Bizarre Printing Problem

So I'm having this bizarre problem happening all of a sudden when I attempt to plot a particular sheet. The drawing is set up in model space with the titleblock, a plan, and a series of details all x-refed in from other drawings. There's very little on this sheet that isn't x-refed. So all of a sudden I'm attempting to plot it and I do a plot preview as I normally do, all that shows up in the the plot preview is the titleblock and those some bits that are drawn in model space. Note: some of the bits, not all of them. I had different bits of lines and text, on the same layer, and the text showed up but the lines didn't. The plan and all the details had totally disappeared as well.

I checked the layers and they're all on printable layers. What's even more bizarre is I printed this file yesterday and it worked absolutely fine. So "maybe it's a corrupt file" I thought. Well I made an entirely new document and x-refed in the same drawings. This time those extra lines I'd drawn did appear, but the plan and details were still invisible in plot preview. Since the details, plan, and titleblock are all x-refed in, why does only the titleblock x-ref show up? What makes it any different from the other x-refs? I'm confused as hell banging my head on my keyboard here. Anybody have any ideas??? Is there some "hide in plot" feature I don't know about? I didn't see anything in properties... this had to happen right before a deadline too!

I may be way off on this idea, but does the drawing have unreconciled layers? This is just a thought (though probably not right).

When you print to a different printer, is it with a similar outcome?

If not, it sounds like a printer problem. Try turning your printer off and unplugging it to clear the memory.

If same result, your print driver may need replacement or updating. It may have become corrupted.

Nope, not the printer. I tried 2 different printers and print to .pdf, same result. The printers work fine with all other documents.

And what exactly do you mean by unreconciled layers?

You checked the objects as well as the xref itself to be sure they're all on printable layers?

Nope, not the printer. I tried 2 different printers and print to .pdf, same result. The printers work fine with all other documents.

 

And what exactly do you mean by unreconciled layers?

Unreconciled layers are new layers that have been added to the drawing and have not yet been acknowledged by the user and manually marked as reconciled.

Reconciling new layers is the process of manually reviewing new layers so that you can avoid potential errors before plotting your drawing or when restoring a layer state.

Unreconciled layers are new layers that have been added to the drawing or to attached xrefs since the layer list was last evaluated. The layer list is checked for new layers when a command, such as PLOT is used. In new drawings, the layer baseline is created when the drawing is saved or plotted for the first time. When a new drawing is first saved, the layer baseline is created, and all layers present in the saved drawing are considered reconciled (not new). Layers that are added after a drawing is first saved are considered new unreconciled layers.

NoteThe layer baseline is created when the LAYEREVAL system variable is set to 1 or 2.

When a command that is set in the Layer Settings dialog box or LAYEREVAL system variable is used, the layer list is checked at that time and compared to the baseline. If there are new layers, notification will display and the Unreconciled New Layers filter is automatically created and activated in the Layer Properties Manager.

Unreconciled layers become reconciled by right-clicking the layer and clicking the Reconcile Layer option. Once a layer has become reconciled, it is removed from the Unreconciled New Layers filter. After all new layers are reconciled, the Unreconciled New Layers filter is removed.

rustysilo: Yup, I checked the layers in the .dwg I'm printing from and the .dwg they're x-refed from.

BOB'27T: Interesting, hadn't heard of that before. However I don't see any kind of "unreconciled new layers" filter or a "reconcile layer" button. However the file printed fine yesterday and there haven't been any new layers added or taken away since then.

I tried loading the file in DWG TrueView '09, and in managed to print with all layers visible from there, however I couldn't seem to find a way to load my own pen style in DWG TrueView. Is it possible to use my own pen style when I print that way? And though this may be a solution, I'd still like to figure out why it's not printing properly from AutoCAD.

Meaning you checked the layers within the xref'd drawing(s) AND the layer that the xrefs themselves are on? (ie - What was your current layer when you attached the xrefs?)

Correct, I checked both. The xrefed plan and details are on the same layer as my xrefed titleblock.

Might sound like a stupid and simple IT solution but have you turned off AutoCAD and your computer? I have had problems with the computer itself blogging the communication of a drawing.

The unreconciled layer thing should come up if you are printing and there are any (unless changed from 08 to 09). I hate the stupid thing and see no real point to it but there must be something.

The unreconciled layer thing should come up if you are printing and there are any (unless changed from 08 to 09). I hate the stupid thing and see no real point to it but there must be something.

Agreed. It is an annoyance.

Using '04 here actually, and I did try restarting AutoCAD but not the computer. I'll give that a shot.

I have restarted and to no avail

Last ditch attempt but try purging the drawing. Then possibly running an "Audit". Might help.

If not then there is likely a glitch with the drawing and your best bet is to "Copy" Everything and reload all xrefs into a brand new drawing. I have had to do this before. Something in the drawing seems to hold it up.

Usually if you check layers and settings making sure everything is on and not a frozen print layer you should be ok but CAD has some odd glitches.

The unreconciled layer thing should come up if you are printing and there are any (unless changed from 08 to 09). I hate the stupid thing and see no real point to it but there must be something.

Deziree,

You do know that you can turn that off by changing the system variable layereval to 1

Desiree,

 

You do know that you can turn that off by changing the system variable layereval to 1

It is turned to 1...

Do you mean turn it to 2 to turn it off?

sorry.....I mean set it to 0

sorry.....I mean set it to 0

You have just become my new best freind HAHA

Thanks I hate that stupid thing. I do not understand it's use.

believe me it is not for understanding.....it is only there to be turned off

Last ditch attempt but try purging the drawing. Then possibly running an "Audit". Might help.

 

If not then there is likely a glitch with the drawing and your best bet is to "Copy" Everything and reload all xrefs into a brand new drawing. I have had to do this before. Something in the drawing seems to hold it up.

 

Usually if you check layers and settings making sure everything is on and not a frozen print layer you should be ok but CAD has some odd glitches.

I attempted both a purge and an audit, both seem to freeze AutoCAD... I'm keeping it running just in case, but it appears to be locked. When I initially couldn't figure out the problem, I actually tried copying everything to a new drawing. That didn't work, and that's what made me the most baffled.