AutoCAD 2024 plotting issue: temporary pc3 files not saving changes

[jstanczykGDWT4]

We require certain prints to be "high quality".  We have always modified this setting on the fly by going into "Custom Properties" in the Plotter Configuration Editor whenever necessary. AutoCAD will save the changes to a temporary .pc3 file.  I am going through the steps as usual, and AutoCAD 2024 is saving a temporary .pc3 file but the changes are not being saved (i.e. the plot comes out at the standard quality).  When I open the temporary .pc3 file, the quality setting was not saved.  Any help is appreciated.

[Valentin-WSP]

@jstanczykGDWT4 ,

Try this:

• To Save a PC3 File Under a New File Name

[jstanczykGDWT4]

Thanks, still not able to get AutoCAD to lock in the changes.

[pendean]

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@jstanczykGDWT4 wrote:

We require certain prints to be "high quality".  We have always modified this setting on the fly by going into ...

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Why? use this 

Or this (know where you are saving it and what you are naming it, never accept the default), assuming your IT did not lock you out

Or do this once and for all to create a permanent purposeful PC3 file https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-AC5C2A9B-0D09-4E97-8E53-2B4F68DECAB8 

[jstanczykGDWT4]

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@pendean wrote:  Why?

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Why?  It's just how it worked for these guys.  No doubt due for an improvement.  But thanks anyway.

[pendean]

@jstanczykGDWT4 Time for a better quicker more productive approach(s) if you all have the time to at least test to confirm where the problem lies (remember, you asked fellow end users like you and me for guidance).

In the meantime... Open a support case with Autodesk if you are on subscription to seek out Autodesk Support's help, perhaps they can go into your PC to dig deeper than we can to find the culprit:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/account-management/users-software/support-options/we... 

Best wishes.

[jstanczykGDWT4]

Once again, thanks for your thoughts.

[dmfrazier]

"I am going through the steps as usual, and AutoCAD 2024 is saving a temporary .pc3 file but the changes are not being saved..."

Normally, when a PC3 is changed from its default settings, a PMP file (Plotter Model Parameters) will also be created in the subfolder of the Plotters folder (use PlotterManager command to open).

If changes to PC3 files are not saving, or if you're not getting PMP files with names that match the PC3, this suggests there may be permissions issues with the folder where the PC3s are saved. (Sometimes permissions are such that a file can be created, but not modified.) Can you go to your Plotters folder and create and edit (with Notepad) a text file?

If not, then assuming this is a network folder, you could ask your IT folks to check into this for you. Assuming it's a local folder, sometimes Windows user profiles (and the folders that Windows creates for them) get "mucked up" and the most expedient course is to abandon that profile for a new (or just different) one.

[jstanczykGDWT4]

Thank you for your comments - I have verified my permissions for the Plotters folder and I do have the necessary read/write access.  I have witnessed the temporary pc3 file get created in that folder, and then it gets deleted after the print (as expected).  The only problem is that the temp pc3 file did not keep the settings changes (i.e., the print came out low quality instead of high).

I have changed the plotter settings via Windows so that the default plot is HQ, this will serve as a temporary solution.  Thanks again.

[dmfrazier]

"I have witnessed the temporary pc3 file get created in that folder, and then it gets deleted after the print (as expected)."

In my experience, AutoCAD offers the "temporary changes" option only in cases where AutoCAD detects that the currently selected PC3 is write protected (which may be legitimate or due to an error of some sort, as suggested in my previous post).

Why are we talking about a "temporary pc3 file" at all? Is this the only choice that AutoCAD gives you? If so, can you explain why that's happening? If not, what other option do you have and why do you not choose it?

[jstanczykGDWT4]

As shown by others in this post, the below image is the pop up allowing me to either permanently save or temporarily override the standard pc3 file.  I've worked at a few places where changing the standard plot options on the fly for one reason or another is not at all uncommon.  Temp pc3 files have always worked this way, to my knowledge.  Once again, as mentioned, maybe we could improve some things here.  I'm just wondering if there is some specific reason why all of a sudden Acad2024 is no longer retaining these temporary overrides.  The temp pc3 gets created, but the changes do not get retained.  I have also tried the Save option in the below pop-up, results are the same.  The only way I can change the plotter settings in question is by permanently changing them outside of Acad.  Maybe the plotter is the issue.  ??  EDIT:  Although, for the record, the temp pc3 functionality was working in Acad2023 on this same computer.

[dmfrazier]

Sorry for my apparent denseness. (Please bear with me.)

"I'm just wondering if there is some specific reason why all of a sudden Acad2024 is no longer retaining these temporary overrides."

Could be an installation error that might be resolved with a re-set or re-install.

"The temp pc3 gets created, but the changes do not get retained. I have also tried the Save option in the below pop-up, results are the same."

Thanks for that. If you had stated this before, apparently I missed it.

The only way I can change the plotter settings in question is by permanently changing them outside of Acad. Maybe the plotter is the issue. ??"

Maybe. I have some experience with a certain hardcopy plotter model that would only save config changes if a specific option was checked to enable this. However, it seems that you are having an issue with the DWG to PDF "plotter". Does the same thing happen if you go through the same sequence with a hardcopy printer or a different PDF or "plot-to-file" output printer?

"EDIT: Although, for the record, the temp pc3 functionality was working in Acad2023 on this same computer."

See "installation error" comment, above.

[jstanczykGDWT4]

No need to apologize, believe me I am grateful for your interest.  And I am almost certain that at the end of this I will need to shamefully confess some variation of "operator error".  But until then...my issue is in fact with a hard copy plotter.  I don't believe that I stated it anywhere previously, so that's my fault.  The plotter is an HP DesignJet T520.  The drivers are up to date, and like I said it was working in Acad2023.

I'll try editing other plotters that I might have access to first, then I'll give 2024 a reinstall.  Can't hurt at this point.  Thanks for the help.

[dmfrazier]

If your process to install 2024 involved "migrating" settings from a previous version, I recommend that you do not repeat that if/when you re-install. Using files from a previous version sometimes results in vexing problems of this sort.

[brendon_butler]

It's not just you. Others have this issue too with 2024. I commented on another user posting regarding this exact issue recently. (see thread below)

It does seem to be a program error...I hope it gets sorted out soon.

In the meantime, I'm creating the custom PC3 files on a colleague's earlier version Acad and copying the PC3 into my plotter manager folder. I hope that helps!

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/in-autocad-2024-i-can-not-change-custom-plotter-setting...

[dmfrazier]

@brendon_butler: This is good information. Have you contacted AutoCAD Support about this?

If not, please do.

[jstanczykGDWT4]

Thank you for this, I'm miffed that I didn't see your thread before I started my own.  Did you happen to submit a support claim?

To all:  I've reverted back to using 2023 for now, and I've created some custom pc3 files for some of our plotting variations (even though 2023 wasn't broken - I at least wanted to see what the hype is all about).  After trying this out for a day or two, I'll reinstall 2024 and see what happens.  Thanks for everyone's input so far.

[brendon_butler]

Hi,

So, I have a few issues that I've discovered with 2024 in fact. So, I will be submitting all my findings at some point when I get time. In the meantime, I'm just observing the forums for possible fixes / solutions.

Feel free to submit a support request for this issue yourself. Hopefully, it gets looked into and resolved for the next hotfix.

[mkoeninger]

I'm also having a similar problem with the saving the .pc3 file.  I can create a custom page size (our company has been doing that for several years) and save it to a .pmp file and then save the changes to the .pc3 file, however, the custom page disappears after saving the .pc3 file the second time.  I was talking with support for an hour today, so hopefully they will find a solution.

[mkoeninger]

This is the email I sent to support this morning.

"I spent 4 hours this morning preforming a clean install and the problem persists. Everything works as it should, until the DWG to PDF is used to plot/batch plot, then the PMP file that was associated with the PC3 was removed and you have restart AutoCAD to assign the PMP file to the PC3 file.

I can create a new DWG to PDF.pc3 file and rename it to DWG to PDF2 and everything works; the PMP file remains attached.

After I followed everything to perform a clean install, somehow my settings and customization file were still being used.  I reset my settings to default, and the problem persists.

Please advise."