Terrible viewing performance with PDFs from CAD

[travisb10426269]

I have a terrible time viewing PDFs from CAD programs that architects send us. I know the files are complex with vector textures and lots of lines, but Acrobat Pro DC 2019 (mac) is almost unusable even on a new computer. Pages take a long time to load, the program locks up, I can't switch tools, etc.

Is there a way to get better performance with these files? Any settings I can change?

[ls_rbls]

This may sound trivial to you, but I think the problem is directly related to 32bit vs 64bit compatibility issue.

Check if the Adobe Acrobat version that you are using is 32bit or 64bit. If it is 32bit version there is a 64bit version that is designed for macOS and from what Ive read it performs better if yhe processor in that mac is Intel based.

If you already have a 64bit version of Acrobat, I suggest that if the file is going to be just viewed in PDF format to have the creator of the CAD file reduce file size, optimize for fast web view, or save as in a different postscripted format.

Again, if the users of this CAD to PDF file just need to view the file and not need to edit it , you are better off if the original PDF converted file is then saved as Reader Extended---> More tools

You may experience  small but significant improvement in performance when viewing the file as Acribat Reader.

[travisb10426269]

Thanks for the response. The version I'm using is the 64bit. Unfortunately, we usually don't have the opportunity to specify file details with architects.

Saving as Extended seems helpful. What does Extended do that a normal PDF doesn't?

[ls_rbls]

It allows certain backward compatibility with older versions of Acrobat, making the file size somewhat reduced and lighter. At least in my personal experience. What i normally do after I finish a form with Acrobat pro, i save as optimize and compare file sizes between the optimized file and the origunsl. If the size difference is not significant then I use the save as reduce file size which allows me to also select backward compatibility with older versions of Acribat and even apply it to multiple files simultaneously during the saving process if I choose to do so. Then after my document is reduced in file size I save it as reader extended. For some reason tgis is something I discovered to work for me on my own. My forms have a lot javascripts and signature fields and dropdown menus that calculate other values to other text fields out of very extensive list items. It takes a few secinds for a form in adobe acrobat pro to do its job. But when i save it as Reader Extended my form works fenomenally faster than ever. See for yourself if this approach helps in anyway.