Remove Layers from PDF

Question

Good morning, 
 I have a PDF plot driver that was creating PDFs with the layering functionality included in the resulting PDF. In an effort to reduce the file size of the PDFs, I was hoping to get rid of that functionality, but I am not able to do so. For starters, the field called "Enable Optional Content" was left blank in the original driver, but the layers were still showing up. I've edited the driver to change that field to "Off" (driver is attached to this post), saved and reloaded the driver, but the layers are still present in the new PDFs. Is there some other method that is forcing these PDFs to include the layers? I have switched to using the packaged PDF driver with that setting turned off and all looks good. It seems like it is something with the driver itself. I can use a copy of that driver and modify it to make it more like my original, but I would obviously prefer not to. 
 Any ideas? 
 Thanks, Ken 
 PowerGeopak SS4 
 PDF Full - No Levels.pltcfg

Jan Šlegr · Accepted Answer

Hi Ken, 
 Ken Harrison said: For starters, the field called "Enable Optional Content" was left blank in the original driver 
 Why did you do that? Do you assume this is correct modification to change an configuration to have undefined value? Is such configuration based on some recommendation or best practice from MicroStation documentation or discussed here or in admin community? 
 Ken Harrison said: It seems like it is something with the driver itself. 
 No with the driver itself (PDF printing engine), but probably with your configuration file. With all respect, your file is a mess. When I compare the original MicroStation pdf.pltcfg driver with yours, there are so many configurations undefined: 
 
 Why? Do you know exactly how MicroStation driver behaves when any from the options defined by default has no value assigned? 
 Even more (and worse) some settings seem to have set incorrect values. For example I found Optimize Raster Color Depth has value 2, which is nonsense in my opinion, because this setting is Boolean configuration, so valid values are False (0) and True(1), not any other. 
 Ken Harrison said: Any ideas? 
 I think there are two options: 
 
 Start from scratch, make a copy from original correct pdf.pltcfg file and change only the settings that are different. Never remove any setting, when it has assigned value in original file, it has to have the value also in your version! 
 Take both files (yours and original one) and to compare them. You will see how many settings are missing and also some probably have incorrect values. I guess this is the reason why you file does not work as expected. 
 
 With regards, 
 Jan

Lorys · Answer

The driver I sent you was the original untouched... and I basically mentioned what to try to change.. those blanks you reported were a worry so I too thought it better to rebuild a new custom one... FYI I think you should now recheck all your customised drivers.......

Lorys · Answer

This what I have in my default untouched original pdf. plt cfg from what you described I think your driver is corrupt you should not edit some of the values that have pull downs such as the enable optional content... 
 Attached is my original PDF.pltcfg unedited... out of the box 
 I use msnt ss3. copy and rename then edit by the pull downs the enable optional to be off the text searchbale to be off the rgb comp to be jpeg not zipped basically everything in my screen capt that can be changed from is ON to OFF and under the resolution make that lower or hight depending if your pdfs come too big.. I have 2 named copies one 600dpi and one 300dpi also one called LayeredON just incase clients want it... but I think this only works with adobe reader being able to see and choose levels.... 
 3884.pdf.pltcfg

Remove Layers from PDF

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