KIP 6000 printer - setting up plot margins
We have a KIP6000 printer. I'm resolving, or trying to resolve some nagging plotting problems. then bring these refinements to other ACAD machines throughout our office.
The problem I'm having is that test rectangles representing all the page sizes, 17x11, 22x17, 34x22, etc all came out cut off.
This was a result of having set the margins to zero, so I went back and gave .25 margins all around. Guess what, still cut off. Worse yet, it seems that this stupid plotting utility wants to expand the "margins", but not to reduce the plot size/scale.
I've used "fit to plot" and sent drawings scaled during this misadventure. Every plot comes back cut off on at least one side.
What angers me is that, aside from the physical limitations that plotters have, printing a full 36" swath on 36" paper - margins on 36" X 500' rolls of paper are pure idiocy, or at least this dysfunctional manner of managing them, but I'll digress as best I can...
I'm about done with ideas of my own. Hopefully someone out there can sense into all this.
RE: Plotting Margin Nightmare
Well, it all started cooperating with me.
Getting complete plots now, so nevermind I guess.
...but this plotting thing is still a mess.
Okay, okay... I'll digress.
RE: Plotting Margin Nightmare
Quote:
Originally Posted by ted_berner
...but this plotting thing is still a mess.
I've been ranting about this one for years...
In our office, there are two devices people use (at most 3, if you count "printing" to PDF files), and hardly anyone can get plots to land correctly on a given paper size every time.
In spite of numerous re-writes of the interface, Autodesk still cannot get it right. Plotting always has been and still is a black art. The idea that you have to hack and hack, using trial and error, to find the magic combination of choices in your printer driver just to get plots that aren't truncated is all but criminal. Imagine the frustration of my CAD-illiterate boss, who, having paid thousands of dollars in license fees, in order to get a hard copy of even the simplest drawing, has to rely on one of his drafters, who may or may not get it right.
And often the drafters feel that just getting any plots at all is such a struggle that the boss should be grateful to get whatever hard copy they can produce, regardless of how error-ridden the content may be.
Is the ability to generate plots of the essence of CAD? If this ability is so crippled in AutoCAD, is Autodesk guilty of fraud for even calling it a CAD program?
Michael Evans
Togawa Smith Martin Residential, Inc.
RE: Plotting Margin Nightmare
Autodesk likes to blame it on (HP, Oce, Kip, etc.) and they like to blame it on Autodesk...
We plot to file more than not, and use a separate program to send the plots to the printer. Because of that we can view the output (the plot file) and it's usually correct. 9 times out of 10, the problem occurs between the plot file and the printer (meaning in the HP, Oce, Kip, etc.) hardware/software.
Even if you don't normally plot to file, when you run into a problem, check on the "plot to file" checkbox, and then view the plot file in a viewer.
RE: KIP 6000 printer - setting up plot margins
AutoCAD does some things better than MicroStation, for instance dimensioning is much more intuitive and flexible with AutoCAD.
Plotting? MicroStation is light-years beyond AutoCAD. I sent 12 drawings in only a couple minutes. Open the first one, choose paper size, define print area, print, keep print dialog open, open next drawing, define area, print, open next drawing, etc.
...and the prints come out perfect.
RE: KIP 6000 printer - setting up plot margins
Quote:
Originally Posted by ted_berner
Plotting? MicroStation is light-years beyond AutoCAD. I sent 12 drawings in only a couple minutes. Open the first one, choose paper size, define print area, print, keep print dialog open, open next drawing, define area, print, open next drawing, etc.
So in AutoCAD, you had to open each drawing and set the parameters?
Why not use ._PUBLISH with named page setups?
We can print a 150 sheet set in a couple of minutes also using ._PUBLISH.
RE: KIP 6000 printer - setting up plot margins
Quote:
Originally Posted by rkmcswain
So in AutoCAD, you had to open each drawing and set the parameters?
Why not use ._PUBLISH with named page setups?
We can print a 150 sheet set in a couple of minutes also using ._PUBLISH.
Or even better start using SSM, dont even need to open the drawing to print.
Also the KIP is a wicked machine, having fun with it yet? We got ours 6 months ago, and I love the speed of the machine. Amazing. If you have any KIP questions hit me with a PM, I am glad to help. We have it comboed with an HP 1055cm+.
RE: KIP 6000 printer - setting up plot margins
We have two KIP 6000's. They are faster plotting than it takes to get to the plotter for some, even with a click 'n run.
The problem with the KIPs is that they jam up when they receive 8.5 x 11 prints, which is ludicrous because that is the most common print size on earth, irrespective of the fact that these are large-format plotters. Choking on that size is insanity.
Anyway, when they work I love them. When they act up, life is hell.
As far as AutoCAD is concerned. I can now add custom paper sizes, which I couldn't before. I think it's because autocad system files were "read only" which is a huge no-no.
I created a PMP file and fine-tuned the drivers with paper sizes 1/2" larger than the intended print size, the margins then were set to 1/4" so the pages would come out the right size and in their entirety.
In retrospect, now that I am well-versed in resolving this stuff. I feel now, more than ever that AutoCAD needs a SERIOUS re-work with plotting.
