autocad won't plot to scale

[Anonymous]

Hi all, 

I'm working in autocad 2016, have been for over 4 years now. Since a few days, I'm running into a problem I've never had before. 

At the firm where I work, we regularly plot from model space while in the designing process. We find it quicker than setting up layouts, as we often copy our drawing 10-20 times to draw different options and need to print them for our clients quickly.

When we plot from model space, we either pick print to pdf or plot directly to our printer. So far, I have always been able to choose the paper size, plot area as "window" and plot scale as desired (1/100 or 1/50 of 1/10) - we draw in the metric system (cm or mm depending whether we draw in general or construction details). 

Since a few days however, I am unable to plot, no matter which dwg I open, while my colleagues have no trouble plotting from the same files. Clearly, it has something to do with my settings that have somehow changed. 

When setting up my plot and clicking "ok", either to send to the printer or name the pdf, nothing happens. 

I have now discovered that I can plot when setting the scale 1:1 or when selecting "scale to fit". Any other plot scale won't work. I have now tested this in paper space and have the same issue there. 

Anyone have any idea which settings I need to check? I have already de-installed and re-installed autocad, restarted my computer various times, but no luck. 

I've been randomly clicking throughout autocad, trying to find a setting that doesn't seem right or might be connected, but I'm lost as to where to begin looking.

I hope my explanation of the issue is understandable. 

Thanks in advance !!

Elke

[Anonymous]

Hi all, 

I'm working in autocad 2016, have been for over 4 years now. Since a few days, I'm running into a problem I've never had before. 

At the firm where I work, we regularly plot from model space while in the designing process. We find it quicker than setting up layouts, as we often copy our drawing 10-20 times to draw different options and need to print them for our clients quickly.

When we plot from model space, we either pick print to pdf or plot directly to our printer. So far, I have always been able to choose the paper size, plot area as "window" and plot scale as desired (1/100 or 1/50 of 1/10) - we draw in the metric system (cm or mm depending whether we draw in general or construction details). 

Since a few days however, I am unable to plot, no matter which dwg I open, while my colleagues have no trouble plotting from the same files. Clearly, it has something to do with my settings that have somehow changed. 

When setting up my plot and clicking "ok", either to send to the printer or name the pdf, nothing happens. 

I have now discovered that I can plot when setting the scale 1:1 or when selecting "scale to fit". Any other plot scale won't work. I have now tested this in paper space and have the same issue there. 

Anyone have any idea which settings I need to check? I have already de-installed and re-installed autocad, restarted my computer various times, but no luck. 

I've been randomly clicking throughout autocad, trying to find a setting that doesn't seem right or might be connected, but I'm lost as to where to begin looking.

I hope my explanation of the issue is understandable. 

Thanks in advance !!

Elke

[pendean]

What does "doesn't work" mean?

BTW your screenshot is too tiny to read: post again at full screen resolution please.

[pendean]

What does "doesn't work" mean?

BTW your screenshot is too tiny to read: post again at full screen resolution please.

[dbroad]

Please describe what you mean by "...I am unable to plot, no matter which dwg I open, ... "

1. Is the pdf not created?

2. Is the pdf empty?

3. Does AutoCAD crash?....

4. At what point does the plot fail?  Does it ask for a filename?  Could it be going to an unexpected folder?...

The plot settings aren't unusual but you are plotting at a scale that doesn't match your annotation scale. Have you tried fit plotting to debug scaling issues?  

[dbroad]

Please describe what you mean by "...I am unable to plot, no matter which dwg I open, ... "

1. Is the pdf not created?

2. Is the pdf empty?

3. Does AutoCAD crash?....

4. At what point does the plot fail?  Does it ask for a filename?  Could it be going to an unexpected folder?...

The plot settings aren't unusual but you are plotting at a scale that doesn't match your annotation scale. Have you tried fit plotting to debug scaling issues?  

[pendean]

[pendean]

[Anonymous]

Autocad does not crash, there is no pdf created because I don't even get the option to enter a filename. I click "ok" and nothing happens, autocad just sits there till I click "cancel". 

Same thing happens when I try to plot directly to our printers, autocad just sits there, doing nothing. 

I have the same issue with all my drawings, so it isn't an error in one specific file which makes me think it has something to do with settings. Also, as mentioned, my colleagues can plot just fine when they open the same dwgs. 

What do you mean with "fit plotting"? No idea how I should do that.....

[Anonymous]

Autocad does not crash, there is no pdf created because I don't even get the option to enter a filename. I click "ok" and nothing happens, autocad just sits there till I click "cancel". 

Same thing happens when I try to plot directly to our printers, autocad just sits there, doing nothing. 

I have the same issue with all my drawings, so it isn't an error in one specific file which makes me think it has something to do with settings. Also, as mentioned, my colleagues can plot just fine when they open the same dwgs. 

What do you mean with "fit plotting"? No idea how I should do that.....

[Anonymous]

My plot scale is indicated as custom now, because I just deleted all the preset scales in the hopes of resolving the issue that way. Before I had the 1:100 of 1:50 in the scale list, but I had the same issue when selecting them.

[Anonymous]

My plot scale is indicated as custom now, because I just deleted all the preset scales in the hopes of resolving the issue that way. Before I had the 1:100 of 1:50 in the scale list, but I had the same issue when selecting them.

[dbroad]

Generally, if AutoCAD pauses and does nothing during a plot, it's because it is waiting for an answer.  There is a high probability that you are being asked for a filename and the dialog that's asking it is either under another active window or off the screen.  Your thread is titled "autocad won't plot to scale" but in fact, you can't any drawing period, right?

>>"What do you mean with "fit plotting"? No idea how I should do that....."

You have made rather drastic changes to your system to solve this problem without learning the basics of plotting.  It might help if you spent some time with the help files on plotting. Fit plotting is a basic choice in the plot dialog.  It the checkmark above the scale box marked "custom".  Don't delete the list of plot scales just because they don't seem to work. Instead, find out why they're not doing what you expect.

You might try resetting your profile. Make sure that all other apps are closed on your system.

HTH

[dbroad]

Generally, if AutoCAD pauses and does nothing during a plot, it's because it is waiting for an answer.  There is a high probability that you are being asked for a filename and the dialog that's asking it is either under another active window or off the screen.  Your thread is titled "autocad won't plot to scale" but in fact, you can't any drawing period, right?

>>"What do you mean with "fit plotting"? No idea how I should do that....."

You have made rather drastic changes to your system to solve this problem without learning the basics of plotting.  It might help if you spent some time with the help files on plotting. Fit plotting is a basic choice in the plot dialog.  It the checkmark above the scale box marked "custom".  Don't delete the list of plot scales just because they don't seem to work. Instead, find out why they're not doing what you expect.

You might try resetting your profile. Make sure that all other apps are closed on your system.

HTH

[Anonymous]

I know I can fit the plot to the paper and when I check that box, I am able to plot to pdf or directly to our printer. However, in that case my drawing isn't to scale at all so that does me no good.

I can plot just fine when I fit to paper or put the plot scale to 1:1. In that case I do get the popup window to choose a filename (in case of plotting to pdf) or the plot is send to the printer. It's all the other scales that don't seem to work. Checking for a popup that got stuck under some other window or at the edge of my screen was also my first thought, but alas. 

I already resetted my profiles as well, imported the profile from a colleague, resetted again when that didn't help...

I re-added all the scales via scalelistedit, like I do regularly when I'm in need of a scale that isn't offered pre-installed, but still no luck. 

I've been searching online about the remark regarding the annotation scale and I have to say it's something I've never used in my 10 years of working with autocad. Mind you, I never had any education in autocad, we were required to use it in college and were sort of thrown into the deep end and expected to learn it ourselves. 

I guess I'm doing a lot of things the "wrong" way as I have never learned best practices in autocad, but it has worked for me so far as I don't need very complicated settings normally. 

And until a few days ago my way of working was just fine, until it wasn't obviously and now, not knowing autocad well at all, I'm stuck. 

EDIT: I just tried changing the "annotation scale of the current view" (righthand lower corner of the screen) If I set this to say 1:10 and then try to plot with the same scale, it works. If I then want to plot in say scale 1:5, I run into the same issue as before. Seems to me the problem does indeed originate from the mismatch between my plot scale and annotation scale. However, since I've never even used the annotation scale setting before, I wonder why it was working for me without changing it and now all of a sudden it doesn't.

Is there some setting to automatically match them that I'm missing?

[Anonymous]

I know I can fit the plot to the paper and when I check that box, I am able to plot to pdf or directly to our printer. However, in that case my drawing isn't to scale at all so that does me no good.

I can plot just fine when I fit to paper or put the plot scale to 1:1. In that case I do get the popup window to choose a filename (in case of plotting to pdf) or the plot is send to the printer. It's all the other scales that don't seem to work. Checking for a popup that got stuck under some other window or at the edge of my screen was also my first thought, but alas. 

I already resetted my profiles as well, imported the profile from a colleague, resetted again when that didn't help...

I re-added all the scales via scalelistedit, like I do regularly when I'm in need of a scale that isn't offered pre-installed, but still no luck. 

I've been searching online about the remark regarding the annotation scale and I have to say it's something I've never used in my 10 years of working with autocad. Mind you, I never had any education in autocad, we were required to use it in college and were sort of thrown into the deep end and expected to learn it ourselves. 

I guess I'm doing a lot of things the "wrong" way as I have never learned best practices in autocad, but it has worked for me so far as I don't need very complicated settings normally. 

And until a few days ago my way of working was just fine, until it wasn't obviously and now, not knowing autocad well at all, I'm stuck. 

EDIT: I just tried changing the "annotation scale of the current view" (righthand lower corner of the screen) If I set this to say 1:10 and then try to plot with the same scale, it works. If I then want to plot in say scale 1:5, I run into the same issue as before. Seems to me the problem does indeed originate from the mismatch between my plot scale and annotation scale. However, since I've never even used the annotation scale setting before, I wonder why it was working for me without changing it and now all of a sudden it doesn't.

Is there some setting to automatically match them that I'm missing?

[dbroad]

When you plot from model space, if you don't use the same scale as the annotation scale, there should be a warning pop-up like this:

There is a chance that this dialog is off screen or that you're ignoring it.  You're a professional drafter now and it's important to learn how to use your tools. You can do this on your own or take a class.  I would guess that most AutoCAD drafters are using layouts to prepare and plot rather than to plot multiple windows in model space.  Start doing that and you should find many of your problems disappear. 

If you use annotative scaling at all, which may affect annotative blocks, annotative text styles, linetype scaling, hatch patterns, etc., then plotting at scales other than the annotative scale is problematic.  If you set up a layout, you can add viewports with the annotation scale you want to use and then plot paper space 1:1.

[dbroad]

When you plot from model space, if you don't use the same scale as the annotation scale, there should be a warning pop-up like this:

There is a chance that this dialog is off screen or that you're ignoring it.  You're a professional drafter now and it's important to learn how to use your tools. You can do this on your own or take a class.  I would guess that most AutoCAD drafters are using layouts to prepare and plot rather than to plot multiple windows in model space.  Start doing that and you should find many of your problems disappear. 

If you use annotative scaling at all, which may affect annotative blocks, annotative text styles, linetype scaling, hatch patterns, etc., then plotting at scales other than the annotative scale is problematic.  If you set up a layout, you can add viewports with the annotation scale you want to use and then plot paper space 1:1.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, never seen any such pop-up warning about the mismatched scales and it ain't stuck outside my screen either. 

We do use layouts, but only for our definitive plans and building permits as it takes us to much time to set up 20 layouts for every single option in the designing process. It's just how all of us work here at the office.

While I'm sure you're right some extra education would do me good, as a single mom working 60+ hours, that ain't happening any time soon and it sure doesn't help me fix the problem now. 

Neither does it explain where this issue suddenly comes from. I've never had any problems while not using annotation scale, until now. 

Now I've tried setting the annotation scale to match my plot scale and as a result, my drawing is scaled twice when plotting? Now it's plotting super tiny when I set my scales to 1:100.

I'll try and research scales and everything related in the upcoming days and until then I guess I'll just have to keep messing about trying to get something plotted.

If anyone has any ideas where this issue suddenly comes from, any help would be greatly appreciated !!

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, never seen any such pop-up warning about the mismatched scales and it ain't stuck outside my screen either. 

We do use layouts, but only for our definitive plans and building permits as it takes us to much time to set up 20 layouts for every single option in the designing process. It's just how all of us work here at the office.

While I'm sure you're right some extra education would do me good, as a single mom working 60+ hours, that ain't happening any time soon and it sure doesn't help me fix the problem now. 

Neither does it explain where this issue suddenly comes from. I've never had any problems while not using annotation scale, until now. 

Now I've tried setting the annotation scale to match my plot scale and as a result, my drawing is scaled twice when plotting? Now it's plotting super tiny when I set my scales to 1:100.

I'll try and research scales and everything related in the upcoming days and until then I guess I'll just have to keep messing about trying to get something plotted.

If anyone has any ideas where this issue suddenly comes from, any help would be greatly appreciated !!

[pendean]

Share with us your actual DWG file, lets have a look for ourselves and try to identify the problem.

[pendean]

Share with us your actual DWG file, lets have a look for ourselves and try to identify the problem.

[Anonymous]

You're welcome to try - but I doubt there's a problem with the dwgs. 

My colleagues are plotting just fine from the same files...

[Anonymous]

You're welcome to try - but I doubt there's a problem with the dwgs. 

My colleagues are plotting just fine from the same files...

[vinodkl]

Hi,

>>Autocad does not crash, there is no pdf created because I don't even get the option to enter a filename. I click "ok" and nothing happens, autocad just sits there till I click "cancel". <<

What I could guess from this is that, the dialog box popup is off the screen. After you click on "OK" now press Alt+spacebar and then "M" and press the left/right arrow key and then move your mouse. If you have the popup off screen you could see the popup sticking to the mouse now.

[vinodkl]

Hi,

>>Autocad does not crash, there is no pdf created because I don't even get the option to enter a filename. I click "ok" and nothing happens, autocad just sits there till I click "cancel". <<

What I could guess from this is that, the dialog box popup is off the screen. After you click on "OK" now press Alt+spacebar and then "M" and press the left/right arrow key and then move your mouse. If you have the popup off screen you could see the popup sticking to the mouse now.

[Anonymous]

Already tried that a few days ago. When I do that, my plot screen moves, so there is no pop-up....

[Anonymous]

Already tried that a few days ago. When I do that, my plot screen moves, so there is no pop-up....

[vinodkl]

Just to be sure have you tried it after clicking on "OK"?

[vinodkl]

Just to be sure have you tried it after clicking on "OK"?

[Anonymous]

Yep! And just retried it just to be double sure 😉 

[Anonymous]

Yep! And just retried it just to be double sure 😉 

[pendean]

>>>...My colleagues are plotting just fine from...<<<

In your file I got this pop-up, I bet your colleagues turn it off (box in the lower left corner) and you've never done so, and yours is off screen as noted previously by others.

 

Or your Windows log-in is corrupt (and you need a new Windows log-in) or your AutoCAD installation is corrupt and you need to remove and reinstall it.

The last two fixes involve your I.T. folks to get involved, the first problem you can easily correct yourself with these methods https://knowledge.autodesk.com/search-result/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Dialog-window-does-not-d...

Not much else anyone here can do for you sadly. Contact your I.T. or consider Paid Support (aka not free) as another venue you can explore here https://servicesmarketplace.autodesk.com/providers/product/autocad

Wishing you the best.

[pendean]

>>>...My colleagues are plotting just fine from...<<<

In your file I got this pop-up, I bet your colleagues turn it off (box in the lower left corner) and you've never done so, and yours is off screen as noted previously by others.

 

Or your Windows log-in is corrupt (and you need a new Windows log-in) or your AutoCAD installation is corrupt and you need to remove and reinstall it.

The last two fixes involve your I.T. folks to get involved, the first problem you can easily correct yourself with these methods https://knowledge.autodesk.com/search-result/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Dialog-window-does-not-d...

Not much else anyone here can do for you sadly. Contact your I.T. or consider Paid Support (aka not free) as another venue you can explore here https://servicesmarketplace.autodesk.com/providers/product/autocad

Wishing you the best.

[Anonymous]

I already re-installed autocad and we don't have IT-folks at our firm 😂

Anyway, I really don't think the popup is off screen. I tried the "alt+spacebar"-method to move the dialog on screen with the keyboard, but when I do that, it's my plot-dialog that moves, so I don't think autocad is opening any other popup. 

I'll try researching the windows-login a bit when I find the time. Seems like that's the only option left. No idea how that happened in the middle of the workday 🤔

[Anonymous]

I already re-installed autocad and we don't have IT-folks at our firm 😂

Anyway, I really don't think the popup is off screen. I tried the "alt+spacebar"-method to move the dialog on screen with the keyboard, but when I do that, it's my plot-dialog that moves, so I don't think autocad is opening any other popup. 

I'll try researching the windows-login a bit when I find the time. Seems like that's the only option left. No idea how that happened in the middle of the workday 🤔

[pendean]

Sadly, we can't be your I.T. either, you have a local problem that an IT professional (or a computer repair shop if they understand applications not just hardware) may be able to help you resolve.

Consider asking the bosses to pay for support, you can get it from here https://servicesmarketplace.autodesk.com/providers/product/autocad

Good luck.

[pendean]

Sadly, we can't be your I.T. either, you have a local problem that an IT professional (or a computer repair shop if they understand applications not just hardware) may be able to help you resolve.

Consider asking the bosses to pay for support, you can get it from here https://servicesmarketplace.autodesk.com/providers/product/autocad

Good luck.

[delisngangom0981]

You probably didn't turned on the 'fit to paper' option. That's why.

[delisngangom0981]

You probably didn't turned on the 'fit to paper' option. That's why.