Unable to Print at 100%

[ctc]

In Revit 2010 I am trying to print the visible portion of current window of a view at full scale. With that radio button selected in the Print window, and the Zoom 100% selected on the Print Setup window, the view prints at a factor of about 5% and includes much more than just what is visible. I tried to search the Revit discussion group for "visible portion of current window" but received the all to common error "the search term you specified is under the minimum word length..."

[sbrown]

You sheet size much be must larger than the visible portion you are trying to print.

[patricks]

Zoom 100% means it will print actual size, not zoom the viewable area to fill the entire sheet.

If you want the latter, you need to choose Fit To Page and choose your large page size. Fit To Page will enlarge a small view area to fit a larger sheet, or shrink a larger view area (like a full size sheet) to fit on a smaller sheet.

Is the printed area on that 5% of your sheet actually printing at the set drawing scale?

[eric.piotrowicz]

A side note, but the search error is in relation to having words in the search that are less than three characters. The word "of" was causing the problem with your search.

[patricks]

If you include quotes around the phrase "visible portion of current window" you will not get an error. Quotes are a powerful tool/feature when searching forums using vBulletin, as it will search for that entire phrase, all-inclusive, regardless of word length.

[ctc]

You sheet size much be must larger than the visible portion you are trying to print.

Thanks for the reply.

There is no sheet size, I am printing from an elevation view.

[ctc]

Zoom 100% means it will print actual size, not zoom the viewable area to fill the entire sheet.

Is the printed area on that 5% of your sheet actually printing at the set drawing scale?

Thanks for the reply.

Yes I need to print at actual size. And no, the print is scaled.

[ctc]

A side note, but the search error is in relation to having words in the search that are less than three characters. The word "of" was causing the problem with your search.

Thank you.

[ctc]

If you include quotes around the phrase "visible portion of current window" you will not get an error. Quotes are a powerful tool/feature when searching forums using vBulletin, as it will search for that entire phrase, all-inclusive, regardless of word length.

Thanks, I'll try to remember that.

[DaveP]

Thanks for the reply.

There is no sheet size, I am printing from an elevation view.
I'm still a little confused about what your problem is.
Are you having trouble with the scale of the final plot, or the fact that it fills the page?

To re-phrase what Patrtick said, 100% means the plot ends up as the scale listed in the lower right corner of the Elevation View (1/8" = 1'-0" or whatever)

I'm guessing your real complaint, though is that, even though you are Zoomed into a small part of the building you get more of the building plotted that you want.
It's a long-standing Wish List item, but Revit's "Visible potion of current View" is not AutoCAD's "Plot Window".
When you print Visible Portion, Revit does use the lower left corner of your View as the lower left corner of the plot, but the upper right is determined by the Paper Size field specified on the Print Setup tab of the plot dialog. So, if you left everything else the same, and printed once to 8 1/2 x 11 and again to 11 x 17, you'll see more of your building on the 11 x 17.
Revit determines the upper right corner of your plot not truly by the "Visible Portion", but by the page size.
Why we don't have a Plot Window is still beyond me. However, if I really had to, I could live with Visible Portion if it really did print the Visible Portion.

[patricks]

Actually it appears that Print Visible Portion prints from the center of the view out to however much fits on the sheet size at the selected scale and zoom level. I have found that sometimes the printed area isn't actually the center of the view on the screen if the view is maximized. If you hit the Restore button on the view window so that your individual views show on top of one another, then it will print whatever is visible from the center of the view.

[DaveP]

OK, now you got me curious, so I created a Drafting View at 1:1 scale & drew a 1" grid on it.
(Image Screenshot.png)
Then I plotted it using various options.
Images are attached. Hopefully the names are descriptive enough.
Pat, I think the difference in yours and mine are that my default for "Paper Placement" in the Print Setup tab is "Offset from corner" and your is "Center".

[patricks]

Oh yes, I always use Center. I never ever use Offset from Corner... not sure why you WOULDN'T want to print centered, but anyway...

[ctc]

I'm still a little confused about what your problem is.
Are you having trouble with the scale of the final plot, or the fact that it fills the page?

The scale, it's not printing at full.


To re-phrase what Patrtick said, 100% means the plot ends up as the scale listed in the lower right corner of the Elevation View (1/8" = 1'-0" or whatever)

That's it exactly. I must change the scale to 12"=1'-0".


Revit determines the upper right corner of your plot not truly by the "Visible Portion", but by the page size.
Why we don't have a Plot Window is still beyond me. However, if I really had to, I could live with Visible Portion if it really did print the Visible Portion.

Yes, that's problemmatic.

[ctc]

Oh yes, I always use Center. I never ever use Offset from Corner... not sure why you WOULDN'T want to print centered, but anyway...

Yes, Center is what I always use.

Does anyone know why, on the "Print Setup" window, the default zoom is always "fit to page". And when I select "Zoom", then the paper placement changes to "offset from corner" causing me to select "Center"?

Equally as frustrating, does anyone know why on the "print" window if in the print range I choose "selected views/sheets", the file changes to "create separate files." And once again I am obliged to select "Combine multiple selected views..."? I can't tell you how much time I waste canceling a 50+ sheet printing set after the file automatically changes to "create separate files".

[patricks]

Yes, Center is what I always use.

Does anyone know why, on the "Print Setup" window, the default zoom is always "fit to page". And when I select "Zoom", then the paper placement changes to "offset from corner" causing me to select "Center"?

Equally as frustrating, does anyone know why on the "print" window if in the print range I choose "selected views/sheets", the file changes to "create separate files." And once again I am obliged to select "Combine multiple selected views..."? I can't tell you how much time I waste canceling a 50+ sheet printing set after the file automatically changes to "create separate files".

Who knows. At one time several releases back, Center was the default option when picking Zoom. Then at some point they changed it to automatically go to Offset From Corner when you pick Zoom. Annoying yet, but I have learned to always check it.

[patricks]

That's it exactly. I must change the scale to 12"=1'-0".


You have to change the scale to actual size on what? What are you printing that requires you to change the view scale to actual size?

[ctc]

You have to change the scale to actual size on what? What are you printing that requires you to change the view scale to actual size?

I was trying to print Architectural detail from an elevation view to assist as an overlay in model making.

[DaveP]

Ah, so you ARE printing life size.
That wasn't clear to me from your earlier description.
When Revit prints at 100%, it means 100% of whatever the View says it's scale is. If you want a plot that's twice the scale, you print it at 200%.
If your elevation was originally 1/8" = 1'=0", to get it life size, you could print it at 9600%. I haven't tried that, so I don't know if it can even handle a number that big, but using the Zoom factor would be the "Revit way" to change scales. Changing the View Scale may have other implications - primarily making any Text really tiny.
Then again, I'll guess that you don't want your entire Building Elevation plotted at life size. What I would do is make a Callout of the thing you need to print out, and set the scale of the Callout to 12"=1'-0"