Order of plot

[jjpetro]

Aside from drawing lines and objects in a logical manner :? ...is it possible to change or control the order in which lines, or other entities, are plotted within a drawing? I am employing a laser cutting service to cut wooden parts for me. He charges by the hour. So, if the laser/plotter is busy traversing back and forth or side to side during a cut/plot then it eats up more time (thus money!!) I need to change the order of plot of some of my drawings to flow more smoothly from line, arc, etc to the next.
Thanks
-jp

[CADTutor]

I think ultimately that this depends upon the plot driver and the way in which the plotter organises the plot data. I remember years ago watching a CalComp pen plotter as the pen whizzed about in a mad way - a little bit top left, down to bottom right and back to top again. I wondered at the time why this process wasn't optimised - it would certainly have saved time. These days with inkjets, no one thinks about that any more, it just comes out line by line.

I'm sorry I don't have a practical solution to your problem except to say that it was ever thus :(

[hendie]

I don't see how changing the order of plotting anything in the drawing will change how the laser cutter operates.
Surely the laser cutter should have a "path optimiser" in itself ? the contents of the drawing shouldn't really make any difference. How does the laser operate ? not by reading the dwg file ?

[jjpetro]

I'm not sure how the plotter arranges specific entities within a drawing. However, my observation is the same as the admin...If I draw an object in one corner of a sheet and then draw another object in the far diagonal corner, and then continue to draw items in different parts of the sheet - then the (non-inkjet) plotter/cutter follows the exact order of items drawn.

[CADTutor]

I guess you've answered your own question. If the plotter does "plot" objects in the order they are drawn, you could try to optimise the way you draw. But as Hendie points out, it's really down to the plot driver to deliver optimised plot instructions to the plotter - It's not really an AutoCAD problem.

[jjpetro]

Exactly, I have learned from experience to draw in a specific order (as I alluded to in my opening comments). However, I have pre-existing (and somewhat exhaustive drawings) that were not drawn in specific patterns or order with respect to plotting. Hence, my question...can the order of plot be changed (within an existing drawing)? Thus far, it appears not. Thanks.

[hendie]

have you looked into the DRAWORDER command ?