2003 sp1 printing problem 1

[DigiBob]

Noticed that when printing cylindrical, curved or angled objects that lines are edgey, similar to when lower graphic performance settings are used. Everything else looks fine..Anyone else have this problem?.. Was not like this with 2001plus and I have not changed anything except SW..

Bob

 

[DetroitPickles]

I didn't see that when I switched. I jumped right to sp1 from 2001+, and assume you did the same, since you didn't mention sp0. If you didn't change anything, then I'd reinstall it, after turning off any anti-virus software. If you did an "upgrade" before you did, you may want to blow it all away and do a "clean" install.

Kind of stinks...

Mr. Pickles

 

[DigiBob]

I just did a clean re-install from the cd..sp0 first then sp1.. Should I just re-install from sp1 and skip the cd install of sp0.. I noticed bad performance after I did the re-install when rotating models. I have never seen the printing problem before, looks like you are printing a bitmap from paintbush..

Bob

 

[DetroitPickles]

Bob,

I installed sp0 and then the sp0-sp1 download from SW. Wonder if you would have problems if you tried it is sp0 before you put sp1 on there?

Bad performance rotating models sounds like a graphic card driver incompatibility or soemthing. Perhaps your installation is messy with more than it should be...
Mr. Pickles

 

[berlitz]

Beginning with SW2003 you can have "Fast HLR/HLG" activated for drawing views (which was not possible in 2001Plus). For the views (this setting is view-depended) which are set to use "Fast HLR/HLG" SolidWorks uses the OpenGL functions to show the edges, therefor they are a) thinner then the normal lines, b) have all the same thickness and c) depends on the quality setting for the document also for printing.

If you have the quality quiet low so you see circle edges like straight lines you will also notice that in printing and as well for exporting a TIFF. I personally think this is more a bug than a feature and I got a SPR on this (157068).

But solving the problem is very easy: before printing turn off "Fast HLR/HLG" for all views and go for it.

Bye,
Stefan
--
unofficial german SolidWorks helpsite

http://solidworks.cad.de

tools and programs for SolidWorks

http://swtools.cad.de

 

[DetroitPickles]

If this HLR/HLG thing is true, that stinks. I got to try this and see. That would bite big ones, for some, who do use the HLR/HLG setting. Mine is fixed and I don't change it. Sometimes my quality gets low (circles become real multi-sided things), but I just assumed that the print would make corrections. Must try....

Thanks Mr. Pickles

 

[DigiBob]

Berlitz,
You da man!! The printing problem was caused by the HLR\HLV setting for the views. I noticed that de-selecting it in the properties has no effect on current views and right clicking the view did not give me an option to change it. I had to cutomize the toolbar to add the HLR\HLV button then select the view and de-select the button.. Prints great now..

thanks, now to figure out my performance problem..ahhhh!

 

[berlitz]

Good to hear, that this solves your problem.

You can also check/uncheck this option for the views with menus, the settings is located at View/Display/Use Fast HLR.

What's really bad with this is that it is stored with the document, so if you have automatic processes to export to TIFF or PDF in your PDM system you have to make sure, that the programs deselect this setting prior to printing/exporting. Hope SolidWorks will fix/enhance it very soon.

Bye,
Stefan

--
unofficial german SolidWorks helpsite

http://solidworks.cad.de

tools and programs for SolidWorks

http://swtools.cad.de

 

[DigiBob]

FYI,
figured out the performance problem..I am using the NVIDA Quadro2 Pro. I had to download the driver specifically for SolidWorks and set the OpenGL option for SolidWorks and that did it!! What a difference! I had the genric driver installed that came with the PC but did not know that NVIDA had specific drivers for the different CAD packages and SolidWorks had it's own driver..

Bob

 

[DetroitPickles]

Bob,

Sorry, I didn't realize (or forgot) that you had the performance problem. If I would have figured it out sooner, I would have told you about the driver. I have the same card in my office machine. It has proven stable, although a "sister" PC to mine had one die. It kept plopping black squares around the cursor when it fealt like it. Nothing solved it except a new card.
Mr. Pickles

 

[DetroitPickles]

Stefan,

I tried the HLR deal like you ststed and was impressed by this little "feature". Thanks for helping Bob and educating me and others. Now I know what to avoid...

Mr. Pickles