What is the advantage for plotting in background?

[Liamnacuac]

I recently accidentally set my plots to "plot in background". The plots took considerably longer to process. What is the advantage for plotting in background?

Liamnacuac

[zoomharis]

I recently accidentally set my plots to "plot in background". The plots took considerably longer to process. What is the advantage for plotting in background?

Liamnacuac

from AutoCAD Help

When you plot in the background, you can return immediately to your drawing. While a plot job is being processed in the background, you can check the status of your job by placing your cursor over the plotter icon in the status tray. You can also view details about all completed jobs from the current program session.

[robert.1.hall72202]

So does anyone work fast enough to advantage of plotting in the background?
Hmmmm, after I click plot I will imediately return to drawing.

I think plotting slows down my computer so I wouldn't get a chance to
return to the drawing. I have to wait until the plot finishes. Anything I
do over my office network causes my computer to freeze up for several
seconds.

[Liamnacuac]

So does anyone work fast enough to advantage of plotting in the background?
Hmmmm, after I click plot I will imediately return to drawing.

I think plotting slows down my computer so I wouldn't get a chance to
return to the drawing. I have to wait until the plot finishes. Anything I
do over my office network causes my computer to freeze up for several
seconds.

I must be luck in that our plots are small enough to be completed in a matter of seconds-not even long enough for a potty break. The reason I was asking was that I would plot and then decide to plot something else, in which I would have to wait for the other plot to finish. I can see now that if I had an old plotter or one with limited memory, it would really bog things down without that capability of continuing on with the drawing.

Liamnaucac

[CADDmanVA]

The only time plotting in the background is useful (IMHO) is when using the Sheetset Manager. The thought behind it is you have several layouts plotting to a file, PDF, DWF or physical plotter while your workstation is still free to complete other tasks.
Real world example... We tend to PDF a lot of drawings, almost an unhealthy amount . When I use the Sheetset Manager, I can concurrently PDF multiple paperspace layouts, within multiple files into a single PDF. I'm still able to complete other tasks while waiting for the process to run its course (about 8-12 minutes for a 15 sheet package).
Hope this clears things up for you. As far as I'm concerned, background plotting is worthless in single layout settings. It is just one of the features handy in the Sheetset Manager.