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autocad sheet set plotting problem (and solution)

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Message 1 of 7
apichalski
1172 Views, 6 Replies

autocad sheet set plotting problem (and solution)

Autocad Sheet Sets refuse to plot. The plot file log shows the sheet set has no printer or page size selected.

 

I had this problem for a month and couldn't find the solution anywhere, so I'm posting the answer here.

 

Whatever drawings you are making the sheet set out of, the layout page setup needs to have the "plot area" set to "layout". Plot area is in the same window that you choose your page size, plotter, etc.

 

Side note: I really wish Autocad explicitly said to use layout somewhere. I admit I might have missed it, since I didn't really know what the problem was, but it was so frustrating to be unable to print, and never receive an error message or hint as to why.

6 REPLIES 6
Message 2 of 7
doni49
in reply to: apichalski


@apichalski wrote:

Autocad Sheet Sets refuse to plot. The plot file log shows the sheet set has no printer or page size selected.

 

I had this problem for a month and couldn't find the solution anywhere, so I'm posting the answer here.

 

Whatever drawings you are making the sheet set out of, the layout page setup needs to have the "plot area" set to "layout". Plot area is in the same window that you choose your page size, plotter, etc.

 

Side note: I really wish Autocad explicitly said to use layout somewhere. I admit I might have missed it, since I didn't really know what the problem was, but it was so frustrating to be unable to print, and never receive an error message or hint as to why.


What other method would SSM use to know what area to plot?  Given that I couldn't imagine an alternative (since you can't, for example, spec a window), I would've assumed layout.  But it's good that you figured it out.



Don Ireland
Engineering Design Technician




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Message 3 of 7
apichalski
in reply to: doni49

we've always used extents, we actually annotate in and print from the model tab. I created layouts for our sheetsets but never thought I needed to change extents.

 

Now in retrospect, that seems like the problem.. maybe this won't be useful to anyone else.. oh well. My organization is probably the only one that prints from the model tab because that is more similar to our previous CAD software (from the 80's).

Message 4 of 7
jggerth1
in reply to: apichalski

It would be helpful if you looked into defining PageSetups.  It's certainly possible to create named pagesetups in Model space and use that for plotting.  While I have no doubt that using Layouts and PaperSpace for actually doing the sheets is a vastly better way to work, there's nothing that prevents you from defining Modelspace  Pagesetups and selecting them in the SSM Publish dialog.

Message 5 of 7
dmfrazier
in reply to: apichalski

"My organization is probably the only one that prints from the model tab..."

 

You may be part of a diminishing minority, but you can be sure you are not the "only one".  Inserting scaled up borders and plotting from Model space was once the only way to go, and many organizations built a significant amount of "infrastructure" around that.  As much as people may criticize others for not changing with the program, there's wisdom in the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".  The corollary to that is "When it breaks, fix it".  Obviously, it's up to you (and your organization) to decide when something is "broken" (or when the costs of keeping a process are greater than the costs of changing it).

 

As a "transition" step, and a way to avoid having to spend a lot of time re-setting-up existing DWGs, something you might consider is to create a source DWG containing a layout with page setup for each sheet size you use.  Each layout tab would have only a viewport sized according to the plotted dimensions of the border that is inserted in the model space of the DWG file you will copy it into via DesignCenter (or possibly a Tool Palette).  Once the layout is copied in, zoom the viewport to extents (or choose a window, if appropriate) and you end up with a layout tab that exactly matches your model space setup.

Message 6 of 7
apichalski
in reply to: dmfrazier

dmfrazier, that is exactly, down to the letter, what i've done here over the last 3 months. those layout windows you talk about are what I created the sheet set out of. I guess we have great minds!

Message 7 of 7
dmfrazier
in reply to: apichalski

"I guess we have great minds!"

 

I think the only "safe" conclusion you can make is that our minds think alike. Smiley Wink

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