Plotting Issue

[Guest PAB12]

Doing some drawings in AutoCAD electrical 2013 and using the ACAD_ELECTRICAL.dwt template and when I try to plot to 11x17 it does not fill the paper. Drawing units length is set to decimal and insertion scale is set to inches.

 

On the plot dialog I am choosing to plot extents and center the plot.Plot scale is set to fit to paper. pen style is monochrome.ctb and orientation is set to landscape.

 

What am I doing wrong? Is the template border not 11x17? How can I tell?

[ReMark]

Don't plot using Extents. Since you are plotting what is basically a 24x36 drawing on an 11x17 piece of paper use the Window option instead and pick the lower left hand corner of your border then the upper right hand corner. Check Plot Preview to see what the results will look like then plot it.

[Guest PAB12]

ReMark where does the 24x36 come from? Is that the size of the ACAD_ELECTRICAL.dwt template?

[ReMark]

Yes, I believe it is.

[Guest PAB12]

That worked. But how can I change my drawings to be 11x17 vs. 24x36 So it's easier for others to plot? Is there a way to do it without reworking all of my drawings? I need to change the template to 11x17 and resave it

[ReMark]

You could use a layout. You'll need to create at least one viewport. When you plot for the first time use the "Layout" option. Thereafter, every time you plot from the layout you don't have to set up your plot parameters as AutoCAD will remember them.

[Guest PAB12]

Can you do layouts in AutoCAD electrical? I know how to do that in standard AutoCAD but I did not think it was possible in AutoCAD electrical?

[ReMark]

I don't see why not.

[BIGAL]

A bit more we set our layouts to metric A1 about 24x36 but we plot majority as a A3 its really easy. The layout has the title block true size 841x595 a scale of 1:1 we create mviews which are scaled within ppto fit the sheet. The A3 is just a case of changing in the PLOT the scale from 1 = 1 unit to 1 =2 units and selecting the A3 paper size.

 

[ReMark]

Can you do layouts in AutoCAD electrical? I know how to do that in standard AutoCAD but I did not think it was possible in AutoCAD electrical?

 

Look in your Task Bar? Do you see the word MODEL? Click on it. Did it change to PAPER? If it did then you are in paper space.

[Guest PAB12]

ReMark that worked but when I try to create a viewport I don't have the layout tab like I would in regular autocad and the AutoCAD Electrical help talks about using viewports and setup from the view tab but I don't seem to have the view tab and have thus far found no way to get it to setup the viewports. Any ideas?

[ReMark]

Sorry. Not at the moment. I do not have Acad Elec on my home CAD computer. Can't check it out until I get into work tomorrow.

 

Did you try checking in the Help file?

[Dana W]

ReMark that worked but when I try to create a viewport I don't have the layout tab like I would in regular autocad and the AutoCAD Electrical help talks about using viewports and setup from the view tab but I don't seem to have the view tab and have thus far found no way to get it to setup the viewports. Any ideas?

Type OPTIONS, click the DISPLAY tab. At the bottom left, under LAYOUT ELEMENTS, click the box for SHOW LAYOUT AND MODEL TABS. Click APPLY , click OK

 

Then right click the empty part of your MENU BAR (to the right of the tab display button). Look for the SHOW TABS item and click it, look for VIEW and check it.

 

Then save the workspace changes.

[Guest PAB12]

Dana W that worked like a champ. Thanks

[Dana W]

Dana W that worked like a champ. Thanks

You're welcomed. Spend some time in a practice drawing just clicking and right clicking around the menu and ribbon to see what wakes up.