Plan re-sizing

[Ace]

2004 ish I had a brilliant piece of software called TilePrint from BlackFlight.com who are not around any more, was not free but 15 Canadian dollars well spent. Its on a really old PC and being windows I can't (no skill) get the program copied over so is now defunct. It's ability to re-size PDF's using a ruler to define any parts size then scale the whole plan was brilliant, then tile print the whole or sections. Plus a whole host of other useful stuff.

 

Islplot will do most formats but unfortunately I don't believe  PDF's 🤔

 

So 18 yrs on what else is out there for free or a small fee that can scale a PDF (+ other formats) to a specific size rather than just by %, then tile print the plan or sections?

 

[kc]

Adobe Acrobat is free and the later versions can scale a PDF plan to any percentage size.   You have to note that in the print section you need to to put 100percent ( or whatever you choose )and not tick fit to page.   You can tile print onto  A4 if you want also  tick for the overlap lines to be printed.   Also you could highlight some section and just print that.

Edited February 9, 2023 by kc

[kc]

It is, of course,  Adobe Acrobat Reader that is free.

 

Perhaps you meant how to get the percentage?     Divide required wingspan etc by existing wingspan then multiply by 100.

Example  required wingspan 55 while plan is 50 inch.    new wingspan 55 divide by old span 50 times 100 gives  print at 110 percent.         Or required wingspan 48  while plan is 72 inch span     48 divide by 72 x100 = print at  66percent

 

Same applies to just a wing rib or anything. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by kc

[Ace]

Cheers KC for the explanation which I had worked with but having AB Reader the % in 1% increments is not available that I can see and the monthly AB fee is wayyyyy to expensive for a retired honorary Yorkshireman. I was looking to see if say a side or rib re-sized to best fit a sheet of balsa/foamboard would equate to what wingspan? I of course may end up with a chosen WS irrespective of waste but a slight +/- may be more efficient?

[kc]

  

I suppose trial and error would work.

However I see that my Acrobat reader ( 2022 ) allows any decimal percentage - I typed 99.5,  109 etc  in Custom Scale and it accepted it althoughI didn't actually print this time.    It's in the Print menu not the display on screen.

 

For real economy on larger wings look at the method of Mini Waste Wings in the this thread

Edited February 9, 2023 by kc

[Martin McIntosh]

I have done a couple of tiled plan resizes (during covid lockdowns) but it is a real pain. Much easier to get your local print shop to do it now; it does not cost a lot and will be on quality paper.

[Peter Miller]

I have Tile print on my 23 year old desktop and do occasionally  use it  but it is far easier to email a PDF to my local office supply shop and then collect it the next day when I go shopping.

 

I also get RCM&E plans for my designs for proofing  which saves time and effort.

 

By pure luck the shop is right beside where I park in my local Waitrose car park.

[Ace]

Unfortunately having a company print a copy doesn't help with resizing or deciding on scale or best use of materials.

 

KC, upgraded to latest AA reader DC 👍 and it has a measuring tool but can not see a resize before printing 😥 Saving just saves the original sizing.

[Andy Gates]

Print shop I use resizes the plans for me, I give them the PDF and the wingspan I want to achieve and they resize and print off for me.

[kc]

You click on Print in file menu to open a window with printing options - select Custom then state percentage.

[Ace]

Yes  but you can only measure/estimate altered sizes by printing out. It/s not JUST the WS I want to alter but be able to size parts economically for best use with wingspan secondary being there or there abouts.

I can/t see any way to save an adjusted print without actually printing as all the sizing is done only at printing. AA Reader DC does have a measuring feature but would then require % maths for every measurement I wanted. Not ideal but a work around. 

The old TilePrint allowed size to  be adjusted by setting a user defined specific size to a defined distance, say a fuz side. So by making the side 36" long (one sheet) the whole plan would be resized to that scale, and could be saved at that size and printed later.

So nothing anyone is aware of 🤞

  

[perttime]

The free Inkscape vector graphics program can resize a PDF.

Better make a copy of the original, so that you don't lose that, just in case.

 

For tiled printing, use the Poster (I think) option in Adobe Reader.

[Ron Gray]

9 hours ago, Ace said:

So nothing anyone is aware of 

Try searching the ‘net for calibrate pdf.

[Peter Miller]

The PDF reader on my Chromebook allows me to view at over 100% .  I found this useful when my main question was "Could I get the battery in through a restricted space ."  It prove that I needed to enlarge to 120% rather than my preferred 115 %.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Piers Bowlan]

A ruler, calculator and a sheet of balsa will enable you to work out the +-% you need, to be economical or whatever. You don’t need a graphics program to work that out. Perhaps you need a new printer as on mine I just type in the % I require and press ‘print’ and it tile prints. It is slow, laborious and not particularly accurate sticking the sheets together. I usually  use a local professional printers who charge £3 + vat for an A1 sheet, or a bit more for bigger sheets. Probably no more expensive than all the paper/ ink from tile printing, more accurate and convenient too. If you want a section of a plan they will do that too but at that price just get another copy and cut it up as you please.

[Ace]

Perttime - thanks will have a look at Inksscape, although Tile Printing was not the issue, people were assuming it literally not noticing in my OP it was the name of BlackFlight's program.

 

Ron - Tucked away in AA Reader DC is a measure feature to define a scale and dose adjust the whole plan at that scale so enabling other measurements without maths. So once you have measured the length of say the fuz and worked out what percentage it needs to be scaled by for you chosen size, you can then re-size the whole plan. The percentage works to 0.01 in/cm. Unfortunately if I then try and print it comes out at the original size. If I save the adjusted plan and then reopen, it too reverts to the original size 😥.   

 

All the online guidance I have seen are about adjusting scale rather than being able to define a given distance.

[Ace]

Looking like a a two stage process - AA Reader to take measurements from PDF plans then old school maths to convert to a % for my printer which is capable of tile printing.

 

Shame Blackflights TilePrint program is no longer around - way ahead for its time, brilliantly simple to adjust/print plans at the user defined size from one measurement.

 

Thanks all - Time to go build something and go flying.

[Robin Colbourne]

Tileprint is available here: Tileprint

I'm not that IT savvy, but managed to download it and it seems to work.  Maybe someone who is IT savvy could take a look and check it is as 'clean' as it claims to be.

[Flying Squirrel]

I've not read the whole thread but from what I have I think PDF Xchange editor will do what you need, you can calibrate the scale/measure tool using a known reference (wingspan?)and use that to measure the rest of the drawing.

 

Not free but a brilliant tool, we use it at work as a replacement for adobe acrobat.

 

You may get a free 30 day trial??

[Ace]

6 hours ago, Robin Colbourne said:

Tileprint is available here: Tileprint

I'm not that IT savvy, but managed to download it and it seems to work.  Maybe someone who is IT savvy could take a look and check it is as 'clean' as it claims to be.

Be nice if some could please. My old copy needed an activation key from Black Flight Models many moons ago.

 

 

FS - Thanks - however for the odd use free would be better.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Ace