PLOT PREPARATION CONFIGURATION

Main Configuration Dialog
Misc Settings
Plot Prep Config

Configuration dialog:

Click on an area of the dialog below to go to the description for that area:

The button keeps changes made and closes the dialog.

The button discards changes made and closes the dialog.

The button brings you to this web page for help during the command (without canceling).

Breakdown of configuration options

Update Title Block

Command affected:  PLOTPREP

This sets whether you would like the title block updated using the TB-UPDAT command prior to plotting. Check "Do NOT update" to skip the update. Check "ASK to update" if you would like to be prompted with the following dialog:

Check "ALWAYS update" if you would like to have the title block always updated without asking.

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Global Spell Check

Command affected:  PLOTPREP

Check this box if you would like to perform a global (everything in the drawing) spell check prior to plotting.

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PDMODE

Command affected:  PLOTPREP

Check the top box to have the PDMODE set to a specific value prior to plotting (this can prevent the dots in your drawing and in hatches from becoming crosses etc.) Enter the PDMODE value in the box that you would like to have the drawing set to prior to plotting. If you are unsure of the value you want you may select the "<-Change" button and the following dialog will appear:

Select the PDMODE value from the dialog by clicking on it. The dialog will close and the value will be entered in the "PDMODE to change to:" box.

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Change to a Layout View

Command affected:  PLOTPREP

AutoCAD release 2000 and later only. Check this box if you would like to always change to the same layout view when plotting. Specify the layout view name to make current. 

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Linetype Scale in Layout View

Command affected:  PLOTPREP

Check this box if you always plot from within layout view (paper space) and you would like the linetype scale to use paper space units for your linetypes (sets PSLTSCALE to 1) along with your global scale factor (LTSCALE) set to 1 prior to plotting.

If you do not use paper space or layout space for plotting do not select this checkbox. See AutoCAD's help for more on how the PSLTSCALE and LTSCALE system variables affect plotting.

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Plotter Log

Command affected:  PLOTPREP

Check this box if you would like to keep a log of the plots sent. Browse to specify where you would like the log file to be placed or type in the path and filename in the "Log file:" box. The plot log file will contain the following information: Job number, Date, Time, Filename, Sheet size, Sent by, and if the plot is billable. To find out if the plot is billable you will be prompted with the following dialog:

If the plot is billable click "Yes" if not, click "No".

The log file created is a tab delimited text file so that you may import it in to your spreadsheet program if needed.

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"Non Plot" Layers

Commands affected:  PLOTPREP, Viewing Layer Schemes

Check the top box to turn off "non-plot layers" prior to plotting. In AutoCAD release 2000 and later these layers will also have their plot property set to "not plot".

These layers are also turned off when viewing a layer scheme. See Using Layer Schemes.

In this list you may either call out a layer name specifically (like "BORDER") or you can use wildcards (like "*NPLT*") to specify the layers to turn off.

To add a layer or wildcard to the list press the "ADD..." button and the following dialog will appear:

Type in the layer name or wildcard and press "OK". The new layer will be added to the list.

To delete a layer press the "DELETE..." button and the following dialog will appear:

Select the layer that you would like to delete and the layer will be removed from the list.

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