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mr_nick
Guest
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 Posted:
Tue Nov 23, 2004 4:23 pm Post subject:
PLT Creation and Plotting |
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We have some large 3D models that take an age to plot due to the amount of hiding etc that needs to be done. We need to create PLT files along with numerous other output formats as part of our issue process. This is now all automated but as these models get bigger, the process takes longer and I'm looking at ways to trim this time down.
When creating a PLT file, is there any way to force a paper copy of that same plot, rather than having to go through the plot process twice?
I don't want to have to start doing any manual processes such as 'copy /B *.plt %printto%' kind of thing which we use for quick plotting of old plt files as this would negate the whole automated process. If there were a way of extracting the plotter path from the PC3 file that the PLT was created with, this would be a simple enough task, but I have as yet to find anybody who can get this data from a PC3.
Can anybody give me a clue as to if/how I can kill these two birds with one stone?
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Dean Saadallah
Guest
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Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:24 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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Post right next to yours, labeled PLOTTING PLT FILES, explore it.
--
Dean Saadallah
Add-on products for LT
http://www.pendean.com/lt
-- |
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mr_nick
Guest
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Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:01 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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Dean, believe it or not, I read that before posting and as it has nothing to do with my question I disregarded it.
The previous post asks how to manipulate previously created PLT files for plotting.
I asked - Is it possible to force a paper plot to be sent to the plotter at the same time as creating my PLT file so I don't have to go through repeated lengthy regens if it is at all avoidable.
So Dean, I did 'explore' the post in question slightly deeper than you appear to have 'explored' mine before posting your less than helpful response.
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Paul Turvill
Guest
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Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:27 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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No. But once you have the .plt file, you can send that to the plotter.
___
"mr_nick" <nospam@address.withheld> wrote in message
news:19161282.1101209070094.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com...
| Quote: |
When creating a PLT file, is there any way to force a paper copy of that
same plot, rather than having to go through the plot process twice? |
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Dean Saadallah
Guest
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Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:34 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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LOL, you overlooked the obvious: you have a PLT file, all you need to do is
send it to the plotter.
The post talks about Govert's excellent tool (plus another in
german/english), most Windows shareware websites also have freebies and low
cost solutions that can process PLT files.
AutoCAD does not handle plt files, you found that out already.
--
Dean Saadallah
Add-on products for LT
http://www.pendean.com/lt
-- |
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mr_nick
Guest
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| Posted:
Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:43 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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Paul.
What method would you use for doing this? I need to be able to do this without knowing the UNC path of the plotter (unless you know how to extract this from a PC3). I have over 100 users at over 30 locations using our issue facility and due to the transient nature of our business, it is nigh on impossible to code all paths of our plotters - hence my attempts to either do the 2 plots at once or get the plotter path from the PC3 so I can send the PLT file that way.
As I said in my original post, I don't want to have to start another manual process to produce my paper plots as that negates the whole automated process we have in place. |
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mr_nick
Guest
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Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:52 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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Dean.
How would you implement the sending of a PLT file to a plotter from within a fully automated process when you cannot extract the pathing details from the PC3 (or do you know otherwise). I did say in my posts that I am not after an outside application to do the plotting as this negates my whole automated process and would be slower than the couple of regens I am trying to avoid.
The only way I am aware of sending PLT files to a plotter without 3rd party applications is to use the COPY /b ........ command from DOS but this requires a path which I cannot provide.
Do you or anybody else know of how I can send a PLT file to a plotter, from within AutoCAD whilst only knowing the PC3 file that was used to create it and not the UNC path to any plotter. |
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Paul Turvill
Guest
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Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:22 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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We use goplot.
http://www.output.tmfweb.nl/GoPlot.html
Like any Windows application it can be called from within AutoCAD, and it
can be automated by simply adding a bit of code to your custom plotting
process (but it's not really necessary, IMO).
___
"mr_nick" <nospam@address.withheld> wrote in message
news:7347287.1101228227746.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum1.autodesk.com...
| Quote: |
As I said in my original post, I don't want to have to start another
manual process to produce my paper plots as that negates the whole
automated process we have in place. |
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Mark Evinger
Guest
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Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:52 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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I did this the reverse way, use a pc3 file set to Autospool to generate the
plt file and then a batch file to spool it to the plotter *and* save a copy
in a known folder.
Mark Evinger
"mr_nick" <nospam@address.withheld> wrote in message
news:19161282.1101209070094.JavaMail.jive@jiveforum2.autodesk.com...
| Quote: | We have some large 3D models that take an age to plot due to the amount of
hiding etc that needs to be done. We need to create PLT files along with |
numerous other output formats as part of our issue process. This is now all
automated but as these models get bigger, the process takes longer and I'm
looking at ways to trim this time down.
| Quote: |
When creating a PLT file, is there any way to force a paper copy of that
same plot, rather than having to go through the plot process twice?
I don't want to have to start doing any manual processes such as 'copy /B
*.plt %printto%' kind of thing which we use for quick plotting of old plt |
files as this would negate the whole automated process. If there were a way
of extracting the plotter path from the PC3 file that the PLT was created
with, this would be a simple enough task, but I have as yet to find anybody
who can get this data from a PC3.
| Quote: |
Can anybody give me a clue as to if/how I can kill these two birds with
one stone? |
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| Back to top |
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Dean Saadallah
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 24, 2004 2:54 am Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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Customization: there is no out of the box, plug-it-in fix from inside
AutoCAD. Others have posted a few of many ideas.
--
Dean Saadallah
Add-on products for LT
http://www.pendean.com/lt
-- |
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Dean Saadallah
Guest
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Wed Nov 24, 2004 3:00 am Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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For example, you can download DOSLIB for free from mcNeel's website and with
LISP you can setup up plotting of files similar to how you would do it from
a DOS prompt, copy /b c:\drawing.plt lpt1:
for each file to be plotted. Just be sure the 'c:\drawing.plt' matches your
actual plot file path and 'lpt1:' matches your actual plotter port.
Here is some reading material to keep you going on your quest:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=process+plot+files
--
Dean Saadallah
Add-on products for LT
http://www.pendean.com/lt
-- |
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mr_nick
Guest
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| Posted:
Wed Nov 24, 2004 1:10 pm Post subject:
Re: PLT Creation and Plotting |
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The problem with all these seems to be the need to know the UNC path to the plotter - GoPlot, spooling, batching all require that I give a plotter path but when you only use PC3 files for plotting with, there is no way to find the pathing details to be able to automate this.
I had originally thought that Autospool was the way forward on this but I soon came to a halt. If I was working with a fixed set of plotters in a small office then it would be simple enough to create a batch file which could translate the the %C and %S data, but because I need to do this for so many offices in different locations - many of which are temporary set-ups on construction sites etc, this some becomes a logistical nightmare and would be heavily reliant on other people at these locations to modify the scripts which could open up Pandoras Box!!
It seems the only way to be able to do this automatically is to stop using PC3 files and start using Windows printers - not really a viable option for us - or wait for somebody to unravel the mystery of the PC3 file - again unlikely and I know for a fact that I wouldn't know where to start on that one.
Looks like that for now, I'll have to just stick with the extra regen time - more time to go and get coffee I suppose! |
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