To make the pdf_export tool work, you need to add Windows Print Froms of the Paper Sizes you want to print to your Windows Print Management. Ever wanted to print a pdf to a certain format and added a "special" paper format in the print properties of your installed pdf printer. When you do this the paper format is also added to your Windows Print Forms.
You need to add paper sizes of all the paper formats you usually need to your WindowsPrintForms.
The WindowsPrintForms are stored in the Windows Registry.
You can export this regkey and transfer it to other Windows System.
In this Repo there is a regkey included which, if added to your registry, adds PrintForms in cm-Format to your Registry.
PaperSizeFormats are [lengthxheight] 50cmx50cm up to 130cmx90cm, steps of 5cm. A height of 90cm is the limit because usual plotters use paperrolls with a max-height of 915mm. DinA1 - DinA3 Formats are included as well.
The pdf_export tool reads out the length- and height parameters of your TitleBlock, looks for a matching PaperSizeFormat in your WindowsPrintForms (cm Format). If it doesn't find the right one it adds 5cm, to the length, looks again for a matching format, adds 5cm to the height, looks again and so on. This process is repeated 3 times. If it doesn't find a matching format it uses 90cmx90cm format.
pdf printer:
I use PDFCreator. To make the automatic pdf naming work the pdf profile setting must look like this.
The pdf name input one provides in the pdf-print Dialog is a comma separated Revit-parameter list. Every Parameter is looked up, extracted and added to a string which is the name of the pdf.
From what I found out it is also possible to programmatically create a PaperSizeFormat Object everytime you print and provide that to your Submit Print Method. This has been described on Stack Overflow somewhere.