Scaling sheet layers when printing

[Grant M]

I have just had a client wanting a reduced set of drawings. I've had to laboriously go through each sheet layer and alter its print settings.

Is there a way to change all the print property information for sheet layers at one time?

Thanks

Grant

[CipesDesign]

Grant, I just messed around with this a bit and I agree. It used to be that if you changed the settings in FILE>PAGE SETUP, it would change your whole drawing set. Now, because of SHEET LAYERS, this is not the case. Maybe this is wish list item? I think the main PAGE SETUP dialog should override the individual SHEET LAYERS.

Another method is to make yourself a new Title Block symbol for the smaller size, and then to CREATE new VIEWPORTS for the new sheets. Of course this means having all of your data, including annotations, on the DESIGN LAYER(S). It was MUCH simpler the "old" way...

I am thankful that most of my sets are only 10 or so sheets!

[Kevin]

There is a way to do this. Print your VW file to PDF. In the Acrobat print window is a selection "Shrink oversized pages to paper size". Doing this I can print a "D" size sheet to letter size easily. This is using Acrobat. I do not know if you can do this with Acrobat Reader.

[Grant M]

Thanks for your responses guys.

Peter, I will put a post in the wish list forum. I've got a list of suggestions that is still growing as I use Version 11 more.

I did think of making a reduced set of sheets but thats just as much extra work as changing each sheet setup.

Kevin, I have also previously tried doing a batch print to pdf expecting to get a multi page pdf document. However only the first page was in the pdf - don't know where the others went! So if I can only create a one page pdf at a time, then again there is no time saving. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

The only way I have successfully created a multipage pdf is in a design layer with the print area set to multiple pages. But viewports can't be presented on design layers....(my major gripe with version 11)

I've also opened Version 10 files that were set up with layer/class combinations in saved sheets, and tried to batch print 2 or more copies. Only the first page did the multiple and the rest were single. So I'm also a little disappointed in the batch print tool so far, given its potential.

Cheers

Grant

[ 07-01-2004, 07:01 PM: Message edited by: Grant M ]

[Guest]

I'm not trying to change the subject, but Grant I'm curious why you are not fancy to the idea of viewports only being on Sheet layers?

Sheet layers can have everything Design layers can have, and then some. But, I could be missing something involved in the way you design. Since I am often teaching principles over the phone and via email, I'm always interrested in the way people use specific concepts outside of the way I figure to learn and apply them.

[Guest]

The problem with Batch print to PDF is a known issue. The engineering team is diligently working on resolving this for a future update.

[Grant M]

Katie, in response to your post here are some thoughts on Vectorworks in general and Viewports in particular. My comments relate to using Vectorworks to produce Architectural drawings.

The thing that has always appealed to me about Vectorworks is the flexibility it allows a user in the way they go about creating drawings. I've spoken to people who use layers only, classes only on a single layer, or combinations of both (which is how I work). Some work in 2D only, others use 3D.

A strength is the way combinations of layers and classes (saved views) can produce a full set of drawings in one file. It allows things that might appear on multiple drawings to have only a single instance, and therefore saves time, while also enabling revisions to be less prone to error. The (design) layer stacking order also allows great control over the look - e.g text always in front of polygons etc.

The first job I did using VW 11 was laid out as I think is the intended drawing structure. Every drawing is a separate sheet layer containing one or more viewports as needed.

Now that VW has sheet layers the expectation that users copy every part of a drawing over to a presentation sheet seems an unnecessary duplication to me. This is particularly true for large objects such as floor plans which are likely to require only one viewport per sheet layer. The design layer/class combo is already set up as a saved view, and therefore presentable so why copy it to another (sheet) layer purely for presenting?

So in the next job I have only used sheet layers when I'm using viewports - for Elevations, Sections, and Site Plans. Other plans, schedules, and details are presented on design layers.

I understand the need for viewports to avoid being self referencing. But the ability to incorporate a viewport on a sheet layer with other scalable sheet layers (that couldn't be referenced to a viewport) as a saved view would be useful to me.

For example - Presenting rendered elevations in viewports.

Making a single change to an annotation causes the viewport to revert to wireframe. If text could be on a layer above the viewport this wouldn't be an issue. (being able to lock a render in place would be useful too) I realize that I could annotate directly on the sheet layer containing the viewport, but I prefer annotations to be at the same scale as the viewport, for ease of cut and paste to other parts of the drawing if needed. I also find that while rendered elevations are fine for design presentation, when it comes to construction drawings I might want to draw lines to emphasize certain areas, reference the joinery etc. If all this information is limited to a single annotation layer then it can become cluttered.

My point is, although viewports contain layer and class information, they are objects in a drawing. Like any other object, a viewport may require additional information specific to it, or for ease of organization be displayed with common items such as title blocks or notes. Having the ability to do this on multiple layers in the same manner as for the rest of the file is a capability I would use extensively.

Having said all that, I do like the improvements in version 11 so far, including viewport objects. The implementation of the classic CAD problem of how to display different scaled drawings or views for presentation, whilst maintaining simplicity of modeling has been handled pretty well I think.

Thanks for your interest.

Grant