how to plot multiple copies with the command line prompt

Discussion in 'AutoCAD' started by Daniel Bennett, Dec 19, 2004.

  1. Hopefully I should be asking this question here and not the customisattion
    group.

    This is the exract of the help file in AutoCAD dealing with plotting from
    the command line. It does not mention multiple copies (or am I blind?).

    If you enter -plot at the Command prompt, the following prompt is displayed
    on the command line:

    Detailed plot configuration [Yes/No] <No>: Enter y or n or press ENTER

    No
    Indicates that you do not want a detailed plot configuration for this
    plot.

    Enter a layout name or [?] <current>:

    Enter a page setup name < >:

    Enter an output device name or [?] <current>:

    Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <current>:

    Enter file name: <dwgname-layoutname.plt>:

    Save changes to layout [Yes/No] <No>:

    Proceed with Plot [Yes/No] <Y>:

    For information about these prompts, see the description for Yes.

    Yes
    Specifies detailed page settings for the Model tab or layout tab you
    are plotting.

    Enter a layout name or [?] <current>: Specify the name of the layout
    tab you want to plot

    Enter an output device name or [?] <current>: Specify the name of the
    output device to which you want to plot the Model tab or layout tab you
    selected

    If you enter a new device name without an extension, AutoCAD assumes
    that the device is a PC3 file (Autodesk HDI plotter configuration file). If
    no PC3 file is found, AutoCAD searches for a Windows system printer with
    that device name.

    Enter paper size or [?] <current>: Specify the paper size to use for
    the plot or enter ? to view the actual list of paper sizes defined for the
    plotter driver

    You must specify a paper size exactly as it is defined by the plotter
    driver.

    Enter paper units [Inches/Millimeters] <current>:

    The Enter Paper Units prompt is not displayed if you are plotting a
    raster image, such as a BMP or TIFF file, because the size of the plot is
    assumed to be in pixels.

    Enter drawing orientation [Portrait/Landscape] <current>:

    Portrait

    Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of the paper
    represents the top of the page.

    Landscape

    Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of the paper
    represents the top of the page.

    Plot upside down [Yes/No] <No>:

    Orients and plots the drawing upside down.

    Enter plot area [Display/Extents/Limits/Layout/View/Window] <current>:

    Display

    Plots the view in the current viewport on the Model tab or the current
    view in the layout, depending on which tab you select to plot.

    Extents

    Plots all of the objects in the current viewport, except objects on
    frozen layers. From a layout tab, plots all the geometry in paper space.
    AutoCAD may regenerate the drawing to recalculate the extents before
    plotting.

    If you plot the drawing's extents with a perspective view active and
    the camera position is within the drawing extents, this option has the same
    effect as the Display option.

    Limits

    Plots the drawing area defined by the grid limits. Available only when
    the Model tab is selected.

    Layout

    Plots everything within the printable area of the specified paper
    size, with the origin calculated from 0,0 in the layout. Available only when
    a layout tab is selected.

    View

    Plots a view saved previously with the VIEW command. You can select a
    named view from the list provided. If there are no saved views in the
    drawing, this option is unavailable.

    Window

    Plots any portion of the drawing you specify. This option prompts you
    to specify the corners of the window.

    Enter lower left corner of window: Specify a point

    Enter upper right corner of window: Specify a point

    Enter plot scale (Plotted Inches = Drawing Units) or [Fit] <current>:
    Specify the scale of the plot

    Plotted Inches = Drawing Units

    Calculates the plot scale based on the inches or millimeters to
    drawing units that you specify. You can also enter a real number as a
    fraction (for example, you can enter 1=2 or .5).

    Fit

    Calculates the scale to fit the area on the sheet of paper.

    The default scale setting is 1:1 when you are plotting a layout,
    unless you modified and saved the setting. The default setting is Fit when
    plotting a Model tab.

    Enter plot offset (x, y) or
    <current>: Specify the plot
    offset in either the X or Y direction, or enter c to center the plot on the
    paper

    Plot with plot styles [Yes/No] <current>: Specify whether to plot
    using the plot styles applied to objects and defined in the plot style table

    If you specify Yes to plot with plot styles, AutoCAD displays the
    following prompt:

    Enter plot style table name or [?] (enter . for none) <current>:
    Enter a plot style table name, ? to view plot style tables, or . (period)
    for none

    All style definitions with different property characteristics are
    stored in the current plot style table and can be attached to the geometry.
    This setting replaces pen mapping in earlier versions of AutoCAD.

    Plot with lineweights [Yes/No] <current>:

    Scale lineweights with plot scale [Yes/No] <current>:

    Note The Scale Lineweights with Plot Scale prompt is displayed only
    when you plot from a layout tab. Settings for the shaded plotting type are
    available only when you plot from the Model tab. To control shaded plotting
    settings of viewports in a layout tab, use the Shadeplot option of
    the -vports command when you create a viewport.

    Enter shade plot setting [As displayed/Wireframe/Hidden/Rendered] <As
    displayed>: Enter a shade plot option

    Specifies how model space views are plotted.

    As Displayed

    Specifies that a model space view is plotted the same way it is
    displayed.

    Wireframe

    Specifies that a model space view is plotted in wireframe regardless
    of display.

    Hidden

    Specifies that a model space view is plotted with hidden lines removed
    regardless of display.

    Rendered

    Specifies that model space view plots are rendered regardless of
    display.

    Write the plot to a file [Yes/No] <current>: Enter y if you want to
    write the plotted drawing to a file, or press ENTER to plot to an output
    device

    If you specify Yes, AutoCAD displays the following prompt:

    Enter file name: <dwgname-layoutname.plt>: Enter a file name

    Save changes to page setup? Or set shade plot quality?
    [Yes/No/Quality] <No>:

    If you enter y, the current settings in the Page Setup dialog box are
    saved. If you enter q, you are prompted for the shaded plotting quality and
    are given the option of providing a custom dpi. Then you are prompted to
    save the page setup with the added quality settings.

    Enter shade plot quality
    [Draft/Preview/Normal/pResentation/Maximum/Custom] <Normal>: Enter c if you
    want to specify a dpi, or to use a preset dpi, specify a different quality
    option

    Enter custom dpi <150>:

    Save changes to page setup [Yes/No]? <No>:

    Plot paper space first [Yes/No] <current>:

    Paper space geometry is usually plotted before model space geometry.
    If you enter n, the model space geometry is plotted first, and paper space
    geometry is plotted last. This option is available only if you are plotting
    from a layout tab.

    Hide paperspace objects? [Yes/No] <No>:

    Specifies whether the Hide operation applies to objects in the paper
    space viewport. This option is available only from a layout tab.

    Proceed with plot [Yes/No] <Y>:



    I have a lisp (sample below) that that allows me to plot an A3 or A1
    to our standard settings and another that enables me to due a previous plot
    which are both great, except I can only do a single plot. I have duplicated
    the plot line of the lisp in the past as a temporary measure however this
    effectivley runs two plots which isn't as effiecent as doing a plot with
    multiple copies. (No I don't like the photocopier and nither do some of our
    clients)

    Cheers,

    Daniel Bennett



    ;;Plots CW drawings on an A3 sheet at half scale to the HP5000
    (Defun C:pA3 ()
    (progn
    (COMMAND "UNDO" "BEGIN")
    (COMMAND "CMDECHO" "0")
    (COMMAND "-PLOT" "Y" "" "hp5000.pc3" "A3" "M" "L" "N" "W"
    "19.5,14" "833.,574.5" "1=2" "C" "Y" "CW Half.ctb" "Y" "N" "N" "N" "N" "Y"
    "Y")
    (command "qsave")
    (COMMAND "UNDO" "END")
    )
    (princ)
    )
    (princ)(prompt "\nPA3 To PLot Connell Wagner A3 drawings.")

    ;;Performs a plot using the previous plot paramaters - note does not
    work for plotfiles, use PPP
    (Defun C:pP ()
    (progn
    (COMMAND "UNDO" "BEGIN")
    (COMMAND "CMDECHO" "0")
    (COMMAND "_PLOT" "n" "" "<previous plot>" "" "" "y" "")
    (command "qsave")
    (COMMAND "UNDO" "END")
    )
    (princ)
    )
    (princ)(prompt "\nPP To PLot At Previous Plot Parameters.")​
     
    Daniel Bennett, Dec 19, 2004
    #1
  2. Thanks Dean,

    That's what I've done in the past however it has two draw backs. One It
    ties up your machine longer than specifying two (or more) plots would. And
    two it has the same affect at the printer. (I am thinking about thoes times
    I need 10 plots)

    I must admit that I haven't played with publish much yet, and since
    upgrading to 2005 last week it the publish feature seems a lot better than
    it was in 2004. The draw back is when you want to plot it to a plot setting
    which is not the default, but I will tidy up my templates to help in that
    area.

    Cheers,

    Daniel.
     
    Daniel Bennett, Dec 19, 2004
    #2
  3. Jimmy Bergmark, Dec 19, 2004
    #3
  4. Daniel Bennett

    Vxc Guest

    Hy all !.

    I have also a Lisp to do the very same thing, but I would like also to
    set in advance the number of copies I would like the plotter to print.
    Because I still don't do that I make a cicle too as many times I need.
    Ok, but what I want to say is that there is a command in VLisp that I
    think it will solve that problem "vla-put-NumberOfCopies".
    I use very few VLisp commands, but I think this is the one for the
    question.

    Vxc
     
    Vxc, Dec 20, 2004
    #4
  5. Cheers Jimmy.

    I used this code from your site

    (progn
    (command "-plot" "no" "" "previous plot" "" "" "Y" "N")
    (setq plotnr 3)
    (setq ad (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object)))
    (setq plot (vla-get-plot ad))
    (vla-put-NumberOfCopies plot plotnr)
    (vla-PlotToDevice plot)
    )

    but in reality it still send the plot 3 times rather than plotting 3 copies.
    The other problem is that in 2005 publish then locks you out from doing
    another plot until this is all processed. It wouldn't be hard to adjust the
    number of plots using this code by either presetting or on the fly, but I
    want the end result to be able to create one plot file that contains several
    copies.

    Cheers,

    Daniel.
     
    Daniel Bennett, Dec 20, 2004
    #5
  6. <<I use very few VLisp commands>>

    Ditto... I just don't vla-get-it

    Daniel.
     
    Daniel Bennett, Dec 20, 2004
    #6
  7. What you want is not as easy as it seems. I believe one of the printer
    languages in the Laserjet 5000 is PostScript; so using a PostScript driver,
    you may be able to ask it to produce 3 copies by sending the string "<<
    /NumCopies 3 >> setpagedevice" to the printer first. You'll have to use a
    PostScript driver that does not produce a PJL header, so perhaps one for
    printers from another manufacturer (e.g. QMS). Plot to file and then use
    GoPlot is probably easier

    Govert
     
    Govert J. Knopper, Dec 20, 2004
    #7
Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.