Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
chapter for all the details about the numerous other plotting options that can cause
plotting to go awry. If you're in a big hurry, turn directly to the troubleshooting section,
“Troubles with Plotting,” later in this chapter.
Preview one, two
One of the keys to efficient plotting is liberal use of AutoCAD's preview feature. (To
maintain political balance, I recommend conservative use of some other AutoCAD op-
tions elsewhere in the topic.)
The postage stamp-sized partial preview in the middle of the Plot dialog box is a quick
reality check to make sure your plot fits on the paper and is turned in the right direc-
tion. If the plot area at the current scale is too large for the paper, AutoCAD displays
thick red warning lines along the side(s) of the sheet where the drawing will be trun-
cated.
Click the Preview button to see a full preview in a separate window. You see exactly how
your drawing lays out on the paper and how the various lineweights, colors, and other
object plot properties will appear. You can zoom and pan around the preview by using
the right-click menu.
Any zooming or panning that you do won't affect what area of the drawing
gets plotted — zooming and panning is just a way to get a better look at different
areas of the plot preview.
Instead of fit, scale it
In most real plotting situations, you want to plot to a specific scale rather than let
AutoCAD choose some oddball scale that just happens to maximize the drawing on the
paper. And if you're going to plot the Model tab of a drawing to scale, you need to know
its drawing scale factor. Chapter 4 describes setup concepts, and Chapter 13 provides
some tips for determining the scale factor of a drawing that someone else created.
If your drawing was created at a standard scale, such as 1:50 or 1/4" = 1'-0", then you
simply choose the scale from the handy Scale drop-down list in the Plot dialog box. If
your scale isn't in the list, type the ratio between plotted distance and AutoCAD drawing
distance into the two text boxes below the Scale drop-down list, as shown in Figure 16-5.
