Adobe DC - Disable AutoCAD SHX Text box functionality

Report · Jul 11, 2016

Hello and thanks for reading. - I have searched all over Google, the Adobe Forums, and other online Tech Tips trying to solve this, but so far have not been able to come up with anything. - I realize this is not an earth shattering issue and most users would be unaffected, but it is a drawdown in our productivity as well as a nuisance.

My company works with a lot of *.pdf documents which were originally created with AutoCAD and sent to us for analysis . - With DC 10, almost all of those documents now have comments or pop-up boxes. The issue is that these were originally large 24"x36" drawings so they contain a lot of information, even more when it's loading a single page on a 24" monitor. - As we try to review a full page, even on our large monitor, panning thru a document using the hand tool almost always results in grabbing a symbol of some sort. If you accidentally grab one ( and it's hard not too ), Adobe DC determines you are selecting an AutoCAD text box, so it immediately disables the pan function and then turns the symbol into a blue box and calls up the Autocad SHX Text box. - This makes panning/scrolling problematic.

Today, the 1 page document I am currently working on has 1,688 comments - If I bring up the comment App, I can hide all comments, which works fine for the document I am in, but as soon as the next document is loaded, the comments come back. -

Is there a global - sticky - setting that can control all files or is there a selection to turn this back into an actual "flat file" with no AutoCAD functionality ? - Like back in the good old days when Adobe was so simple.

Thanks in advance.

.

Report · Jun 14, 2018

I have the same issue sometimes with plan sheets I receive from external partners that I need to incorporate into my plan set. I don't have a solution to turn this off, but a work around I use is to "print" the PDF file to the Adobe PDF printer from my list of printers. In the print screen, there is a section for "Comments and Forms", select document only and it should strip away the SHX text data that is appearing as a comment in the PDF file, while keeping the actual text in the file that I can read & review.

This will create another pdf file so you will need to figure out a naming convention to not confuse the original file with the new file that doesn't have the SHX text in it.

I am using Adobe Pro DC-Ver.2015.023.20070. with WIN 10 operating system.

I'm sorry I don't have a better solution, but hopefully this workaround can make your job easier.

Report · Jul 12, 2020

I also had this problem. I am trying to add comments and then the comment cursor selects the SHX text!!. And I wanted to make a comment to the text, because it's wrong. For some reason my PC was extremely slow working in these PDF's with SHX. With this work around my PC is at its max speed again... Why do we use PDF, because it does not draw much resources from the PC, these SHX texts inhibit the functional use of Adobe and PDF!

@jeremyw96901884

Thank you. This solved my problem.

Report · Jul 13, 2020

Thanks for the work around. Why can't Adobe do this in the program? Bluebeam Revu is very good for engineering/drafting

Report · Nov 13, 2020

This is not working for me on Mac, I get the following message:
"Saving a PDF file when printing is not supported. Instead, choose File > Save."
any Idea what could be causing this?

Thanks!

Report · Nov 13, 2020

This is impossible on Mac.

Report · Jan 09, 2021

This is the most direct solution. Type PDFSHX command in AutoCAD, and set the value to 0. This will eliminate SHX comments in converted PDFs altogether. I hope that helps.

Report · Feb 12, 2024

This is no good when someone else sends you the pdf. Honestly why doesn't adobe provide a way to turn them off on there end?

Report · Jul 14, 2022

Hello, this solution avoid PDF SHX Comments, but it flattens the text in PDF and the document is no more searchable. Is there any way where we can convert the Autocad DWG file to searchable PDF without Autocad SHX Text?

Report · Nov 30, 2023

Use a true type font. The "standard" font in autocad is simplex.shx, if you pllot to pdf with a true type font, such as simplex_IV25, the pdf will be searchable, smaller, and without teh AutoCAD SHX comments.

Report · Jan 13, 2023

you are the wind beneath my wings

Report · Jun 27, 2024

Thank you for this workaround

Report · Jan 09, 2021

This is the most direct solution. Type PDFSHX command in AutoCAD, and set the value to 0. This will eliminate SHX comments in converted PDFs altogether. I hope that helps.

Report · Feb 17, 2021

Many of us are experiencing the same issue. However, the issue starts with the individual that creates the PDF from AutoCAD. We are not the ones creating the problem, we are just trying to deal with it after the fact. The method of reprinting the PDF in my experience reduces the file size to about half its original size. It is a pain, but it does help. So the most direct solution is the answer, but we need to get this information to the people creating these files with AutoCAD SHX comments in the first place.

Report · Jul 28, 2021

Yes, we get sent thousands of PDF files from clients that have this issue from Autocad export, like you we cant do anything about this as we cant get the client to change their processes. I was unsure if we could flatten the PDF or if doing that would loose something that was needed in the comments.

Report · Jun 07, 2022

Try use foxit reader.

i install both of this and either of these still have some issues.

Adobe annoying with SHX while comment or sketching comment, while you will not see any of these SHX block in foxit reader. Not sure why Adobe cannot learn from this.

Foxit reader sometimes cannot printing, just show the printing loop. But i love the way they manage for commenting.

SV.

Report · Jul 14, 2022

Hello, this solution avoid PDF SHX Comments, but it flattens the text in PDF and the document is no more searchable. Is there any way where we can convert the Autocad DWG file to searchable PDF without Autocad SHX Text?

Report · Jun 23, 2022

Go to Comments > Filter > Hide All Comments

Report · Jul 14, 2022

Hello, this solution just hides PDF SHX Comments, but document remains too slow.

Is there any way where we can convert the Autocad DWG file to searchable PDF without Autocad SHX Text?

Report · Dec 15, 2022

Before plotting, enter "EPDFSHX" in command line, enter value "0".

Should fix hte issue with text being used as comments in PDF.

Report · Dec 28, 2022

Hi

Comments can be hidden in Adobe. We can select which comments to be shown, which to be hidden.

Try this

Click View>Tools>Comment>Open. On right hand side a comment window will open and show all the comments including SHX text.

Then we can filter the comments as below

Click on Filter symbol>Reviewer>Select the name of the reviewer only. All other comments will be hidden. For eg. it will show 1.All, 2. Autocad SHX text 3. Reviewer name. If reviewer name is selected, SHX text will be hidden

Report · Feb 17, 2023

this is my way
go to "Print >> printer selection >> DWG to PDF >> Then click Properties >> Select Custom Properties >>

>> Open Custom Properties >> You will see several lists checked >> uncheck "Include Layer information"

>>ok and save>>Save Changes to The Following Files

Done