PRINT PREVIEW IN AUTOCAD 2021

[orendothan]

It seems like in autocad 2021, print preview only work if you click ok and print the drawing. 

In 2020 and previous version if you did a print preview, it showed you your last print preview even if you didn't click OK and printed the drawing.

I only do this a million times a day, since I like seeing what the drawing and lineweights look like against a printed white background. now in 2021 I need to print the drawing in order for print preview to work.

Is there a way to have print preview work like it always did before. This is super annoying. 

[GrantsPirate]

It is working fine here, maybe...

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Plot-p...

[nrz13]

Print preview is working for me normally in 2021 (aside from the graphics bugs that were introduced in 2020 that are still present).

How is it not working for you?  Describe the steps you take and the results or, better yet, upload a Screencast.

[orendothan]

Thanks for responding, below is a pdf of what I was trying to verbalize above. 

[nrz13]

As far as I know, you would have to save the layout (Apply to Layout button) for it to remember your last plot.  Otherwise, under Page Setup > Name: select "<Previous plot>" to pull up the last settings you used (not drawing dependent).  Or is there something I'm still not understanding in your problem?

[pendean]

Can you post a DWG file with this problem in place for us to try? Tell us exactly, step by step, what to do in your file to repeat the error. Step by step, like we are your grandmother started using AutoCAD for the first time type of instructions 🙂

Thanks.

[orendothan]

Here you go, see enclosed file

File: Plot

Do the page set up

Select- DWG to PDF

Select Paper Size

Select print window

Select Plot Style CTB

Select Scale

Then i do print preview to see what the print looks like.

I then DO NOT CLICK OK TO PRINT THE DRAWING. I just want to see what the drawing looks like on screen. 

Continue working on the file

Go back to see what the print looks like

File: Plot

Under page set up I click the down arrow and select: PREVIOUS PLOT

PREVIOUS PLOT IN 2021 Does not show me the previous plot settings I set up in the first step above.

It works in 2020 and every scheme prior. Somehow on my machine this doesn't work in 2021

[nrz13]

I can confirm that the behavior for "<Previous plot>" has changed in 2021.  In previous versions, the print preview view is saved upon initiating the print preview and can be retrieved by selecting "<Previous plot>".  In AutoCAD 2021, selecting "<Previous plot>" will only pull the previous view if the view was actually plotted rather than just previewed.

[deenukumar]

After you finished print setup and checking in the preview, you decided to make some changes in the drawing & not to continue the print. Before clicking the "cancel" button, click the "add..." button in the "page setup" - next to "Name:" and give some name. This will temporarily save the current plot setup for which you have not completed the print.

You can also overwrite the settings by entering the same name you have given previously.

This will be applicable only to the present drawing you have just created page setup. This can be imported into another drawing using "import" button in the page setup and opening the target drawing in which you have saved the settings.

Hope this will help you.

good luck..

[dan1619889]

Hi, Did you ever find a solution to this? It is SUPER annoying!

[orendothan]

Yes my solution is to use autocad 2020 before these geniuses F@$#d it up  

So dumb.... and even more dumb that they are not fixing it. 

[smorgan345]

I agree, very annoying.  I hate upgrading for these reasons.  

[cadffm]

Send 1000x Product feedbacks, start supportcase for each (new) version.

😞

[RobDraw]

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@orendothan wrote:

Yes my solution is to use autocad 2020 before these geniuses  it up  

So dumb.... and even more dumb that they are not fixing it. 

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I think it was broken before as the plot never happened. It should revert to the previous settings, not the ones that weren't plotted. It's a bug fix!

[orendothan]

I'm not sure what you are saying. All I know is that it worked properly on every release until 2021 when it was reverted for some reason and Autodesk does not seem to think it worthwhile fixing. 

[RobDraw]

Working properly is a matter of opinion, I think.

Before the change, it held the settings even though it wasn't plotted. I wouldn't expect it to hold those settings.

How do you know what Autodesk is thinking? Maybe they had complaints that it wasn't working as expected and they did fix it. Why else would it have been changed? Accident? Doubtful. 

[orendothan]

Poor judgement. 

[RobDraw]

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@orendothan wrote:

Poor judgement. 

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On whose part?