Guest eddie57 Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 I am a novice user of ADT2. I rarely use it and have only draw a handful of plans for a few friends. I am not very familiar with paper space and have never used it to print a plan. I have always used the model view to print. I would like to get familiar with paper space (PS) and hopefully someone here can give me a few tips. How is the size of the paper determined in PS and can it be changed? If so how? Also, I want to use a title block 2' x 3'. Is it inserted in model or paper space. If it's paper space how do I insert it there. Finally, I only have a standard printer that prints to paper 13" by 19" max, how can I view it on a 2' by 3' size paper. I hope I made sense here. If anyone needs more information please let me know. TIA Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Eddie, I am in the same boat as you. I never had to print before. Now I am doing a project where the leading architect wants all his consultants (I am the mechanical)to turn in the job ready for plotting. I am on the learning mode trying to figure this out. I don't think it is too complex but it definitely will require some reading. Regards Elliot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Almost all quality draftsman will tell you to print in paperspace and the reasons for doing so are numerous. Whether you use AutoCAD or ADT, all you need to do is right click on the layout tabs at the bottom of the screen, go to 'Layout Settings' and pick your paper size. Everything inside the dashed line gets printed, which is your chosen paper size minus the margins. Also, title blocks should ALWAYS go in paperspace and above all, never ever dimension or annotate in paperspace. Paperspace should only be used for titleblocks and viewports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie57 Posted June 17, 2006 Share Posted June 17, 2006 Thanks Elliot, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. Have a good day. Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigroo Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Also, title blocks should ALWAYS go in paperspace and above all, never ever dimension or annotate in paperspace. Paperspace should only be used for titleblocks and viewports. Brian, can you elaborate on the dims issue please as I have always been taught to use PS for dims. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alikashan Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Brian, can you elaborate on the dims issue please as I have always been taught to use PS for dims. Thanks never heard of using paper sapce for dimension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Michael, Paperspace should never be used for dimensions for 4 really big reasons. First, if you dimension in paperspace and change a viewport's view at all, the linework in model space will move but the dimensions in paperspace will not move and therefore no longer line up. Second, it requires you to change the dimscale and text scale for the particular dim/text style being used and the particular viewport scale being used. It is far more troublesome to manage than text/dim size, especially when workign with multiple layouts. Third, it prevents you from using certain auto-dimensioning tools available, tools that can really speed up dimensioning. Fourth, it really irratates other drafters that have to work with your drawings in other offices. When I used to draft for an architect, EVERYTIME we got drawings from someone that dimensioned in paperspace (usually from engineering offices) the architect and drafter that had to use the drawings were very outspoken about how much they hated the drawings (myself included). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie57 Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Brian thanks for your response to my question on paper space. I have another question regarding plotting to file. I have never done this either. When you plot to file how does that work and where is the file saved and is it saved under a different file type? The reason I ask is because I am going to draw a plan and don't have a plotter and want to take the file to print at one of those places that prints it for you. Sorry for so many questions. If you have time great, if not I understand. Happy Father's day. Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 All you have to do is select 'Plot to File' when you use the plot command. But you shouldn't even have to do that. You should try to find a printing place that can print straight from autocad drawings. Good printing companies will have this capability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elliot Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Guys Thanks for the questions and answers. Elliot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie57 Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Thanks again Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigroo Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Hi Brian, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you (Fathers Day & all that) Thanks for the detailed answers. I am starting a 'proper' CAD job tomorrow in a real office and real regular pay! I have been freelancing so it will be interesting to see how I can adapt to work in an office environment with 'set ways' as it were. Strange I know as many of you will feel but I need to get regular 2D/3D work under my belt and there's more qualifications to come along the road. I have always used the way I described as my lecturer instructed us in that fashion. Since my drawings never went to anyone who 'reworked' them or had to look over them in a dwg format, they only ever received A1 drawings etc. which I revised if needed (mostly always don't you know!) With point 1 though, if the DIMASSOC variable is set to 2 paper space dims do stay associated with model space changes. If you stretch items in model space, the dims automatically update in the layout. On point 2, I agree as sectional details often required another dim scale which I just set up using family dimensions. Point 3 I would like to hear more about. On your fourth point, let's avoid doing that eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 I teach always to put dimensions and notes into paperspace.I was taught that way back in R14. Keeps the base drawings cleaner. If your drawings are organzed you wont be changing scales so often. Usually all the details are 1 scale, sections are another scale. This also helps keeping all the text the same size. especially if you change your scales. I also do a lot of full sets, Arch, struct, and MEP. I also just do drafting for MEP engineers, and have to have the drawings ready to print for the client. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Huh, I've never seen dimensioning in paperspace, but it doesn't sound to me like it makes much sense - you want your dims in model space so they're measured at 1:1 scale, and always aligned to the drawing. You can have a dimension style for each scale you use regularly so the font size is consistent, and you can put them on one layer so you can turn them off when you don't want them. But always plot from paper space. Your sheets will be consistent, and you can use Sheet Set Manager. I'm not sure when that was introduced, and whether it's an ADT-only feature, but I've really started to appreciate it. I have one layout for each file that's the sheet that gets plotted for the set, load all of those into a Sheet Set Manager file and put page layouts in the set file for full size, half size and 11x17. Then if I want plots of a series of drawings, I select all of those, publish to the page layout I want and it prints them automatically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie57 Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 One thing I forgot to ask about plotting to a file. It has to be plotted with the plotter driver of the intended plotter that will be used, correct. In other words I download the plotter driver and open the file and use this plotter to plot to file. TIA Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 are you creating a .plt file? or a .pdf? if it is a plt file, Yes. use the driver of the plotter that the company will be using will most likely be your best bet. Never had a problem with dim's not lining up. Lots of firms dim that way. with associative dimensioning its really easy now. Expecially the bigger firms. That's been my experience dealing with them here in chicago. Sheetsets were introduced in 2006. its not just an ADT thing. and for plotting half size and other size sets, paperspace is the onlyway to do it. before sheets sets you were able to send batch plots. Thats the great thing about autocad. many ways to do the same thing. all depends on the company your working for or the standards you need to follow. Just like some companies still use color tables instead of plot style tables. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie57 Posted June 18, 2006 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Thanks for clearing that up. I've learned a lot today. Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Mike T., What do you do when you want to pan around inside a viewport? Moving dimensions has got to be a nightmare. Mike D. As far as the dimensioning tools i was refering to, with Express Tools you can do dimensioning automatically. I don't know what the exact names are because I don't use them anymore and wrote my own LISP programs that did the dimensioning better. I use to write AutoLISP programs and wrote a really cool program a long time ago that makes drafting in an architectural office so easy. If you look at the attached image you can see that you can pick whatever scale you want to work on at the top and the dimensions and text that you create will automatically conform. It updates you're LTSCALE as well so that you see hidden, center lines, etc properly. Below that you see options for displaying and isolating certain linework such as floor plans, ceiling plans etc, so that you can switch back and forth from one plan type to the other quickly without having to get into paperspace. It does this by turning off certain layers and turning on others. Then there are options for quickly displaying tons of blocks that can be inserted by selecting the appropriate number for the block you want. I teach AutoCAD to architects locally and setup all their CAD stations with this program and it increases their speed and efficiency tremendously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 nowadays you can lock the viewport. but back in the old days. just had to be systematic. on locking viewport before pan. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I know you can lock the viewport, but what do you do when you want to change the viewport's view, even slightly? You move your dimensions around everytime in paperspace? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 that is usually a rare case that I would be moving viewports that much after dimensioning. for example, enlarged bathroom plans are always 1/4"=1'-0", Enlarged stair plans are the same thing. Section, elevations and plans can differ based on the size of the building and the sheet size. But we figure that all out pretty quickly in the first couple of days on the job. Dimensioning is usually a couple of weeks into the job, after all the x-refed base sheets are created. I'm working on 2 large car dealerships now, using acad2006 with sheet sets and with all the linked tags and views. Its pretty sweet knowing that if we change a sheet name or number, the tags on other sheets automaticly change to the right number. We have 6 people working on all the sheets. and have yet to move the viewports on the main sheets, enlarged views, or sections or elevations. This is pretty normal for what we do. I havn't worked on a job that changed that much in 10 years. and I've worked on a lot of big jobs. over 100,000 sq ft. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigroo Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Also, title blocks should ALWAYS go in paperspace and above all, never ever dimension or annotate in paperspace. Paperspace should only be used for titleblocks and viewports. Thankfully this is something that I have always done too but for what reason can Brian or anyone tell me? I presume that in the case of titlee blocks that it doesn't allow you to use viewports to their fullest advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie57 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 I have another question regarding paper space. Like I mentioned before, I've never actually used it before. My question is When I am in paper space and then create a viewport and I want the drawing at a scale of 1/4"=1'-0", at want zoom/scale/nX or nXP factor do I use. The drawing was drawn in the scale of 1/4"=1'-0". Any tips are appreciated. TIA Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtutaj Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 if the drawing was drawn to 1/4"=1'-0" and you want the viewport at 1/4 scale then set the viewport to 1:1 Most people use viewports because the draw 1"=1" then use the viewports to get different scales that they need. If the drawing was drawn 1"=1" and you wanted a 1/4" scale viewport. your viewport scale input would be 1/48xp in your case it would be 1xp Hope that helps. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie57 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Thanks Mike, I'll try your suggestion and I'll let you know how it worked. Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now