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Plotting - Need AutoCAD to default to the same location as saved dwg file


mcleveger

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Hi all,

 

I recently had a laptop die on me that had a setting set to dynamically allow me to save a PDF to the same location the drawing was in. So when I plotted to PDF (using Acroplot PDF exchange), it always defaulted to the same location as the drawing so my PDF and drawings were always in the same folder.

 

Drawing name doesn't really matter as. In most cases, I change it to suite my needs. Right now as AutoCAD has always been, it defaults to the last saved location of my PDfs. Since I jump from project to project daily, it was a nice feature to have so that I don't have to keep going back up to my main network drive and then back through all the folders to find the right folder to save my PDF.

 

Sadly, I cannot get on the laptop now so I've been searching threads, google, CADTutor, etc to see if others have been able to accomplish this and they haven't. It wasn't a lisp command I had to press, I just hit the plot command and go through with my normal settings and it did it on its own somehow.

 

Any help is much appreciated!

 

-Matt

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You can drag and drop folders to create shortcuts in the AutoCAD file dialog. From there it is one click to get the folder you want.

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Hi all,

 

I recently had a laptop die on me that had a setting set to dynamically allow me to save a PDF to the same location the drawing was in. So when I plotted to PDF (using Acroplot PDF exchange), it always defaulted to the same location as the drawing so my PDF and drawings were always in the same folder.

 

I once went in to change some options in the etransmit and the PDF export functions. Now they both stopped defaulting to be inside the same folder as the drawing I am exporting from. Other staff in my office still default to the corect folder, but mine defaults to the folder I was in during that experiment last year. I have never been able to restore the default because it only give you a folder option, which obviously cannot be dynamic. I have attached where I first changed the options ofr both commands, but now I cannot revert it to the OOTB default. This is one feature that I always wished for, and now they have it and I cannot restore it. I agree with OP, it saves time and also heaspace. Very beneficial.

 

Maybe this will help you in your hunt for the solution?

ExportPDFOptions.png

EtransmitOptions.jpg

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I also have my manager looking into this. He's familiar with the command and was probably the one to make the change on the computer. He wants the option to be able to save in the same folder as the drawing but be able to switch to where you can have it default to the last folder you saved in(for bigger projects with more sheets), will return if a solution is found , in the meantime, I'm going to tamper with your idea "YZ"

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Might it be as simple as setting your AUTO PUBLISH destination path, on the Plot & Publish tab in OPTIONS,

as shown in the image?

relative path for etransmit too maybe.jpg

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So when I plotted to PDF (using Acroplot PDF exchange)

 

I think this may be the key.

 

You are not using Autocads own plot, publish, or etransmit comands, but a third party addon.

 

I am not familiar with Acroplot, but it looks like it has its own file handling routines, both for the stand alone parts and for the toolbar it installs in autocad.

 

Maybe you should be checking the Acroplot documentation not the Autocad?

 

Info on AcroPlot:

http://www.cadzation.com/acroplotpro_info.htm

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Might it be as simple as setting your AUTO PUBLISH destination path, on the Plot & Publish tab in OPTIONS,

as shown in the image?

 

Thanks Dadgad. That option looks exactly correct, but it only enables Auto Publish when saving or closing a file. There must be a similar dialog box for when a user is deliberately publishing a PDF of the DWG. I still cannot find it.

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I am way too busy to try this, but have you tried setting this destination location,

and then going to and trying to etransmit, and see if it follows suit, it might.

Then if it does, and you want to, you can turn off Auto Publish, once the location has been restored?

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Dadgad, good comment. No I did not think to try this, but I like what you are thinking. I'll give it a go this morning and repost.

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  • 1 month later...

I use this script. It always put the PDF in the drawing folder. Make shure that the page setup is set for plotting to PDF.

Or edit it after the -plot command in this script.

 

PmxCAD

 

 

 

 

(setq CurrDwgName (getvar "dwgname"))

(setq Fname (substr CurrDwgName 1 (- (strlen CurrDwgName) 4)))

(setq name (strcat (getvar "DWGPREFIX") Fname ".pdf"))

;Command:

FILEDIA

;Enter new value for FILEDIA :

0

;Command:

-plot

 

 

 

 

!name

 

 

;Command:

FILEDIA

;;;Enter new value for FILEDIA :

1

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