Printing, Plotting & Layout commands

Model Space & Paper Space:So far we have looked at ways to help us get around in our drawing while using a single view. This single view representation of the CAD drawing is called Model Space display mode. You can set up multiple views of the drawing by using floating viewports which are created in layout views also called Paper space Mode To visualize this better imagine that our drawing is actually a model of the object being drawn. The computer screen is our window into the room where the model is being constructed while as the keyboard & the mouse are means of acess to this room. You can control your windows position in relation to the object using the Pan, Zoom ,View & other display related commands. You can also construct/ modify the model using drawing & editing commands. Think of this room as your Model Space Now suppose you have the ability to step back & add windows with different views looking into your Model Space. This way you can view all your windows at once on your computer screen or enlarge a single window to fill the entire screen. You can also control the shape of the window & easily switch from one window to another. This is what Paper Space is like . Each view window called a viewport acts like an individual virtual screen

How to start
Now that we have drawn the objects & properly dimensioned them , the next step Is obtaining a print out of the work done. CAD drawings are printed using a printer or a plotter The printing process can be divided into the following two categories:Printing from The Layout Space Printing from the Model Space When printing from the Layout space, the process is as under:a)Setting up the Printer b)Setting /Composing the Drawing Layout c)Paper Space/Page Layout

a) Setting Up the Printer

Before we start the actual process , we first configure the plotter. This is vital when we have to print for the first time. For that we follow these steps Click File---Plotter Manager. The Plotter window appears Locate the shortcut Add-a-Plotter Wizard & double click on it

The Add Plotter-Introduction Page opens Click on the Next Tab The Add Plotter-Begin box appears Click on My Computer & then click Next The Add Plotter-Plotter Model box opens

Select Adobe as Manufacturers & PostScript Level 1 as the Models

Then Click Next

The Add Plotter-Import Pc2 or Pcp box opens Click Next

The Add Plotter-Ports box opens.

Click Next The Add Plotter-Plotter Name box opens Type the name as PostScript Level 1 & click Next The Add Plotter-Finish box opens Click Finish Now we check the file. Click File---Plot The Plot-Model Box opens

Case 1) Plotting to printer

First ensure that the printer is connected to the computer & both are turned on Start CAD & open the drawing file

Zoom out to display the whole drawing clearly

Click the plot tool from the quick Acess Toolbar to open the Plot Dialog Box Select the name of your current Windows System printer

Setting the Size of Paper Space Layout

Lets setup Paper Space layout for the printer: Click the Layout1 tab

Right click on it & choose Page Setup Manager to open the Page Setup Manager Dialog box
Click the modify button to open the page set up dialog box Select the Letter Paper Size option from the Paper Size drop down list.

Click on A4( 210 mm x 297 mm). The paper size you select here determines the shape & margin of the Paper Space layout area Select the printer from the printer/plotter name drop down list

Click Ok to close the Page setup Dialog box & then click Close to close the Page Setup Manager Dialog box

Setting Plot Area

In the Plot Area group, make sure the Display Option is selected in the Drop-down list. This tells CAD to plot the drawings as it looks in the drawing window Make sure the Fit To Paper Option is selected in the Plot Scale group

In the Shaded Viewport options make sure that the quality is set to presentation ( for better results)

Selecting The Drawing Orientation

When you select the preview option CAD displays the drawing as it would be placed on paper. In that case it was in a landscape orientation ( ie the image is placed such that the paper width is greater than its height).

You can rotate the image on paper by 90 degree into the Portrait orientation by selecting the Portrait radio button in the Drawing Orientation group
Or you can select Plot upside down to change the orientation further by turning the landscape or portrait orientations upside down

 Click the preview button in the lower left corner of the dialog box . In an instant CAD displays how the drawing will appear when printed The next step is to plot the file. Right click & choose Plot from the shortcut Menu. CAD sends The drawing to your printer

Case 2) Plotting to file

We have the option to plot a file that can be transferred/downloaded to your printer At a later date. The Plot to file group lets us specify the default destination for the plot files
So we proceed as follows: Enter the Name of the Printer/Plotter as PostScript Level 1

Select the Paper Size as ISO A4 ( 210 X 297 mm) & select plot to file option

Case 2) Plotting to file

On clicking OK the Browse for plot box opens in which we select the folder /location wherein we wish to save the file Then we select the drawing orientation Rember to save it in EPS format

Now the printer is set up correctly. We can transfer the eps file to another system with a printer Attached/connected to it

b)Setting /Composing the Drawing Layout

There are four paper sizes to be considered:A4----210 x 297 mm A3----297 X 420 mm =2 A4 A2----420 X 594 mm =4 A4 A1----594 x 841 mm =6 A4 Right click on the Layout Tab Select Page Set Up Manager Click on the Modify Tab The Page Setup-Layout 1 box opens Select the printer , paper size & orientation Click preview to see how it looks & the OK

c)Paper Space/Page Layout

This is how the Layout 1 of any CAD drawing Looks like, even if there is a drawing in the Model space . The area enclosed by the dotted line denotes the printable area .The outer edge of the layout space denotes the edge of the paper. Any object placed in between the two lines wont be printed

Now we will draw two isometric objects with proper dimensioning in the Model Space

When we click on the Layout Workspace we find no drawings. This is where we have to click & activate the Viewport Tab In the tab , select the Single viewport option Then draw a rectangle on the layout space , & click The drawing is displayed in the Layout space By double clicking inside the Viewport, we can zoom in & zoom out on the drawing or/& pan & move the objects After having found the desired zoom & pan level we double click outside the viewport. Any further zooming in/out will effect the whole layout page as a whole We can then place the viewport by clicking on it once & moving it to whichever location we want it Remember that when we double click inside the viewport to activate it, anything we write on the layout space will be visisble in the model space as well .However when the viewport is not activated, anything we write will be visible only in the layout space

Different Text Heights on Same file

If you have two or more drawings with one or more having dimensions comparitively Smaller or larger than the rest than the problem arises of how to dimension them.

CAD has a solution to this problem in the form of Dimension Style Manager. Proceed as under: Click on the Dimension Tab & Select Dimension Style The Dimension Style Manager Dialog box opens up

Different Text Heights on Same file

Select New tab & type the name of the style ( let it be LARGE, for the bigger object) Then select the properties of the new style ( i.e., line type, arrow type, text height, Percesion etc After setting the new style using the Set Current option

Then select Set Current & start dimensioning your object

After that again create a new style for the smaller object & after setting it up dimesnion The object after setting the new style using the Set Current option

Study Topics for the Spring Break

Now that the spring Break is a few days away the students are advised to read about The following topics to understand the course better Dynamic Blocks Title Blocks

CAD Library
Note that the 1st Mid Term Exam is on the 14th Of April. It comprises of whatever has been studied after the Quiz

3 Assignments will be uploaded on Blackboard this weekend. It carries 4 marks & Students are supposed to Submit the assignments by email & as a printout to the instructor by 14th April