Hardware / PDF / Container Question

[Jarvis]

I'm building a networked solution for my cabinetshop.

My ultimate goal is to be able to save my CAD drawings as PDF files and have them available for view at client stations throughout the shop.

I'm having a problem getting the image to show up crisp and readable on the screen.

I'm not sure if the problem is software based or hardware based.

The only monitor that works like it's supposed to is a 20 inch apple display on a Mac G4.

My network is configured as follows:

Computer 1: G5 Imac > Filemaker Server > Filesharing turned OFF

Computer 2: G5 Imac > Dedicated server that only holds images > Filesharing turned ON.

Computer 3: G4Tower with 20" Apple Flat Display > FM 7 Developer > Filesharing turned ON

Computer 4: G3 Tower with 17" CRT Display > FM 7 > Filesharing turned ON.

In all cases, the PDF files are inserted into the container field as a stored reference.

(The actual file resides on computer 2 dedicated server)

When I open the PDF file on the G4 the image is quite bright and the lines are quite dark.

When I open the PDF file on any other machine the dark lines become light grey and are hard to see.

I have also tried this on a stand-alone 20 inch Imac flat screen and a standalone 17 inch Imac Flat screen. In both cases the results are very poor quality.

I would sure like to figure this out before I start to spread out some client stations.

I am going to try to attach a PDF file to see if any body else can sort this out.

Thanks for any insight,

Jarvis

Laundrycrownmolding.pdf

[stanley]

Jarvis:

Are the PDFs being viewed in FileMaker, or are they being opened in Preview or Acrobat instead?

-Stanley

[TougToug]

Can read your attached file fine !!

[hmno]

I've been following this thread closely as I'm dealing with the exact same issue - the need to view pdfs over Macs networked with FM7. For what it's worth, I seem to have hit on a way to accomplish this that doesn't satisfy the FM side of me but gets the job done very nicely.

I've been experimenting with the latest version of Acrobat Professional on the Mac (Version 7) and I've discovered that I can store my pdfs on one computer and open them on at least 2 computers simultaneously using regular Mac system networking.

I'm going to torture test this today on my 5 Mac network. I know it's not what most of us are looking for (prefer to use FM as the front end to access pdf documents), but for me it gets the job done while wiser souls figure out how to accomplish a more elegant solution.

By the way, the Acrobat 7 opens very quickly and sorting/organizing files is a lot more intuitive than it was on Acrobat 6.

Offered in hopes it will be of use. Thanks!

[Fenton]

I'm on a G4 eMac. The lines are very faint (Preview, ToyViewer, GraphicConverter). Everything else is fine. It's probably some anti-aliasing that makes those thin lines almost disappear. You see the same thing in FileMaker 7, hairline black is faint gray.

I just had an idea. Have you tried PNG? I found that it does a good job on drawings.

[stanley]

Ditto. The lines are very faint. In fact, if I zoom in on them, they remain the same (single pixel), so I think this is actually how they *should* look. I'm on a G4 tower with an Apple 15" LCD.

-Stanley