Batch Plotting Model Space AutoCAD Drawings with Different Scales to PDF

[MGADave]

Guys:

We are looking for the best way to batch plot AutoCAD files as we are wasting a lot of manpower making individual PDFs one at a time for each CAD drawing.  I have read that this can be done with the publish command as well as the Sheet Set Manager.   I assume that there are also some third party add-ons that do a good job.    Ideally, we want to batch plot AutoCAD files that were created in Model Space with different scales, so a simple 1:1 Paper Space solution will not work for us.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Dave

[pendean]

Does your modelspace typically contain more than one "sheet" to plot?
Do you use or save pagesetups at all?

[MGADave]

Hi Dean:

Thanks so much for responding.  Yes, typically we have just one sheet per file without tabs.  We do use page setups with the files setup to print to a PDF by default.   Unfortunately, we have not found settings that work for batch plotting to a PDF.  Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Dave Simes

[pendean]

What are the plot parameters in modelspace that applies to each and every DWG file you want to batch plot?
Assuming you have one set of parameters for all your plots (required for automation after all), what's stopping you from creating a master pagesetup from those plot parameters?

PUBLISH command can do what you want if you are pre-set to use it (again, automation requires pre-planning and attention to standards): you also need to have a plan to save each PUBLISH list to be able to reuse it again. PUBLISH can be set to only open/grab modelspace tabs and not paperspace tabs.

So... do you have all of these standards in place?

[MGADave]

Dean:

Attached are the typical plot settings for our model space drawings.   The problem is that the scale is different from sheet to sheet.  Can publish work around this?  Do you recommend using Publish versus the Sheet Set Manager?

Thanks Again,  Dave

[dmfrazier]

Have you had a chance to play around with PUBLISH to see if it does what you want?

I'm not sure why you think the different scales would present a problem.

I think as long as you are saving the files with a page setup that outputs to PDF and indicates the correct sheet size and scale, you should be okay.  Publish will use the page setup saved in each file.

Were you hoping to produce a multi-sheet PDF?

As far as I know, Sheet Set Manager can help in defining sets and sub-sets of drawing sheets (and really prefers, if not requires, that you plot Layouts rather than Model), but ultimately it uses Publish to plot.