questions. They threw me into this testing without knowing anything about it.

The files are construction drawings and I believe they are a combination of vector and raster, but I do not know for sure. I am not using the Rasterized option because the file size is smaller when I don't use it. I'm not sure about the dot pattern. The driver I am using was given to me by someone and I believe it is just a version of the pdf.pltcfg.

I tried disabling the georeferencing, measuring, and searchable text, but it did not make the file size any smaller.

Not sure if that helped you understand anything other than what I said before. Thank you though!

Could you please send me a private email with your contact information and I will call you.

I've run into this problem before, usually when there is a large air photo attached to the file, and when the plot has to rasterized because of transparent overlays. Use some combination of the following settings to reduce the pdf file size.

Change the driver resolution (sounds like you already tried this). If your plots are rasterized, there is a setting in this group called Rasterized Quality Factor. Lowering this can also reduce the file size. Also, under the Base Properties tab, pick Raster Printing, and lower the quality factor. You can try different values to find out what setting reduces the file size and still get acceptable quality.

You also may try setting Enable Optional Content to Off (this turns off creation of levels in the pdf).

Unknown said:

I've run into this problem before, usually when there is a large air photo attached to the file, and when the plot has to rasterized because of transparent overlays. Use some combination of the following settings to reduce the pdf file size.

Change the driver resolution (sounds like you already tried this). If your plots are rasterized, there is a setting in this group called Rasterized Quality Factor. Lowering this can also reduce the file size. Also, under the Base Properties tab, pick Raster Printing, and lower the quality factor. You can try different values to find out what setting reduces the file size and still get acceptable quality.

You also may try setting Enable Optional Content to Off (this turns off creation of levels in the pdf).

As to raster change resolution, I suggest you try  to do this at print time  at first  through the printer dialog box settings  when your  doing testing  rather than edit the driver settings as its easier to understand ( if your unfamiliar with mnst) and you can just  keep tweaking by the slider bar or value typed and it  doesnt change the driver  then when  youve found the optimum setting  you can visit the  driver and  make the change  once..

I tried all of the suggestions that you and John gave me and neither seem to really reduce the size. Thank you though! This is so frustrating. I'm thinking maybe I need to get on a forum for Adobe and Bluebeam to see how I can reduce the sizes once they are printed to a PDF.