Shaded viewport plot options removed from -plot?

[kenneth.smithV6QLC]

I am writing a LISP for automating -PLOT command but no longer see the option for Quality when it comes to "Save changes to page setup (y/n)?" as shown online. The setting can be toggled from the dialog box but was hoping to find a system command at least to control this. Am I missing something with the base install or was it removed for some reason from 2021?

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2021/ENU/AutoC...

[kenneth.smithV6QLC]

Through a bit of online digging, I found a system command "RASTERDPI".

Update: This does not control anything in the PLOT settings.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2020/ENU/AutoC...

[kenneth.smithV6QLC]

According to the guide, how do we set "shade plot quality = Quality" then? There is nothing online about this.

[JBerns]

@kenneth.smithV6QLC,

Will you be using the AutoLISP (command) function to perform the plot?

If so, here is a screen capture of the steps (simplified). Shade options are highlighted.

Command: -PLOT
Detailed plot configuration? [Yes/No] <No>: y

Enter a layout name or [?] <Model>:
Enter an output device name or [?] <None>: dwg to pdf.pc3
Enter paper size or [?] <ANSI A (11.00 x 8.50 Inches)>: Letter
Enter paper units [Inches/Millimeters] <Inches>:
Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] <Landscape>:
Plot upside down? [Yes/No] <No>:
Enter plot area [Display/Extents/Limits/View/Window] <Display>:
Enter plot scale (Plotted Inches=Drawing Units) or [Fit] <Fit>:
Enter plot offset (x,y) or [Center] <0.00,0.00>:
Plot with plot styles? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Enter plot style table name or [?] (enter . for none) <>: acad
Plot with lineweights? [Yes/No] <Yes>:
Enter shade plot setting [As displayed/legacy Wireframe/legacy Hidden/Visual styles/Rendered] <As displayed>: R
Save changes to page setup? Or set shade plot quality? [Yes/No/Quality] <N>: Q
Enter shade plot quality [Draft/Preview/Normal/pResentation/Maximum/Custom] <Normal>: M
Save changes to page setup? [Yes/No] <No>: N
Proceed with plot [Yes/No] <Y>:

So the code might be:

(command "_.PLOT" "Y" "" "DWG to PDF.pc3" "Letter" "Inches" "Landscape" "N" "Display" "Fit" "" "Y" "acad" "Y" "Rendered" "Quality" "Maximum" "N" "Y") 

Of course, substitute your plotter name, paper size, and the other appropriate responses.

If you are going to use Visual LISP, that gets a little more complicated. I will have to do some more research, but thought I would post this as quick, and hopefully helpful response.

Regards,

Jerry

[JBerns]

@kenneth.smithV6QLC,

This format is a little easier to read. This is an excerpt from some of my code. Notice the variables used to hold some of the answers.

		;; Plot --------------------------------------------

		;; Detailed plot configuration? [Yes/No]
		(command "_.PLOT" "Y")

		;; Detail answers
		(command "Model"	 ;;Enter a layout name
			 strOutDev	 ;;Enter an output device name
			 strPaperSize	 ;;Enter paper size
			 "I"		 ;;Enter paper units
			 strPlotRot	 ;;Enter drawing orientation
			 "N"		 ;;Plot upside down
			 "W"		 ;;Enter plot area
			 strLL		 ;;Enter lower left corner of window
			 strUR		 ;;Enter upper right corner of window
			 "F"		 ;;Enter plot scale or[Fit]
			 "C"		 ;;Enter plot offset or [Center]
			 "Y"		 ;;Plot with plot styles
			 strPlotStyle	 ;;Plot style
			 "Y"		 ;;Plot lineweights
			 "R"		 ;;Enter shade plot setting (Render)
			 "M"		 ;;Shaded viewport quality (Draft/Preview/Normal/pResentation/Maximum/Custom)
			 "N"		 ;;Write plot to file
			 "N"		 ;;Save change to page setup
			 "Y"		 ;;Proceed
			);_command

		;; loop until no active command
		(while (/= 0 (getvar "cmdactive")) (command ""))

Regards,

Jerry

[kenneth.smithV6QLC]

That's actually the same code I am using, however once the code gets to the
yes/no/quality question, the code breaks and says there is no quality
option. Even stepping through -plot manually there is no quality option,
only yes/no.

[kenneth.smithV6QLC]

(command
		"-PLOT" "yes" ;Detailed plot configuration? [Yes/No] : y
		templayout ;Enter a layout name or [?] :
		"Adobe PDF.pc3" ;Enter an output device name or [?] : ir2270.pc3
		"Tabloid" ;Enter paper size or [?] :
		"i" ;Enter paper units [Inches/Millimeters] :
		"l" ;Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] :
		"no" ;Plot upside down? [Yes/No] :
		"Extents" ;Enter plot area [Display/Extents/Layout/View/Window] :
		;"1:2.625" ;Enter plot scale (Plotted Millimeters=Drawing Units) or [Fit] <1:1>:
		"f" ;Enter plot scale (Plotted Millimeters=Drawing Units) or [Fit] <1:1>:
		"c" ;Enter plot offset (x,y) or [Center] <0.00,0.00>:
		"yes" ;Plot with plot styles? [Yes/No] :
		"monochrome.ctb" ;Enter plot style table name or [?] (enter . for none) : acad.ctb
		"no" ;Plot object lineweights? [Yes/No] :
		"no" ;Scale lineweights with plot scale? [Yes/No] :
		"no" ;Plot paper space first? [Yes/No] :
		"no" ;Hide paperspace objects? [Yes/No] :
		"no" ;Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] :
		"q" ;Save changes to page setup [Yes/No]? 
		"no" ;Proceed with plot [Yes/No] : 
	)

Here is the code I am using plus the copy of the command line when stepping through -plot manually.

Command: -PLOT
Detailed plot configuration? [Yes/No] <No>: y

Enter a layout name or [?] <Layout1>:
Enter an output device name or [?] <None>: adobe pdf.pc3
Enter paper size or [?] <Letter>: Tabloid
Enter paper units [Inches/Millimeters] <Inches>: i
Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] <Portrait>: l
Plot upside down? [Yes/No] <No>: n
Enter plot area [Display/Extents/Layout/View/Window] <Layout>: e
Enter plot scale (Plotted Inches=Drawing Units) or [Fit] <1:1>: f
Enter plot offset (x,y) or [Center] <0.00,0.00>: c
Plot with plot styles? [Yes/No] <Yes>: n
Enter plot style table name or [?] (enter . for none) <>: monochrome.ctb
Plot with lineweights? [Yes/No] <Yes>: n
Scale lineweights with plot scale? [Yes/No] <No>: n
Plot paper space first? [Yes/No] <No>:
Hide paperspace objects? [Yes/No] <No>: n
Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <N>: n
Save changes to page setup [Yes/No]? <N> y
Proceed with plot [Yes/No] <Y>: n

[JBerns · Accepted solution]

Are you plotting in paperspace?

If so, each viewport controls its own render quality.

Select the viewport and then adjust the Shade plot setting in the Properties palette.

In my example, the shade option is present because I was plotting from the Model tab (layout).

[kenneth.smithV6QLC]

Oh man, how careless of me to not realize that was the case. Sorry for the urgency applied behind this. I tend to get flustered easily when I know the answer is something simple but cannot find it. Thank you for pointing this out @JBerns.