[VBA V8i] Turning Off PDF Layers via Macros - Can it be done?

Hi caddcop,

Would using MicroStation Print Organizer Key-ins possibly help?

Bob

I don't see any that look like they would deal with PDF Layers.

Hi caddcop,

Do you mind providing a screen capture of the exact dialog and settings (as an example) of what you are trying to control?  This will make sure I know w/o question what tool/area you are looking to influence.  Print Organizer (pset files) could certainly influence levels on/off for printing to PDF, although (now) it sounds like you have an existing PDF (not new) that you would like to modify layers (levels) displaying; possibly as a reference or other way I wish to clarify.

Thank you in advance,
Bob

That is precisely what is occurring.

Our Cartographic unit converted all map creation tasks to ESRI. But they found they needed a 3rd party solution to certain annotation/labeling tasks. Unfortunately, these do not translate back to DGN, so we can no longer get DGN maps to use for location maps with our plans.

So we are having to use PDF's for these, but often, a project falls near an edge of the map, requiring two or even four PDF's to provide that base image. Getting the maps to honor the geographic coordinate system was proving elusive and is really a topic in another thread. (Summarizing its evolution - we determined that creating the PDF in the same view that they would ordinarily use, resulted in multiple coordinate systems in one PDF and the MicroStation Code the read GEO=-PDF's detect that issue, but does not offer the option of selecting the desired one, but simply reports the problem and attached the file at 0,0 with a scale of 1.)

We therefore have had to request that they create a special PDF for us from a view that does not contain their map border graphics. The result however, still has some layers we would prefer to turn off. Processes like this would benefit from some automation so users do not have to repeat the process for every map, every time that they have to create a new map.

Consider this our vote to add that functionality to the programming API in the future. 

That is precisely what is occurring.

Our Cartographic unit converted all map creation tasks to ESRI. But they found they needed a 3rd party solution to certain annotation/labeling tasks. Unfortunately, these do not translate back to DGN, so we can no longer get DGN maps to use for location maps with our plans.

So we are having to use PDF's for these, but often, a project falls near an edge of the map, requiring two or even four PDF's to provide that base image. Getting the maps to honor the geographic coordinate system was proving elusive and is really a topic in another thread. (Summarizing its evolution - we determined that creating the PDF in the same view that they would ordinarily use, resulted in multiple coordinate systems in one PDF and the MicroStation Code the read GEO=-PDF's detect that issue, but does not offer the option of selecting the desired one, but simply reports the problem and attached the file at 0,0 with a scale of 1.)

We therefore have had to request that they create a special PDF for us from a view that does not contain their map border graphics. The result however, still has some layers we would prefer to turn off. Processes like this would benefit from some automation so users do not have to repeat the process for every map, every time that they have to create a new map.

Consider this our vote to add that functionality to the programming API in the future. 

Hi Chuck,

caddcop said:

Consider this our vote to add that functionality to the programming API in the future. 

this is not enough! Post your idea to Ideas section, so also other people, not participating in this discussion, will be aware of the idea and will be able to comment and vote.

Regards,

  Jan

Done!