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Aaron Cunningham · Guest

I am having trouble with the plotter reconizing the custom sheet sizes I have created. I have a pc3 file that will not let me add custom sheet sizes to it. The only way to add them was to create a pmp file and attach it to the pc3 file. Everyting seems fine with this except when I go to plot. The custom sheet size shows up in Autocad and can be selected when plotting but when the plot comes out on the plotter all that is plotting is a 8.5x11 section of the drawing. Is there a setting somewhere that I need to change to get the custom sheet size in the pmp file to work?

We have a Xerox 510dp plotter and I'm using a HPGL/2 Windows System Driver. Using AutoCAD 2000i

Dean Saadallah · Guest

Have you considered just creating a PC3 file for every sheet size you want
to use with this plotter?

--
Dean Saadallah
Add-on products for LT
http://www.pendean.com/lt
--

Aaron Cunningham · Guest

I did but I'm not sure that I want all of the extra pc3 files. Right now I have three pc3 files (XEROX 30, XEROX 34, XEROX36) with each containing about three custom sheet sizes each.

If I create one for each sheet size I'm going to have about 13 pc3 files. Is there a advantage to creating a seperate one for each?

ctaylor535 · Guest

We have a Xerox 510 DP also. Its interesting that you mention that you are having problem printing anything other than 8.5 x 11 to a HPGL driver. We have similar issues when we plot to a postscript driver.

Don't know if this will help but our solution for the postscript is we have to set the default paper size to a size larger than the size we want to print. For example, if I want to print a 36x24 plot, my default paper size must be 36x24 or larger. Otherwise only a 8.5x11 comes out.

Maybe this will help your situation.

Aaron Cunningham · Guest

You may have misunderstood what I was trying to say. I can print any sheet size I need with the HPGL driver but what I can't do is add custom sheet sizes to the pc3 file.

I had found an article that went through a process of trying to mirror the print driver to make a .pmp file that had the custom sheet sizes in it that I needed. I did this and now can attach the pmp file to my pc3 and I can even select the custom sheet sizes when plotting through AutoCad.

This is where I'm getting hung up. Even though the custom sheet sizes are selectable through AutoCad (and print preview is correct) the final printed drawing is only coming out with a 8.5x11 portion of the drawing. For some reason it won't reconize the custom size I'm trying to use and defaults back to whatever is current in the pc3 file. Very frustrating.

The reason this whole mess has started is because with the old print driver we were using we couldn't plot screen lines under a certain lineweight. Now I've found one that will allow us to print screened lines but this one won't let me add custom sheet sizes to it.

If you don't mind me asking what print driver are you using and can you plot screened lines and add custom sheet sizes to it?

ctaylor535 · Guest

I am hoping that I understood your question. Your are able to select the correct size but the plot comes out as a 8.5x11 regardless of size selected. Also you were not able to add a custom paper size.

We have the same issues with our postscript driver. It also previews correctly and prints 8.5x11. We can add custom print size though. Hopefully it will work like it did on our postscript driver.

We use the HDI driver supplied by Xerox. We are now on 2005 so we use xes8.hdi for the driver. It also seems to ignore the screen settings from the plot styles ctb file.

I would still try going to your printer settings and set the default printer paper size to a that is larger than the size you are printing. Start Autocad and select the custom size and see if you get something other than the 8.5x11.

Aaron Cunningham · Guest

You're right! I needed a 30x42 plot and I selected the 36x48 sheet size and the whole drawing has printed out. However it printed on a 36x48 sheet size so the edges now will have to be trimmed. I'm going to see if I can specify a custom size about a inch or two larger and see what I get.

ctaylor535 · Guest

Thats great.

By the way I tested the screening using our HPGL driver and no worky. It did work with our post script.

Looks like you are on your way.

Aaron Cunningham · Guest

In your pc3 file click on the "Device and Document Settings" tab and check what your "vector graphics" are set to. Originally mine were set for some type of monochrome or grey scale plotting. I found a different driver the has the "vector graphics" set for 256 (8-bit) colors. Using this one seems to make the screening option work.

Aaron Cunningham · Guest

How do you specify sheet sizes larger than 36"? I'm trying to create a custom size that is larger than sheet specified but I cannot get it to accept a size that is greater than 36".

I have modified my printable area to be exactly 36"x24" but that still only gives me a 8.5x11 portion of the drawung.

ctaylor535 · Guest

The way I understand, with postscript, the width must be smaller than or equal to the height.

With that in mind, the width can only be 36" or smaller. The height can be larger than 36".

So try increasing your height and rotating the orientation. That may keep it from defaulting back to the 8.5x11.

ctaylor535 · Guest

Thanks I'll try it.

CraigV(fs) · Guest

I'm not sure why you are having trouble. We are using the HP650C driver for
our Xerox 510 and it recognizes the paper sizes and prints to the
appropriate roll automagically.

I think you must have some setting on the printer (hardware) control panel
set differently than us.

Craig

Aaron Cunningham · Guest

I don't want to sound to stupid but could you talk me through the process you did to use the HP Driver for your Xerox 510dp.

This stuff is a little bit over my head and I just can't seem to get the Xerox 510dp to plot the way I think it should. One driver I use will let me add custom page sizes but won't plot screened lines correctly. The other driver will plot screened lines but won't let me add custom sizes to it :(

Tim Scully · Guest

There are two kinds of drivers and they use different methods for adding
custom paper sizes.

Windows System drivers generally offer a method for adding custom sizes in
Custom Properties, and generally do not store their custom sizes in PMP
files.

Non-system drivers add custom sizes in custom sizes leaf of the PC3 editor
and do use PMP files to store their custom sizes.

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