Exporting Layouts to individual drawing files

[andrewd]

I'm looking for a tool for AutoCAD 2004 that will allow me to separate a completed paper space sheet to a separate drawing so that it may be filed on it's own.

We create working drawings using multiple drawing sheets (layouts), but to control the individual sheet revisions we need to separate the sheets to separate files when we issue for construction.

I'd like a tool that can do this in a quicker manner than just saving the file and deleting the other layouts.

Could a macro do this?

Regards
Andrew

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Via the forum search facility...

Convert multiple layouts to individual drawing files

Export Layout Tabs to drawing files

Creating file form one tab/sheet

Have a good one, Mike

[andrewd]

Thanks Mike,

The Sheet Set Manager in 2005 looks like a useful tool and a good step forward. In general I don't think AutoCAD 2004 is designed to take full advantage of a SHEET based filing system rather than a DWG base system.

I want to separate individual sheets from a central drawing to create individual dwgs. This is a common task in AutoCAD from what I can tell but there is no easy way to do it. Can a macro do it?

Kind Regards
Andrew

[Mike.Perry]

<SNIP>

I want to separate individual sheets from a central drawing to create individual dwgs. This is a common task in AutoCAD from what I can tell but there is no easy way to do it. Can a macro do it?

Hi

The three links I posted above, all contain direct links to LayoutsToDwgs.lsp.

Here is the direct link to LayoutsToDwgs.lsp

LayoutsToDwgs.lsp should exactly meet your requirements.

Have a good one, Mike

[andrewd]

Thanks Mike, that's exactly what I was after.

I have trouble finding things in the fridge too...maybe temporary blindness!

Next time I'll give the AUGI search engine a go - very useful.

Thanks for the quick response.
Andrew

[rkmcswain]

I'm looking for a tool for AutoCAD 2004 that will allow me to separate a completed paper space sheet to a separate drawing so that it may be filed on it's own.

We create working drawings using multiple drawing sheets (layouts), but to control the individual sheet revisions we need to separate the sheets to separate files when we issue for construction.

If you need a more powerful version of this routine, you might consider the capabilities of ToolPac's version which includes the ability to:

• Save the output files in a different DWG version.
• Erase MS geometry outside viewports
• Purge before creating output files.
• Bind and Explode X-ref's
• Erase geometry that is frozen/off
• Select the output path.

See also: http://www.dotsoft.com/demos/tpdislyosav.htm

[andrewd]

Thanks,

I just checked out the Toolpac movie of their layout extractor. VERY cool. LayoutsToDwgs.lsp is good for a free routine, but toolpac is even closer to what I wanted.

I loaded LayoutsToDwgs.lsp and it's great, however it separates out ALL the layouts. There seems to be no option to choose just one layout. If you have drawing with 10 layouts it can be a bit inconvenient.

The Toolpac system allows you to choose the layout you wish to separate, it also deletes the objects in model space that don't appear in the layout - very very clever. It also has a lot of other useful tools bundled with it.

Now I just need to convince my boss to invest as Toolpac isn't free.

Thanks again,
Andrew

[rkmcswain]

Now I just need to convince my boss to invest as Toolpac isn't free.

Hopefully that won't be too difficult. As I have said many times in this forum and others, the cost of TP is about 2 to 2-1/2 hours of billable time - which is easy to save in the first week or so of it's use. It's a no-brainer.

Not affiliated - just a user....