Plot Device Display

Hi,

I have not had any luck searching for an answer to this.

See attached image for clarification of what I'm refering to. The screenschot is from a german version of autocad.

We have a directory on our Network for all our pc3 files.

This works as it should, everyone has access to the the same files and if someone creates a new pc3 file it saves as it should in this directory.

My issue is, when I go to select a pc3 file from the pull down list, there does not seem to be any order whatsoever in the display list.

Most of the pc3 files are called "1055_###_####" where ### represents the user defined sheet size. So in my pull down list I want to be able to scroll down through the list with the file names in order. At the moment they just seem all jumbled up with no specific order.

Does anyone have any ideas on this matter?

They are listed in alphabeticalk order i presume,

What if you were to rename the pc3 configurations into an order that would appear alphabetically.

It would be great if they were listed alphabetically but unfortunately they are not. In the image attached you can see that the second last pc3 file should be first in the list if thes were in alphabetical order

Below is another example, where it just does not seem to follow any logical order. Or maybe it does but I just can't figure the logic out

Is it even something that can be controlled?????

Im sorry, but this has stumped me.

think I have solved the issue.

The existing Network directory has for some reason, sub directories for each version of autocad since 2006. Each sub directory also has pc3 files.

I created a new folder with the pc3 files that we need with no sub direcories and now it is as I want to have it. All neat in Alphabetical and numerical order!

Glad to hear that you sorted that out.

Your printer setup looked complicated and cluttered.

It's not actually complicated......and only looks cluttered. We have standard page setups which are used on most projects. Most drawings (about 85-90%)are produced on a standard A1 sheet size. The rest are produced on sheets with a custom length which can be up to 3 metres in length depending on what the project is. In these cases, a user will create a custom PC3 file for the drawing if one does not exist already in the list. As you said the list looked cluttered......it did as it was difficult to find a sheet size that had previously been created. But now the user can seimply scroll down and all the sheet sizes are in order so it is very easy to find the size required.

This is probably how the system was supposed to work originally but over time, with extra sub directories being created etc it ended up being very cluttered.

The rest are produced on sheets with a custom length which can be up to 3 metres in length depending on what the project is. In these cases, a user will create a custom PC3 file for the drawing if one does not exist already in the list.

Generally speaking you only need one pc3 per plotter and then multiple page setups for different lengths, sizes. That will keep the number of pc3 files way down, which you found out, autocad doesn't handle well. That way if a change is needed for a plotter you have one file to change rather than multiple files.

We have 6 standard page setups in our template drawing. As this suits most of our needs I don't see how it makes too much of a difference whether the user has to choose between a page setup or a PC3 file. There are maybe 60-80 pc3 files in the list which are used on various projects. I don't think it would be optimal having them in the drawing template. These pc3 files only print plotfiles. The driver which it uses is for a plotter that does not exist. So we don't have the problem of worrying about what happens when a plotter changes.

If you have any suggestions how to improve our approach they are very welcome.

Presently each time we update our A3 size printer, all drawings using the drawing template prior to the installation of this plotter have non valid page setups as the old printer cannot be found.

I have combatted this by creating custom one click plot commands. Which means when somewone needs to work on a drawing that is 2 years old and then print it, they can use the custom print command which is set up for our standard size drawings. It means I only need to update the Print lisp file once to update the name of the printer.

As this suits most of our needs I don't see how it makes too much of a difference whether the user has to choose between a page setup or a PC3 file.

You will immediately understand if you use Publish, as you set the sheets to named page setups and not PC3s.

There are maybe 60-80 pc3 files in the list which are used on various projects. I don't think it would be optimal having them in the drawing template.

Each project could have its own template with the named page setups in it, and one touch of a button the page setups can be brought into the drawing, updating any that might not be up to date.

These pc3 files only print plotfiles.

Doesn't matter, page setups would do the same thing as they use a pc3 in their definition.

The driver which it uses is for a plotter that does not exist. So we don't have the problem of worrying about what happens when a plotter changes.

This would still work with pagesetups, you just wouldn't have so darn many.

Presently each time we update our A3 size printer, all drawings using the drawing template prior to the installation of this plotter have non valid page setups as the old printer cannot be found.

Not sure why you are updating the A3 printer, how often does that happen, or maybe I am not understanding what you mean.

I have combatted this by creating custom one click plot commands. Which means when somewone needs to work on a drawing that is 2 years old and then print it, they can use the custom print command which is set up for our standard size drawings. It means I only need to update the Print lisp file once to update the name of the printer.[/

Same with page setups, one button printing can be set up, with the advantages of page setups as mentioned.

Thanks for the detailed reply....

I will have a look at the ideas in more detail later to see how I can improve the current situation here.

My first thoughts are

The extra PC3 files we have are currently only account for between 10-15% of our plots.

You will immediately understand if you use Publish, as you set the sheets to named page setups and not PC3s.

We do use Publish thus making use of our page setups. We have 6 page setups in our template, for both creating PLT files at A1 & A3 and for 2 plotters at A1 and 2 A3 printers. (depending on nearest plotter to users location)

Each project could have its own template with the named page setups in it, and one touch of a button the page setups can be brought into the drawing, updating any that might not be up to date.

We cannot determine the size of the sheets prior to the project. Therefore a project template will not help in this case.

This would still work with pagesetups, you just wouldn't have so darn many.

By using page setups, how will I have less page setups as pc3 files. That is not so clear to me.

Not sure why you are updating the A3 printer, how often does that happen, or maybe I am not understanding what you mean.

Our department has 2 A3 printers and these are upgraded every 10-12 months

Same with page setups, one button printing can be set up, with the advantages of page setups as mentioned.

I am aware of this but this will only be of use for the standard page setups in the template.

You've certainly given me food for thought on ways to improve the current situation.

We cannot determine the size of the sheets prior to the project. Therefore a project template will not help in this case.

Yes, so you add in the template for that project as you go and a single button updates a drawing before plotting, etc.

By using page setups, how will I have less page setups as pc3 files. That is not so clear to me.

The goal is fewer pc3 files. Just as in drafting, you only want to do something once, so you create one pc3 and its unique settings are there in one file. Now for the unique settings specific to page setups, they are held in the named page setup.

Our department has 2 A3 printers and these are upgraded every 10-12 months

You would change one pc3 per A3, using the same name and the page setups would work just fine with no changes to them.

Maybe I'm missing something........

Yes, so you add in the template for that project as you go and a single button updates a drawing before plotting, etc.

 

This will achieve what? For example, I am making a layout in my drawing and I need a customised sheet size. Firstly, my layout uses a predfined page setup. I then edit the existing pc3 file that it uses to include my new custom sheet size. I then give a new page set up name which uses my new pc3 file. So this new page setup name is only saved in this drawing. I may or may not need that in another drawing. If I then import this page set up to a "project" template, this will only be of use if I need the same custom sheet size later in the project. If I need this custom sheet size in another project then I have to remember which project that this new page setup is in so I can locate it. In my opinion, in a new project it would be quicker just to select an existing PC3 file and save new page setup in the drawing.

The goal is fewer pc3 files. Just as in drafting, you only want to do something once, so you create one pc3 and its unique settings are there in one file. Now for the unique settings specific to page setups, they are held in the named page setup.

Again maybe I am misssing something. I can only change the sheet size in the PC3 file. I can have a max of 5 different user defined sheet sizes pro PC3 file (this is the case using the HP1055 driver)

Whichever I use, has to be accessible to the user at all times, either page setups predefined in the template, or PC3 files named after the sheet size saved in the Plotters folder in the Network. Fewer PC3 files means to me more Page Setups in the Template. (does 60 page setups in the template make sense???....I'm am not convinved yet)

Is it possible to add more sheet sizes to the PC3 file?

Well I guess I can't imagine needing 60 different page setups or pc3's. I am used to having two or three standard sizes and the occassional really long plot. I plot to about 10 different printers/plotters and have about 15 pagesetups. Your situation is apparently much different.

I am still hopeful that there is a better method out there for us to use. Unfortunately the custom sheet sizes are purely dependant on the actual project. Sheet sizes can be up to 3 metres in length in some cases. A1 height and A3 height.

And again they only account for 10% of drawings in our department.

Because of that I don't want the template to include a whole bunch of page setups.(unless I'm convinced that is the way to go) I just want to make the access to these custom sheet sizes as pain free as possible so a user knows as quick as possible whether a custom sheet size pc3 exists or do they need to make a new one.