Proper PDF export (with searchable text etc.)

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0xdeadbeef
Posts: 63
Joined: 22 Jun 2013, 22:20

Proper PDF export (with searchable text etc.)

#1 Post by 0xdeadbeef » 30 Apr 2021, 03:27

I'm used to work with schematics that contain searchable text (but also netlists and links) at work, so understand the tool used there (Zuken) supports direct PDF export. Now, to mimic this at least to some degree with DipTrace I print to PDF and run an OCR over it to create some searchable text. This is better than nothing but far from being perfect. Firstly, it's a two step process, secondly, the OCR tends to fail on smaller texts and/or recognize text where there is none.
Is there any hope for DipTrace to get a proper PDF export option for schematics which at least allows to search for text (part names etc.)?

farley
Posts: 157
Joined: 15 Sep 2011, 09:28

Re: Proper PDF export (with searchable text etc.)

#2 Post by farley » 30 Apr 2021, 05:54

I can't confirm this for the latest version of DipTrace at the moment, but I believe that if a TrueType font is used in the schematic, and then the schematic is printed to PDF, the resultant document should be searchable.

Here is an earlier thread on the subject:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11743

0xdeadbeef
Posts: 63
Joined: 22 Jun 2013, 22:20

Re: Proper PDF export (with searchable text etc.)

#3 Post by 0xdeadbeef » 30 Apr 2021, 06:40

OK, I see. Has to be done separately for part markings, bus connections, pin numbers and text (where each text object already existing is not affected). But OK, that's better than nothing.
TrueType fonts seems to slow dawn the drawing quite considerably, though. I.e. moving around a big schematic becomes slow and jumpy. But OK, when using DirectDraw or OpenGL, this is more or less not much of a problem anymore. The only drawback with TrueType fonts seems to be the popping up of fonts when changing scale (they first seems to be just scaled up and then replaced with a new fonts size). That's not totally great but I can I can live with that.
I'd still wish there was an option to us TrueType fonts automatically when printing and use the faster vector fonts for editing/viewing.

0xdeadbeef
Posts: 63
Joined: 22 Jun 2013, 22:20

Re: Proper PDF export (with searchable text etc.)

#4 Post by 0xdeadbeef » 04 May 2021, 03:16

Just for the record: using the TrueType fonts for part markings proved to be not feasible. Sooner or later all the text turns into garbage no matter if using OpenGL, DirectX or GDI. Restarting only fixes this temporarily. The only possibility seems to be to use vector fonts and switch to TrueType (and back) only when printing the schematics. Which makes it even more sensible to implement an option that switches to TrueType fonts (and back) for printing automatically.

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KevinA
Posts: 639
Joined: 18 Dec 2015, 08:35

Re: Proper PDF export (with searchable text etc.)

#5 Post by KevinA » 04 May 2021, 06:48

Questions:
Why are you searching PDF files?
What OS, Version, Video card

0xdeadbeef
Posts: 63
Joined: 22 Jun 2013, 22:20

Re: Proper PDF export (with searchable text etc.)

#6 Post by 0xdeadbeef » 05 May 2021, 08:12

Why would someone not try to search a schematic in PDF format? Isn't this the most natural thing in the world to do? A schematic that is just a picture is totally useless to me.Just like any other PDF that doesn't contain searchable text.
Win10, newest version, RTX2080, newest driver.

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