topic Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace? in AutoCAD Forum

Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

rob_gibson — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 11:31:18 GMT

I have a drawing with ~100 objects that I'd like zoomed in pdf's of.

is there a non-manual way to either:

plot multiple windows from model space

create and plot multiple viewports on the same paper space sheet

create multiple sheets with viewports centred on specific x,y???

or any other ideas?....... 100 cookiecutter2's

thanks

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

VincentSheehan — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:21:46 GMT

If you're into writing scripts, it can be done. Setup a view for each plot area then use the -plot command to write the script.

It also might be just as fast to create a layout for each plot area then use the publish command.

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

rob_gibson — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:00:03 GMT

this time I ended up creating multiple sheets manually and publishing them

@VincentSheehan wrote:
If you're into writing scripts, it can be done. Setup a view for each plot area then use the -plot command to write the script.

It also might be just as fast to create a layout for each plot area then use the publish command.

Do you mean set up named viewports then plot, display option?

Is there a way to define multiple viewports x,y position?

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

Kent1Cooper — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 17:36:45 GMT

Are the objects you want to Zoom in on and plot the area around "findable" in some way, such as being Blocks of a certain name and/or on a certain Layer or something? Or do they all have something like a label in Text on a certain Layer? And would all Plots be at the same size/scale? It would not be difficult to take a selection set of whatever is findable, step through it, and for each one, find the middle of it and calculate a window around that to use in a Plot command. It could be done without needing to create Viewports, if the only reason you would be making those would be for Plotting purposes.

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

rob_gibson — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:06:56 GMT

Hi,

The objects to plot could easily be findable. How about a Point on layer "print" in the centre of each intended plot areas?

I'd like all zoomed plots to be the same size and scale.

Any chance you could start me off with a lisp please? and i'll have a go at tuning it to suit

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

rob_gibson — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:22:26 GMT

I found a lisp* and almost got it to do what I what.

But I cant make ssget select only text on layer "NoPrint"!!

and how could I name each PDF as the contents of the text it's centred on?

* https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/visual-lisp-autolisp-and-general/plot-lisp/td-p/9933400

; simple plot windows in model ; By AlanH. errors by rob (defun C:pwind(/ ss2 n xmin xmax xymin ymax ymin index en el inspt) (setq ss2 (ssget '((0 . "TEXT"))));(410 . "NoPrint") text on layer NoPrint (setq n (sslength ss2));needs no selection error? (setq index 0) (repeat n (setq en (ssname ss2 index)) (setq el (entget en)) (setq inspt (assoc 10 el)) ; insertion pt (setq xmin (- (cadr inspt) 2.5)) (setq ymin (- (caddr inspt) 2.5)) (setq xymin (strcat (rtos xmin 2 3) "," (rtos ymin 2 3))) (setq xmax (+ xmin 5)) (setq ymax (+ ymin 5)) (setq xymax (strcat (rtos xmax 2 3) "," (rtos ymax 2 3))) (COMMAND "-PLOT" "Y";detailed "Model" "Dwg To Pdf" "ISO A4 (210.00 x 297.00 MM)" "M";Millimeters "P";Portrait "N";upside down "W";window xymin xymax "25=1";scale "C";centred "Y";plot styles "Acad.ctb" "Y";lineweights "A";shade plot settings " ";This saves the plot file to DWG path? index ;name???? "N";save changes to settings "y" ) (setq index (+ index 1)) ) (princ) )

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

Kent1Cooper — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:57:08 GMT

@rob_gibson wrote:

.... I cant make ssget select only text on layer "NoPrint"!! ....
.... (setq ss2 (ssget '((0 . "TEXT"))));(410 . "NoPrint") text on layer NoPrint ....

The DXF code number for the LayER entry is 8, not 410 [that's the LayOUT].

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

Kent1Cooper — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 18:23:08 GMT

@rob_gibson wrote:

.... how could I name each PDF as the contents of the text it's centred on?
.... " ";This saves the plot file to DWG path? index ;name???? ....

I think you need to put a combined filepath and name into one entry in place of those two lines. If you want it in the current drawing's folder location, presumably:
(strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (cdr (assoc 1 el)))

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

rob_gibson — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 11:47:34 GMT

very good, works of course, but why cdr?

(strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (cdr (assoc 1 el)))

(seems to work without)

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

Kent1Cooper — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 12:47:15 GMT

@rob_gibson wrote:

very good, works of course, but why cdr?

(strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (cdr (assoc 1 el)))

(seems to work without)

Does it? If I eliminate that function, I get [as expected]:

Command: (strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (assoc 1 el))
; error: bad argument type: stringp (1 . "test")

That's because (assoc 1 el) returns that dotted-pair list of a 1 with the text content, not a text string that (strcat) is looking for. The (cdr) function extracts the desired text string from the dotted-pair list.

Even if I remove only your pink part, and leave its parentheses, it still [as also expected] doesn't work:

Command: (strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) ((assoc 1 el)))
; error: bad function: (1 . "test")

Re: Output 100 pdf enlargements from modelspace?

rob_gibson — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 13:10:19 GMT

It seemed to work without the cdr function! but then broke

cheers for the explanation