Topic Title

Strange thing started happening this week - we'd go to batch plot 11x17 checksets into PDFs or PLT files via GTVs, and the first couple of pages would be fine, but then somehow the scale would revert back to 1/4" for the last couple of drawings. It's been happening on a couple different drawings, and I've made sure to setup the correct scales / page sizes / etc and do a Quick Layout first to check, but it keeps happening.

We've never had problems with the batch plot before. Anybody have experience with this? I'll try re-loading the latest update, and re-checking my scale settings under EditSets to see of that helps.

Any insight would be appreciated.

-rd

Hello RD,

Are you batch plotting from "outside" the files, and using the QuickLayout, or are you using MSP and batch plotting from "inside" the files?

Neil,
Batch plotting inside the files. We have all our "pages" setup as Go-To-Views inside a single .aec file (usually 10-15 sheets). In the batch plotting setup, we choose the views we want to print, set the printer/page size/scale/etc and hit "OK". We've never had problems until lately, when some of the PLTs or PDFs come up correctly and others at the default 1/4" scale (showing only partial pages on 11x17). Since this occurs during the automated batch-plot process, I'm not sure where we could have messed a setting up.
-rd

RD,
You do know that DCAD 11 has the ability to save plot scale with GTV's? Check your GTV's to make sure that you don't have different scales set up for them. This can be switched off in the Preferences menu.

Paul - thanks, that was it! Accidently hit "default" the other day under Program Preferances and that was one of the settings I didn't think to change back to my "normal" setup.

Thanks again - rd

Hi RD,

If you Update a GTV with the correct plot scale set, then you'll get the results you want, I think. Because having the plot scale saved with the GTv has many advantages, mainly relating to the use of Text Scale.

And you know what? I had totally overlooked the possibility to use the Batch Plot for GTV's... That is another way to "skin the cat" (what a nasty image!), that I can see would let you set up WYSIWYG sheets withing the file -- and still have the advantage of Batch Plotting. AND, it sidesteps the issue with using MSP, of having to remember to update the details if you add/subtract layers. You have to update the GTV, and you have to update the detail that is based on it... This has been a wishlist item for me for a while now -- but this batch plot/GTV thing would give me what I've been looking for!

Kewl!

Okay, this is a perfect example of why there needs to be a separate
group of settings just for batch plotting. Set these batch plot settings
up front for our resulting construction documents and they stay
embedded in concrete. Then any intermediate plotting/printing like
odd size checksets or just everyday 8 1/2x11's to fax to the client with
the "on-the-fly" settings won't totally screw up our output.

RDanne had to double check each QuickLayout first (only 10-15 sheets!)
to make sure settings were correct. When you batch plot all the time
for a project that has 30 files and 150 sheets with four team members
all in every file firing off 8.5x11's and 11x17's and check plots all day
long every day for months..... it gets tiring having to re-check every
GTV for con doc layout when it's time to batch plot. It's also tiring to
constantly "discover" odd plots (imagine when your client discovers it)
mixed in with your con docs.

Back in the days of hand drafting if your client dropped by and wanted
a set of prints, but also wanted an 8.5x11 of the kitchen first to look at
while he was waiting for you to run the prints, would the size or scale of
the floor plan that came out of the blueprint machine change just because
you tossed it up on the copy machine first? Of course not! And it's
completely silly to expect that to happen with CAD... but it does...
every time.

I'd looooooove to have a "Final" setting or something like this. I'm always running a batch plot only to find out one of our draftsmen went and updated a GTV with the wrong scale set.