One Button Plotting

[bzrqmy]

I am working on a custom menu for my office which has cad users from experts to "I gotta have a print so I will try it myself". Plotting seems to be a pain for even some of my best users. we have several plotters on the network. I have already created a set of PC3 files on the server to assist in paper filtering and custom paper sizes.

What I would like to do next is:

Create a "One Click" menu button that will take the contents of the display if it's model space, or the current layout tab if it's paper space and send it to the selected printer.

I have already created this menu, but it only works in Layout Tabs as the command line prompts are different when plotting from model space. This may require a bit of programming.


Before I go too much further, I though I would consult the forum to see if anyone else has attempted this. Any direction or suggestions would be appreciated.

[robert.1.hall72202]

Nice concept.

What about having files with layouts setup and automatically generating prints of all layouts?

Currently AutoCad has you jump through too many hoops (ie sheet set manager, dwf.)

[cwade]

I have always had one problem in doing one button plots, how do you determine that paper size that is supposed to be used? The following code doesn't account for the Paper Size, but will plot all of the layouts, except Model Space and the one that we use for setting up our CAD Standards on PDF995 .pc3 file on a 30X42 (Arch E1) sized sheet.

Perhaps you could post the buttons text that you have and we could help with making it work in modelspace, one thing to bear in mind is that you would have to account for the scale, but as long as your dimscale is always set properly in all drawings that shouldn't be an issue.

(defun c:pal ()
(vlax-for Layout
(vla-get-Layouts
(vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object))
)
(if
(and (/= (setq TabName (strcase (vla-get-name layout))) "MODEL") (/= (setq TabName (strcase (vla-get-name layout))) "CAD NOTES & STANDARDS"))
(progn
(command ".-plot" "yes" (vla-get-name layout) "pdf995.pc3" "Arch E1" "inches" "landscape" "no" "layout" "1:1" "0,0" "yes" "blkacad2000.stb" "yes" "yes" "no" "no" "no" "no" "yes"); Make sure to change the .pc3 file and the .stb file to what is needed for each plotter.
)
)
)
)

[bzrqmy]

I was thinking that I would use strip of text as part of the plot stamp as a disclaimer that the drawing was plotted using the "AutoCad Toolbox for CAD Loosers" tool. The primary use of this tool would be to plot reduced size check plots on 11 x 17 B size, ever 8 1/2 x 11 for faxing.

[cwade]

I see, well, it could be done easily enough, basically what you have to do is just type .-plot at the command line and write down each step, then you can reporuce them in your menus, but if you want to make it useful LISP is a must, so that you can have them being able to select windows and such, but I have a couple of users that these could work well for, I would love to see what you have though.

[GreyHippo]

I have a toolbar with a button for each paper size that we use, but I a lisp routine for each button instead of just assigning the macro to the button. I didn't make any for model space because of scale factors. I will attach all the lisp routines to my post. Each lisp routine is named with the paper size it uses.

[robert.1.hall72202]

Is there a simple lisp routine where the plotter, ctb file, and default paper size are set?

Would be nice to bypass the printing dialogue, select a window on the screen, and automatically generate a print that is centered on the page.

[cwade]

Look at my LISP above, it does precisely that. If all you want is the current layout just use the line that says (command ".-plot" .......) it will do the trick.

[stusic]

I've done something similar at our office just using toolbar macros. I've not messed with printing from modelspace or paperspace, we do everything in paperspace so it simply switches your TILEMODE to "0". Since many times I find myself opening up a bunch of drawings just to print out a set but not to edit, I made it invoke the CLOSE command and since you haven't saved it, it asks you if you'd like to, to which you can save it and close, not save it and close or cancel it and leave the drawing open (except for the windowed plot, which justs prints it).

For a simple 11x17 windowed plot (scaled to fit):

^C^C-plot;yes;;mcn2-drafting.pc3;11x17;i;l;no;w;none;\\fit;c;y;tei half-size.ctb;;no;no;no;y;

For an 11x17 sheet:

^C^CTM;0;Z;E;-PLOT;YES;;Mcn2-Drafting.pc3;11x17;INCHES;LANDSCAPE;NO;EXTENTS;FIT;CENTER;YES;TEI HALF-SIZE.CTB;YES;NO;NO;NO;NO;NO;YES;CLOSE;

For a D-sized sheet:

^C^CTM;0;Z;E;-PLOT;YES;;1050c.pc3;Oversize: Arch D ;INCHES;LANDSCAPE;NO;EXTENTS;1:1;CENTER;YES;TEI FULL-SIZE.CTB;YES;NO;NO;NO;NO;NO;YES;CLOSE;

For an E-sized sheet:

^C^CTM;0;Z;E;-PLOT;YES;;1050c.pc3;Oversize: Arch E1 ;INCHES;LANDSCAPE;NO;EXTENTS;1:1;CENTER;YES;TEI FULL-SIZE.CTB;YES;NO;NO;NO;NO;NO;YES;CLOSE;

Of course this can be modified for your printer and pen style, but I have had problems with network printers since if the plotter name is "//server/HPLaserJet", it sees those forward slashes as a prompt to wait for user input. Bummer. I renamed our printers - I can do that, we're small.

[robert.1.hall72202]

These are really good suggestions for layouts.
I would have to change my printer name.

However, I wish to do this from model space too.