Presets for printing different sizes

[Roman]

We often have to print a whole set (50+) pages at half size to our laser printer. Usually we use our plotter with Arch D paper. Printing half size, for every single file we have to select page setup and change the page to tabloid scaled to 45% and printer to laser.

Is there anyway Vectorworks could incorporate saved presets,

such as:

Print -> 45% to tabloid on Canon 3100

Print -> 100% to ArchD on HP Design Jet

This would save so much time!

[Travis]

We do the same thing. And I, for one, would be very pleased to have the print presets like you describe. . .a little like Adobe InDesign or Illustrator.

However, our protocol calls for a file to be printed to .pdf before it's "officially" issued. We combine the multiple pages into a .pdf book which is opened as one file. In addition to the obvious advantage of creating a "frozen" copy of the plans, it also allows one to output all the pages from one page setup/print dialog process.

To summarize: an issue is first printed to .pdf and then output to whichever printer/plotter is appropriate. I realize this suggestion was made in your other thread, but it takes no more time to print to .pdf the first time than directly to a printer. However, every print job after that, especially when a sheet size change is required, is MUCH faster. For now.

Good luck,

[ 10-13-2005, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: Travis ]

[Jason Turley]

use ViewPorts!

[Roman]

Use viewports? What does that have to do with anything?

Travis - the PDF book makes sense, but only if you're reprinting an old set. We usually print plans, sections, elevations in the latest edition - sometimes in Arch D and sometimes in tabloid. Well, maybe in Vectorworks 14 we'll see somethin like Indesign has. I wish Adobe made a CAD package...

[BG]

Have you tried the "sheet layer setup" available at Vectordepot?

This would change all 50 sheets in one go, which can then be batch printed.

BG

[matto]

Hey in VW12 the new organise palette info saysit allows multi-select items which seems to include a whole tab for sheet layers. I wonder if this lets you select all and modify the page setup of all at the same time?

May not be fully what your after but would still speed things up.

[atari2600]

We set up a single sheet layer with multiple sheets for printing. Being in residential remodeling, we never exceed the maximum print area for a single sheet layer. What makes it especially nice is printing all the drawings into a single PDF bok via one print command.

Perhaps it's not the norm, but it works quite well for us.

MD

[DDDesign]

I use a similar system, but with several sheet layers each for a particular aspect of the design, each with several pages. An additional convenience is that several pages can be seen on the screen at one time; viewports can more easlily be arranged and dragged from one page to another.

[atari2600]

I wonder how many other users use this type of arrangement. It seems to me that it is far simpler than having twenty different sheet layers to flip through, depending on how many drawings one needs. I kind of wish VW's "Project Setup" would accomidate this way of arrangement. Having way too many layers and classes has been a universal complaint of all of my co-workers here.

MD

[Ramon PG]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Travis:

To summarize: an issue is first printed to .pdf and

then

output to whichever printer/plotter is appropriate. I realize this suggestion was made in your other thread, but it takes no more time to print to .pdf the first time than directly to a printer. However, every print job after that, especially when a sheet size change is required, is MUCH faster. For now.

Good luck,

---

Would that be with the Batch Print (dialog)? or the "sheet layer setup" menu BG write about?

[Travis]

I haven't used the Sheet Layer Setup from Vectordepot, so my comment had to do with the VW's options. If I interpret the What New list correctly, this should be significantly improved in v12.

We'll see.

And by the way, I don't wish Adobe made CAD software. They're very good at what they do, but can you imagine the cultural adaptation they'd have to make to effectively cater to our needs? Stick to the knitting, as they say.

[ 10-24-2005, 09:15 PM: Message edited by: Travis ]

[Ramon PG]

quote:

---

Originally posted by BG:

Have you tried the "sheet layer setup" available at Vectordepot?

This would change all 50 sheets in one go, which can then be batch printed.

BG

---

Tried it but it doesn't work. It doesn't change the scale (size) of the Sheet Layer, just to what size paper it prints.

[Travis]

Ramon,

Doesn't Sheet Layer Setup take you to Page Setup and then apply the setting globally?

If so, you can set the output sheet size as well as the output scale directly from Page Setup. This is how I would change from printing an Arch D (22x34) sheet at 100% to printing the same Sheet Layer on Ledger (11x17) at 50%. I wouldn't want to rescale the Sheet itself, just the output.

HTH

[Ramon PG]

Travis:

You are absolutely right.

The trick is in the percentage reduction. Then Batch Print and watch those suckers fly out your printer!!!

The TechBoard is definitely what makes VectorWorks really work...