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| Standard toolbar:
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| File menu: Print |
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Command line: plot |
The Print/Plot Configuration dialog box is displayed. Choose OK to begin plotting with the current settings.
When the CMDDIA system variable is set to 0 (off), AutoCAD LT displays PLOT prompts on the command line.
When you use a script to plot, the command line prompts are displayed regardless of the CMDDIA settings. When you are plotting from the command line, the FILEDIA system variable controls whether AutoCAD LT displays a dialog box at a prompt for a file name.
If you're using a single-pen plotter and your system is configured to plot different colors with different pens, AutoCAD LT pauses when necessary during the plot and issues prompts similar to these:
Install pen number 2, color 3 (green): Change the pen
Press ENTER to continue: Press ENTER to resume plotting
Device and Default Information (PLOT)
Pen Parameters (PLOT)
Additional Parameters (PLOT)
Paper Size and Orientation (PLOT)
Scale, Rotation, and Origin
Plot Preview
Displays the current plotting device and lets you select configured plotters, modify the settings of the currently configured plotter, and load or save PCP and PC2 files. You should also see the Printer tab in the Preferences dialog box for more information on configuring plotters.
Displays the manufacturer of the current device and the port to which it's connected.
The list box displays descriptions of all the configured plotters. AutoCAD LT uses the manufacturer's description when no description is entered during configuration. If you configured multiple plotters, select another one by picking the plotter description. Selecting another plotter can change the settings of other parameters in the plotting dialog boxes.
Saves or gets defaults from an ASCII plot configuration parameters (PCP) file or complete plot configuration (PC2) file. PCP files store device-independent information such as pen assignments, plot area, scale, paper size, and rotation. PC2 files store all the information found in a PCP file plus device-specific information that would otherwise be defined in aclt4.cfg; you can use PC2 files to batch plot to multiple plotters or printers.
Saves the current default settings to a PC2 file. AutoCAD LT displays the Save to File dialog box, in which you can save the defaults to a new or existing file.
Replaces the default settings with settings from a PC2 file. Current configuration information is lost unless it has been saved to a PC2 file.
To add a PC2 configuration to your list of configurations without replacing an existing configuration, select the PC2 file using the Open option on the Printer tab of the Preferences dialog box.
Saves the current default settings to a PCP file. AutoCAD LT displays the Save PCP File dialog box, in which you can save the defaults to a new or existing file.
Retrieves the default settings from a PCP file. AutoCAD LT displays the Merge from PCP File dialog box, in which you can select a PCP file.
If the PCP file contains errors, AutoCAD LT displays a dialog box listing the errors.
Choose Create Error File to create a file containing any listed errors. AutoCAD LT creates a file using the PCP file name with an .err file extension. The file is placed in the same directory that contains the PCP file.
Displays and changes device-specific configuration requirements. For more information about plotters with device-specific configuration requirements, refer to the plotter manufacturer's instructions.
Displays configuration information for the current plotter.
Changes configuration information for the current plotter. The dialog boxes are different for different plotters.
Controls pen parameters for plotters with multiple pens, hardware linetypes, software-controlled pen speeds, and pen widths.
Each object in a drawing has a color associated with it. Depending on the plotter, you can plot each color with a different pen, linetype, speed, and pen width.
Some plot devices, such as laser or electrostatic printers, can plot lines of various widths. These widths are sometimes called line widths or line weights. Although some plot devices, such as printers, might not have physical pens, AutoCAD LT uses pen width assignments for line widths or line weights.
Select the entry or entries to modify from the list.
Modifies parameters for pen, linetype, speed, and width.
Displays the AutoCAD LT color to which you are assigning a width, pen, speed and linetype. When you select multiple entries, AutoCAD LT displays a message that the color varies. The values in the boxes are always those of the lowest color number you selected.
Displays the pen number assigned to the current color. You can assign different pen numbers to different colors even for single-pen plotters. If you choose this option when configuring the plotter, AutoCAD LT pauses each time a new pen is needed and prompts you to change pens.
Displays the linetype assigned to the current color. The linetypes available for your current plotter are displayed in the Feature Legend dialog box.
Displays the speed assigned to the current color. You can choose speed on a pen-by-pen basis. This option can be useful if, for example, you have a pen that skips when it moves too fast. For some devices there are specific speeds that you can assign, and they might be listed in the Feature Legend dialog box.
Displays the line width assigned to the current color.
Raster printers: Determines the line width for devices that do not have physical pens. Devices capable of filling solid areas use pen width settings to determine line width.
Pen plotters: Provides the width of the pen tip for devices with physical pens. The width governs how much work AutoCAD LT must do to fill a solid or wide polyline and eliminates unnecessary raising and lowering of the pen. If you've selected Inches under Paper Size and Orientation, be sure to convert millimeter pen widths to inches. If the pen width you enter is wider than the pen tip, AutoCAD LT might not raise the pen between closely spaced lines.
Enter the line width to instruct AutoCAD LT how many lines are required to fill a solid area. Some devices that do not have physical pens rely on AutoCAD LT to fill solid areas with lines. Pen width is not available for some plot devices.
Displays any available hardware linetypes, speeds, or pen widths.
Use hardware linetypes only for objects drawn with the CONTINUOUS linetype. Do not try to mix these hardware linetypes with the linetypes AutoCAD LT associates with objects in the drawing.
With the exception of No Optimization, adds to the optimization level with each successive option selected. For example, selecting Adds Elimination of Overlapping Horizontal or Vertical Vectors selects all preceding check boxes except No Optimization. The default setting depends on the device configured.
Specifies which rectangular area of the drawing will be plotted and how hidden lines and area fills will be handled. Also specifies plotting to a file.
View and Window are not available unless you have selected a view or defined a window, respectively.
When you specify any rectangular area option except View, AutoCAD LT applies the rectangular area to the current viewport and the current space, whether it's model space or paper space. AutoCAD LT creates the plot from the three-dimensional viewpoint most recently established in the current space.
A paper space plot includes all visible viewports and their contents. Viewports that have been turned off are not plotted. The MAXACTVP system variable, which sets a maximum for the number of viewports that can be active at one time, is ignored. If a viewport is on and within the plottable paper space view, it's plotted.
Plots the view in the current viewport.
Plots the portion of the current space of the drawing that contains objects. This option is similar to ZOOM Extents.
Sometimes AutoCAD LT may regenerate the drawing to recaculate 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, AutoCAD LT proceeds as though you had used the Display option.
Plots the entire drawing area defined by the drawing limits. If the current viewpoint is not the plan view (viewpoint 0,0,1), AutoCAD LT proceeds as though you had used the Extents option.
Plots a view saved previously with the VIEW command. This option is not available until you select a view. Choose the View button to select a view from the View Name dialog box.
Plots any portion of the drawing. Choose the Window button at the bottom of the screen to specify two corners of the area to be plotted.
Choose Pick and use the pointing device to designate the window if the whole area you want to specify is visible on the screen.
You can also specify the window by entering coordinates under First Corner and Other Corner.
Sets the resolution, in dots per inch, of TrueType fonts while plotting, exporting with PSOUT, and rendering. Lower values decrease resolution and increase plotting speed. Higher values increase resolution and decrease plotting speed.
Controls the filling of TrueType fonts while plotting, exporting with PSOUT, and rendering. If Text Fill is not selected, text is output as outlines. The value for this entry is stored in the TEXTFILL system variable.
Plots model space views with hidden lines removed. When plotting from paper space, AutoCAD LT processes each viewport for hidden lines according to that viewport's Hideplot setting.
The Hideplot option of MVIEW does not affect plots made from model space. Hidden lines will be removed in a model space plot only if you select Hide Lines.
Adjusts the pen width for plotting wide polylines, and 2D solids. AutoCAD LT pulls the boundaries of the filled region inward one-half the pen width. Use this option to ensure the greatest possible precision.
This option is needed only in applications that require the plot to be accurate to half the pen width, such as printed circuit artwork.
Plots output to a file rather than directly to the plotter. The default plot file name is the drawing name with a .plt file extension.
To specify a name other than the default name, choose File Name. If the current drawing is unnamed, AutoCAD LT creates a plot file using the file name unnamed.plt. To specify an extension other than .plt, include the extension with the file name. For example, you can enter mpart.hp.
The plot commands for the currently configured plotter are sent to the named file.
For some plotters, the output format you choose determines whether the plot is written to a file and determines the file extension. Also, some plotters might not be able to plot to a file. For further information, refer to the plotter manufacturer's instructions.
Specifies units for plot size, paper size, and orientation.
The orientation image file displays either landscape or portrait, depending on the configured device. If your current plotter's natural orientation is portrait, it might be necessary to rotate the plot 270 degrees to achieve the result you want. See Scale, Rotation, and Origin for more information about rotating a plot.
Specifies inches for the plotting units.
Specifies millimeters for the plotting units.
Displays the Paper Size dialog box.
AutoCAD LT lists the plot sizes the current plotter supports. MAX is the maximum size that the plotter can handle; it might be larger than any of the standard sizes displayed.
Select a predefined size or enter the width and height in a USER text box.
Sets the plot scale, rotation, and origin. The label Plotted Inches = Drawing Units reflects the units previously chosen for paper size (millimeters or inches). When millimeters are chosen, the label reads Plotted MM.á=áDrawing Units.
You cannot plot a perspective view at a specific scale. Select Scaled to Fit and use the paper size to control the overall size of the plot.
Displays the Plot Rotation and Origin dialog box.
Select a rotation button to rotate the plot clockwise.
The plot normally begins in the lower-left corner of the paper (the home position). Enter the plot origin in the X Origin and Y Origin boxes to place the plot origin at another location on the paper. On some plotters you can use negative coordinates.
To specify an exact scale for the plot, determine the number of drawing units to be plotted per millimeter or inch on the paper. Then enter the number of plotter units in the left text box of the Scale, Rotation, and Origin dialog box and the number of drawing units in the right text box.
Scales the plot so that the view chosen, the portion of the drawing to be plotted, is made as large as possible for the specified paper size.
When Scaled to Fit is selected, the text boxes display the actual scale used to fit. AutoCAD LT updates this scale whenever you make any entry that affects the scale.
When Scaled to Fit is turned off, the text boxes default to 1=1 except when the scale has been previously set to other values. In that case, AutoCAD LT displays that scale in the text boxes. Here are some other examples of what you might enter:
2.5=1 could represent 2.5 millimeters = 1 kilometer
1/4"=1' represents 1/4 inch = 1 foot, when units are in feet and inches
0.25=12 represents the same scale as in the previous example when units are decimal
Displays the plot on the screen so that you can check that it's correctly placed on the paper.
Quickly shows an accurate representation of the effective plot area relative to the paper size. Partial preview also gives advance notice of any warnings that you might encounter when AutoCAD LT plots. The final location of the effective area on the paper depends on the plotter.
After selecting Partial, choose Preview.
When you define a positive or negative origin in the Plot Rotation and Origin dialog box, AutoCAD LT offsets the device origin from the lower-left corner. If you offset the origin so much that the effective area extends outside the graphic area of the preview area, AutoCAD LT displays a blue line along any clipped side.
The Rotation icon represents the origin of the drawing. When rotation is set to 0 (the default), it shows in the lower-left corner; 90 degrees in the upper left; 180 degrees in the upper right; and 270 degrees in the lower right. This icon indicates the orientation of the drawing as defined by the rotation setting.
Displays the drawing on the screen as it will appear when plotted on paper.
After selecting Full, choose Preview.
AutoCAD LT displays the preview and the cursor changes to a magnifying glass with plus (+) and minus (-) signs. Dragging the cursor toward the top of the screen enlarges the preview image. Dragging toward the bottom of the screen reduces the preview image.
Right-click to access a pop-up menu offering additional preview options. You can also access Full Preview directly using the PREVIEW command.
Controls Print Preview options. To access this menu, right-click in the preview area.
Exits Print Preview.
Displays a hand cursor you can use to pan the preview image. Hold down the pick button and drag the cursor in any direction. The pan cursor stays active until you select Zoom again.
Displays a magnifying glass cursor you can use to enlarge or reduce the preview image. To enlarge the image, hold down the pick button and drag the cursor toward the top of the screen. To reduce the image, hold down the pick button and drag the cursor toward the bottom of the screen.
Zooms to display a specified window. Zoom Window works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.
Restores the initial full-sheet preview. Zoom Previous works with both the zoom cursor and the pan cursor.
When the CMDDIA system variable is set to 0 (off), PLOT displays prompts on the command line.
The command line prompts are displayed when you use a script to plot regardless of the CMDDIA value.
When you are plotting from the command line, the FILEDIA system variable controls any request for a file name.
What to plot -- Display, Extents, Limits, View, or Window <D>: Enter an option or press ENTER
Plots the view in the current viewport.
Plots the portion of the current space of the drawing that contains objects.
Plots the entire drawing area defined by the drawing limits.
Plots a view saved previously with the VIEW command.
View name: Enter a name
Plots any portion of the drawing. Specify opposite corners of the area you want to plot.
First corner: Specify a point
Other corner: Specify a point
AutoCAD LT displays the basic plot specifications that were set when AutoCAD LT was configured for the current plot device or the previous plotting session and prompts for any changes.
0. No changes, proceed to Plot
1. Merge partial configuration from PCP file
2. Replace configuration from PC2 file
3. Save partial configuration as PCP file
4. Save configuration as PC2 file
5. Detailed plot configuration
Enter choice, 0-5 <0>: Enter an option or press ENTER
If you enter y at the Do You Want to Change Any of the Above Parameters? prompt, you can change pen and linetype parameters for the current plotter. Depending on the plotter being used, AutoCAD LT might display settings and prompts for parameters such as pen number, linetype, pen speed, or line width (pen width).
In the following example, AutoCAD LT displays the pen number, linetype, pen speed, and line width currently assigned to color 1 and prompts for a new pen number.
Enter values, blank=Next, Cn=Color n, Sn=Show n, X=Exit
Enter a value or pen number
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Layer Color | Pen No. | Line Type | Pen Speed | Line Width |
| 1 (red) | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0.010 Pen number<1>: |
Besides entering a pen number, you can also use editing values. The first line of this display shows you the values you can enter. You can use these editing values at any of the prompts for pen number, linetype, pen speed, or pen width.
When you've completed or skipped the prompts for pen and linetype, AutoCAD LT prompts for the remaining plot specifications.
Write the plot to a file? <current>: Enter y or n or press ENTER
Some plotters always plot to a file and will not allow you to specify otherwise.
If you enter y, the following prompt is displayed after you've responded to all the plotting prompts:
Size units (Inches or Millimeters) <current>: Enter i or m or press ENTER
Plot origin in units <default X,Y>: Enter the plotter coordinates or press ENTER
If you selected inches as your size units, for example, entering 2,3 sets the plot origin to the point 2 inches to the right of and 3 inches above the home position. Some plotters can use negative coordinates.
AutoCAD LT lists the plotting sizes the current plotter can accommodate.
Enter the Size or Width,Height (in units) <MAX>: Enter a size mnemonic from the list or a specific width and height value, or press ENTER
If you enter a unique size by specifying the width and height of the paper, it appears with the label USER or USERn on the list for plotter sizes the next time you plot. You can set up to five user-defined sizes.
If you enter a USERn mnemonic from the list, AutoCAD LT prompts again for the width and height.
Enter Width, Height (in Inches) <ww,hh>: Enter the width and height or press ENTER
Rotate plot clockwise 0/90/180/270 degrees <0>: Enter a value or press ENTER
If the current device is a single-pen plotter, AutoCAD LT prompts to set the width of the pen tip or the line width of plotted lines.
Pen width in <units> <0.010>: Enter a value or press ENTER
If the current device is a multiple-pen plotter, this prompt is not displayed.
Adjust area fill boundaries for pen width? <N>: Enter y or press ENTER
If you enter y, AutoCAD LT adjusts for the pen width when plotting the boundaries of wide polylines, and 2D solids. For most applications, no adjustment is necessary.
Remove hidden lines? <N>: Enter y or press ENTER
Plotted units=Drawing units or Fit or ? <default>: Enter a specific scale, f, or ?, or press ENTER
Enter a specific scale by specifying how many drawing units are to be plotted per unit (millimeters or inches) on the paper. For example, to produce a plot at a scale of 1 drawing unit per millimeter on the plotter, enter 1=1. Here are some other examples of possible responses:
If you enter f, AutoCAD LT scales the plot so the portion of the drawing to be plotted is made as large as possible for the specified paper size.
If you enter ?, AutoCAD LT displays a short description of the options.
Enter file name for plot <default>: Enter a file name or press ENTER
AutoCAD LT uses a file extension of .plt, but you can enter a different extension. The plot commands for the current plotter are sent to the named file.
