OT: Does any one use AutoCAD LT?

[Leon]

I have a question about plotting to scale if you are familiar.

[Leon]

In particular 2004.

[Rileyesi]

What is your question?

[Unisaw A100]

Does LT have similar features with regards to scaling and plotting as 2000/2004?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuehler?

UA100

[Leon]

I have had several versions of AutoCAD LT and recall in the past being able to plot to scale designs that were larger than a letter sized sheet op paper. I can do this now but with a lot of improvising on my part. Basically I recall the plot previews showing the selected area to be plotted on a screen with an out line of the letter sized sheets tiled over the selected object. The preview would indicate how many sheets would be used by the printer to print to scale this object. Then the printer would print all these sheets automatically with index points for alignment purposes. How can this be done on 2004?

Thank you Leon

[CW]

[JAW]

CW woke up and had the following words of wisdom ....:

I currently use Microstation and for outputs larger than 8.5x11 I email my plot output to a local reproduction shop and they plot 18x24 sheets for 75 cents USD. The email me back when it is done and I go pick it up. They even ran a test for me for free, just to see if I had the plot set up correctly.

You might want to see if you can set up such an arrangement with someone local to do the same.

[Leon]

I can do this already my self to exact scale but I recall an easier way, basically a setting change.

[Leon]

So do you know or recall know how to do this?

I have had several versions of AutoCAD LT and recall in the past being able to plot to scale designs that were larger than a letter sized sheet of paper. I can do this now but with a lot of improvising on my part. Basically I recall the plot previews showing the selected area to be plotted on a screen with an out line of the letter sized sheets tiled over the selected object. The preview would indicate how many sheets would be used by the printer to print to scale this object. Then the printer would print all these sheets automatically with index points for alignment purposes. How can this be done on 2004.

[Leon]

Basically I use the DefPoints layer to draw rectangles in a grid the size of the margins of my printer settings and copy this over the object that I want to plot to scale. Then I use the window in the Plot dialog box to select each rectangle in the grid. But,, I recall earlier versions of the program doing all this for me in the preview window. Now I only see 1 page of the plot and only 1 to scale page is printed. I do not use this feature often except when I want to transfer a design to a long board or bigger panel.

[S R]

Leon,

I too use the same method as you do with the overlaid rectangles. I know in MS Excel, you can have it plot a complete workbook and it will show you how many pages it will be on. I have never seen ACAD/LT have this functionality.

Stephen R.

[Leon]

Back in the mid 90's I also used AutoSketch by Autodesk. Perhaps it was that program that did this. I was under the assumption that I had that capability under 97, 98 2000, or 2004.

Thanks.

[David Patnaude]

"Leon" wrote in news:bPucd.7114$q% [e-mail]:

I think that you might be thinking of AutoSketch which is another product from Autodesk.

Another option, but more cumbersome, is to Publish to a DWF file. You can then use the free Autodesk DWF Viewer and tile the plot to the paper size at scale with registration marks.

Dave

[Leon]

Yeah I used Auto Sketch from about 1989 til 1997.

Thanks. I'll look into that.

[CW]

That is what I was about to suggest. I'm not aware that AutoCAD could ever do that. I do, however, have a solution for you. I have a program, used to be a free download, that I would be willing to send to you that will do just what you want. Only thing is, you have to save your files in R-14 format for it to use them.

[Leon]

Well Thank you CW, If that would not be too much trouble I would very much appreciate giving that a try. Well maybe not, I just looked and R14 is not an option in my save as window. R12 is as far a 2004 LT goes and that is in .dxf format.

Actually I have made my own template for starting all my drawings. I have added a grid made up of 10.5" x 7.75" rectangles. Instead of lines I used points at each intersection. I just copy the grid over the part of the drawing that I want to print to scale and print any one of invisible rectangles. The points print so that I can index the pages.