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AutoCAD 2002 plotting

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by judy_p_1968

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I just upgraded my AutoCAD stations from Release 14 to AutoCAD 2002. Actually, I was forced to upgrade or be forced to pay a higher price later. autodesk is getting as bad as Microsoft!

I need some quick and thorough plotting configuration tips. There's a huge difference between plotting in Release 14 and 2002, and I need to be up and going quick.

Are there any good tips out there?

7 replies

by maxwell edison

Printing and plotting has changed drastically in AutoCAD 2002 - there is much more flexibility. Unfortunately, flexibility sometimes adds complexity. This is the case with AutoCAD 2002. The fact that paperspace has also changed adds to this complexity.

To plot successfully in AutoCAD 2002, you have to familiarize yourself with the three main plotting tasks:
1. Plotter Configuration (PC3 files)
2. Pen Style Configuration (CTB and STB files)
3. Page Setup

While these are the most important concepts to learn, it is also a good idea to become familiar with modelspace vs. paperspace, sheet layouts, and lineweights.

Plotter Configuration:
In R14, configuring a plotter was fairly simple. Assuming that the plotter is a Hewlett-Packard DesignJet 750C, you would execute the Preferences command from the Tools pull-down menu, click on the Printer tab, click on the New? button, and follow the instructions.

In 2002, the procedures have changed. If you click on your Windows Start button, go to Settings, and Control Panel, you will notice the Autodesk Plotter Manager in the list. Go ahead and double-click on the Autodesk Plotter Manager. This is where a plotter is configured in AutoCAD 2002.

To configure a new plotter, double-click the Add-A-Plotter Wizard. Click Next>:

What should you choose? My Computer, Network Plotter Server, or System Printer? The answer depends on several things: Are you connecting to the plotter through the network or is it connected to your computer? What is the brand and model of the plotter? Are there Windows NT or 95/98 drivers for the plotter? Are there Autodesk Heidi drivers for the plotter?
Basically, My Computer and Network Plotter Server use Autodesk Heidi drivers and the System Printer uses Windows drivers.

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by maxwell edison

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Here are some good rules to follow:

 If the plotter is not attached to your computer, but is accessible through a network, you will choose Network Plotter Server or System Printer.

 If the plotter is attached to your computer (through an lpt port), you will choose My Computer or System Printer.

 If the printer or plotter is configured in Windows, you can choose System Printer. How do you know if it?s configured in Windows? Click on the Start button, go to Settings => Printers. If you see it in the list (local or network), it?s configured in Windows.

Is it best to use the System Printer or Network Plotter Server/My Computer if you have the choice? For HP DesignJet Plotters, CAD Masters recommendsthat you use Windows drivers, and thus the System Printer option.

If you do choose to use the Windows drivers for the Designjet, please get the latest Windows drivers. They can be downloaded from Hewlett Packard's web site.

Continuing with the printer setup, we?ll choose a system printer for our HP DesignJet 750C. Click Next>:

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by maxwell edison

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Pen Style Configuration
It?s obviously desired in AutoCAD to plot with different line widths and grayscales. In AutoCAD R14, we achieved this by using the Pen Assignments option inside the Print/Plot Configuration dialog box.

In 2002, you can achieve this with lineweights and plot style tables. Another consideration is the lineweights. Plot style tables are simple spreadsheet like tables where we can associate an AutoCAD color to a pen width and grayscale amongst other things.

If you click on your Windows Start button, go to Settings, and Control Panel, you will notice the Autodesk Plot Style Manager in the list. Go ahead and double-click on the Autodesk Plot Style Manager. This is where the plot style tables are located. You will notice that some of the tables have CTB extension whereas other tables have an STB extension. CTB tables are "color-dependent plot styles" whereas STB tables are "Named Plot Styles." CTB tables are organized as I described above with colors associated to pen widths, grayscales, etc. STB tables are much more involved. With STB tables, you can create plot styles that can then be associated to layers. If you want to keep life simple for yourself, and you want to plot like you did in R14, use CTB tables! STB tables are very powerful, and we may transition into them as time moves on.

Pen settings stored in a CFG, PCP, or PC2 file will not be recognized in AutoCAD 2002 until these files are converted into CTB or STB files. Fortunately, it is very easy to convert AutoCAD R14 pen settings into AutoCAD 2002. Use the Add-A-Plot Style Wizard to accomplish this. Run the File -> Plot Style Manager to get to the wizard.

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by maxwell edison

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Page Setup

We are almost ready to plot. We have our HP DesignJet 750C configured and we have customized our ACAD.CTB file. The last thing we need to do is our sheet layout and page setup. One of the exciting new features of AutoCAD 2000 is the ability to have multiple sheet layouts (i.e. multiple paperspaces). If you look down at the bottom of your screen you will notice three tabs labeled Model, Layout1, Layout2. In that particular drawing, you have one modelspace and two paperspaces.The following drawing contains six paper spaces:

Each paper space corresponds to one plan and profile sheet (We are civil engineers here, so most of our examples are related to that discipline). I can access the page setup command for modelspace or any one of the six paperspaces simply by highlighting that tab down at the bottom, and executing the Page Setup? command from the FILE pull-down menu:

The page setup dialog box consists of two tabs. The first tab Plot Device is where you can specify the plotter configuration and the plot style table that you created earlier.

The Second tab Layout Settings is where you can specify the paper size, plot area, plot scale, etc. If the paper size that you want is not listed, what can you do? If you go back to Plot Device and click on the Properties button for the PC3 file that you are using, you can typically add more paper sizes there.

Click Plot any you are off to the races.

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by maxwell edison

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The preceding instructions came from this site:

http://www.cadmasters.com/techsupp/Acad2002/ac2kplot.html

There are further explainations as well as some very nice illustrations.

You should allso see this site for converting pen weights from Release 14 to 2002:

http://www.cadmasters.com/techsupp/Acad2002/pc2-ctb.html

(REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URLs.)

Also, go to the Cadence and Cadlyst magazine web sites and do a search of AutoCAD 2000 plotting. (Same as 2002.) They both had some really nice articles with step-by-step instructions.

Best of luck and have a GREAT 2002!

Maxwell

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