Topic Title

I use Multi-Layout sporadically and I have a couple of questions. How can I capture the entire layout of a plot sheet for reference without having to go to the plot menu. I would like to save the drawing file so that a user (or sub-contractor using AutoCAd) that is unfamiliar with the Multi-Layout setup can use the drawing effectively. This concerns me on the archiving end as well. How can someone just open a file & plot it without having to go through the Multi-Layout setup.
I hope all of this hasn't been covered recently. I am fairly new to the forum & have not had a chance to review all the current postings.

Hello,

My suggestion is to create the drawing sheet in PDF format, that can be handled easily to your contractor, whitout even needing to open DataCAD at all.

Regards,
Miguel

If you are sending a multi-layout job to AutoCad, I think the safest thing to do is send the separate GTVs as a separate DWGs. You also send a PDF, just in case of accidents. This may sound tedious but.
1. it is truly bulletproof
2. it may not be necessary to send all your GTVs, only those that are relevant.
3. It may be that the GTVs you send are not actually the same as the GTVs you use.
4. The recipient may, or may not, put these together as he/she requires and in a way that you need neither know nor care about - or even understand.
Your contractors may not have DataCad, or any other CAD for that matter, and should be better off with a PDF as Miguel explains.

Unfortunately Dcad and Acad don't translate well between MSP/MultiLayout and PaperSpace. The only truly best way (at this point) is to use PDF to show what the sheet is INTENDED to show, and to make sure that you Export all of the drawings (including symbols) to DWG format for your Client/Consultant to try to put back together into a DWG format on their end.

I deal with Acad on a (truly) day-to-day basis, and there are real issues to consider as you transfer back and forth with your client/consultant.

Thank you for all your tips, they are helpful. But know one addressed the archiving / new user issue. Can I gather from this that the only way to generate a guick plotable copy; without knowing anything but the simple plot routine; is to generate a PDF file of each final drawing sheet.
Thanks
Linethrower

That is exactly what I do now. Pdf's are small, quick and have a number of additional benefits. I can keep a record "plot" set at specific job intervals and others in the office can plot out drawings without having to access the job files (and taknig a chance of someone inadvertantly changing something).
Bob Parker

Thank you for all your tips, they are helpful. But know one addressed the archiving / new user issue. Can I gather from this that the only way to generate a guick plotable copy; without knowing anything but the simple plot routine; is to generate a PDF file of each final drawing sheet.
Thanks
Linethrower

Actually, once you have the multi-layout set up you don't have to go back and reset it up. You just have to call up the sheet and plot it. In fact, if you have batch plotting set up in each drawing file, you don't even have to open the file. Just start DCAD select File/Batch Plot and select the file or files you want to plot and whether you want to plot to the printer or to file, and print.