plot problem with x-refs

[nilpferd]

We x-ref files into Layout files and plot from there. Recently parts of the drawing have not shown up in the plot preview, nor are they plotted. The missing lines do not share a common layer (some lines in a layer are plotted, others not) or any other common property that would explain their absence. We can plot the source files from their own layout window without problem, but as soon as we x-ref them into a second file, the same problem arises with the missing lines. One possible clue is that we may accidentally have inserted other x-refs into the source drawings via the clipboard, while using the copy clip command. I have discovered at least one such 'dead' xref in one of the files in question but cannot detect any other irregular objects in the other files. Inserting the file as block in a new dwg doesn't help either.
All suggestions welcome.

[Anonymous]

nilpferd,

If the lines are visible on screen, they are on a layer set to
unplottable. This may have happened in the original file or in the
xref'ed file. Also it may happen that the insertion layer is
unplottable or that an individual layer within the xref is
unplottable. Use the layer manager to find layers which are set to not
plot.


Dietmar Rudolph

President, CR/LF GmbH, http://www.crlf.de
Vice-President Europe, CADLock, Inc. http://www.cadlock.com
Member of the Autodesk Discussion Forum Moderator Program

Author, "Mastering AutoCAD 2000 Objects", http://www.crlf.de/Verlag/PublishingServices.html

[nilpferd]

Thanks for the reply, however it doesn't answer the problem.
The problem is that not all objects in the same layer are plotted. So it cannot have anything to do with the 'plot-noplot' setting, because there are always some lines/objects in each layer which are plotted. It is just that other lines in the same layer fail to appear.
I guess that either the missing lines are being obscured by some object or that there is an corrupt definition in the drawing which changes the layer properties of individual objects, ie objects previously on 'plot/thawed' layers are shifted into 'no plot/freeze' layers. Further- If I control layer visibility in the layout file via 'no plot/plot', with all layers on and thawed, the drawing plots correctly. If I control layer visibility using layer freeze/off, (either in model space or in the viewport) the problem arises , with some layers not being fully plotted. Using the noplot control, I can achieve the plots I need, but the problem concerns me nonetheless.

[Anonymous]

Could you post a sample file you are actually having this exact problem
with, in Customer Files section at http://discussion.autodesk.com ?

Also, what are you plotting to, what driver are you using, what 2000 patches
do you have installed, Windows version, etc.?

--
Dean Saadallah
www.pendean.com
--


"nilpferd" wrote in message
news:f0bcfa1.1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Thanks for the reply, however it doesn't answer the problem.
> The problem is that not all objects in the same layer are plotted. So it
cannot have anything to do with the 'plot-noplot' setting, because there are
always some lines/objects in each layer which are plotted. It is just that
other lines in the same layer fail to appear.
> I guess that either the missing lines are being obscured by some object or
that there is an corrupt definition in the drawing which changes the layer
properties of individual objects, ie objects previously on 'plot/thawed'
layers are shifted into 'no plot/freeze' layers. Further- If I control layer
visibility in the layout file via 'no plot/plot', with all layers on and
thawed, the drawing plots correctly. If I control layer visibility using
layer freeze/off, (either in model space or in the viewport) the problem
arises , with some layers not being fully plotted. Using the noplot control,
I can achieve the plots I need, but the problem concerns me nonetheless.
>

[nilpferd]

no patches installed.
We use Windows NT 4.0
Plotter = HP 750c but the problem occurs in the plot preview with any of our plotters and with plotfiles, etc so I doubt it is related to the driver or plotter.

[nilpferd]

sample file is posted at customer files, 28 Feb 02.

[Anonymous]

Go to http://support.autodesk.com click on the DOWNLOADS link, select your
exact AutoCAD/LT version, download and install the latest patches.

--
Dean Saadallah
www.pendean.com
--


"nilpferd" wrote in message
news:f0bcfa1.3@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> no patches installed.
> We use Windows NT 4.0
> Plotter = HP 750c but the problem occurs in the plot preview with any of
our plotters and with plotfiles, etc so I doubt it is related to the driver
or plotter.
>

[Anonymous]

The file is not attached to the message.

--
Dean Saadallah
www.pendean.com
--


"nilpferd" wrote in message
news:f0bcfa1.4@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> sample file is posted at customer files, 28 Feb 02.
>

[nilpferd]

sorry. I messed it up the first time, please look again for a second message which hopefully now contains the file in question.
Nilpferd

[Anonymous]

You did not include your STB Plot Style table, so I used NONE and a couple
of my own, and as a stand alone and as an XREF, all the layers you had
turned on/thawed/set to Plot plotted out just fine.

Only thing I did was run AUDIT (found no errors), and PURGEd the drawing
file which deleted a bunch of excess blocks and layers and cut the file size
down from your +3MB down to a 1.25MB file size.

So, there is nothing wrong with the file you posted, plotting to an HP1050C
in Windows2000. Problem must be elsewhere.

--
Dean Saadallah
www.pendean.com
--


"nilpferd" wrote in message
news:f0bcfa1.7@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> sorry. I messed it up the first time, please look again for a second
message which hopefully now contains the file in question.
> Nilpferd
>

[nilpferd]

ok, thanks for the check. You were able to purge so much because I erased half the file to trim it down, but in my plot preview of this file I am still missing lines. Maybe it does depend on our plotters. Anyway I can get around it using noplot to block out the layers I want.