OLD SCHOOL PLOTTING QUESTION

[nostupidquestions]

back in the day before layout tabs, we would put all of our sheets in a grid format and create a view of each sheet. then we would run a script that would plot each view. so now with layouts we don't have to do it that way anymore. but here's my problem. i've got a drawing that has 90 layouts and each layout has 6 views to plot. one view is a sketch and the other 5 views are a legal description. i want to create a pdf of all these sheets either as one big pdf or as individual sheets. right now i can plot all the layouts of view 1 and then start over and plot all layouts of view 2. what i need is a script to plot each layout with views plotted in the correct order. is this possible? thanks.

actually a dwf file would be preferable if that makes any difference.

[KirkNoonan]

90 Layouts? What a nightmare. I think that the only way to do what you want is to use the sheet set manager - SSM. Using the sheet views tab, you can assign named views to individual sheets in the sheet set. When the sheet set is built, it is easy to publish all of the sheets either to a pdf or a dwf.

[nostupidquestions]

thanks for the input.

i set up the sheet set manager and i've got all the layouts but for some reason it only has 3 views per layout. and when i made a dwf of one of the layouts it only creates one view. i'll keep messing with it.

[wfberry]

Depending on how important this process is.  I.E., will you need it again.  My experience is that Acro Plot by www.cadzation.com is the only way to go.

Bill

[nostupidquestions]

i have acroplot which i usually use but it only plots one view also. i've made a script that seems to work.

[AllenJessup]

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@nostupidquestions wrote:

 i've got a drawing that has 90 layouts and each layout has 6 views to plot. one view is a sketch and the other 5 views are a legal description.

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Are you saying that you have 6 titleblocks and borders per layout and have them saved as paperspace views. Or do you have one TB and border and need to plot 6 modelspace views in each viewport?

Allen

[nostupidquestions]

'Are you saying that you have 6 titleblocks and borders per layout and have them saved as paperspace views'

YES

[wfberry]

OK, I misspoke, I was talking about AcroPlot Pro.  It does about anything.

Bill

[AllenJessup]

Then you need a script that will use the CTAB variable to set you to the correct layout first. Then use the -Plot command and plot by View. After all the views are plotted on that layout use CTAB to switch to the next layout.

I'll attach a Lisp that demonstrates the use of CTAB. In your case you would have a predetermined list of layout tabs in your script.

BTW This is what it looks like on the command liner:

Command: SETVAR
Enter variable name or [?] <CTAB>:
Enter new value for CTAB <"M1P1 Pg 1">:

Allen

[AllenJessup]

The plot command asks for the Layout name and then the View name. So you might not need to use CTAB. But I have a feeling that it would work better.

I created a paperspace view on the M1P1 Pg 1 layout with the same name.

Command: -PLOT
Detailed plot configuration? [Yes/No] <No>: y

Enter a layout name or [?] <M1P1 Pg 1>:
Enter an output device name or [?] <CutePDF Writer>:
Enter paper size or [?] <11x17>:
Enter paper units [Inches/Millimeters] <Inches>:
Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] <Portrait>:
Plot upside down? [Yes/No] <No>:
Enter plot area [Display/Extents/Layout/View/Window] <Layout>: v
Enter view name <>: M1P1 Pg 1
Enter plot scale (Plotted Inches=Drawing Units) or [Fit] <1=1>:
Enter plot offset (x,y) or [Center] <0.00,0.00>:
Plot with plot styles? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Enter plot style table name or [?] (enter . for none) <LWL.ctb>:
Plot with lineweights? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Scale lineweights with plot scale? [Yes/No] <No>:
Plot paper space first? [Yes/No] <No>:
Hide paperspace objects? [Yes/No] <No>:
Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <N>:
Save changes to page setup [Yes/No]? <N>
Proceed with plot [Yes/No] <Y>:
Effective plotting area:  10.75 wide by 16.75 high
Effective plotting area:  9.86 wide by 7.92 high

Allen

[Joe-Bouza]

SSM only plots "layouts". If you have specific views within a layout to plot you will have to script it

[MATRIX3DSURVEYS]

Use the Map Book Plotting function in Map3D. There use to be a tutorial in the knowlege base.

Jim

Matrix3Dsurveys