To Work with Importing PDF Data

You can import the objects in a PDF file or PDF underlay into your current drawing file.

Import the Data from a PDF File

1. Click Insert tabImport panelPDF Import. Find
2. In the Select PDF File dialog box, specify the PDF file that you want to import, and click Open.
3. In the Import PDF dialog box:
   1. If the PDF has multiple pages, choose the page to import by clicking a thumbnail image or by entering a page number.
   2. Set or clear Specify Insertion Point On-screen as needed.
      Note: When this option is cleared, the PDF is imported at the UCS origin (0,0).
   3. Set the scale and rotation.
   4. Set the options for importing geometry, fills, raster images, and TrueType text objects.
   5. Choose what method to apply for assigning imported objects to layers.
   6. Set options to control how PDF objects are processed after being imported.
   7. Click OK.
4. Specify the insertion point if prompted.

Import a Specified Area from a PDF Underlay

1. Select the PDF underlay.
2. On the PDF Underlay contextual tab, Click Import as Objects. Find
3. At the prompt, click two diagonal points that define a rectangular crossing area, or choose one of the other options.

   A crossing area is similar to a crossing selection. The Settings option displays a dialog box in which you can choose what types of objects to import, how layers should be accommodated, whether the imported objects should be imported as a block, and several other options.

4. Choose whether you want to keep, detach, or unload the attached PDF after the selected objects have been imported.

The specified area of the attached PDF is imported into the drawing as AutoCAD objects.

Convert SHX Geometry into Multiline Text Objects

1. Click Insert tabImport panelRecognition Settings. Find
2. In the PDF Text Recognition Settings dialog box, under SHX Fonts to Compare, click one or more fonts that appear to be the most similar to the imported SHX geometry.
3. Click the up or down arrow buttons to order the list so the most likely font is at the top.
4. Choose any other options as desired and then click OK.
5. Select the geometric objects that represented the SHX text in the PDF and press Enter. Be careful to avoid selecting any objects that are not part of the characters.

A dialog box reports the percent of the objects that could not be converted to multiline text. The characters that were converted are highlighted. If the threshold percent that you set is not achieved, then the next font that you specified on the list is processed. If none of the fonts pass the threshold try one of the following:

• Select fewer objects for processing. This can help you identify problems and extraneous geometry.
• Select a different font that might be a better match.
• Lower the success threshold percent in the PDF Text Recognition Settings dialog box.

Once you're satisfied with your settings, the process for converting SHX geometry into multiline text becomes much simpler:

• Click Insert tabImport panelRecognize SHX Text. Find

Note: To combine separate multiline text objects, use the Combine Text (TXT2MTXT) command. Find