Typically, when you plot a large drawing such as a floorplan, you specify a scale to convert the real drawing units into plotted inches or millimeters. However, when you plot from Model space, the defaults that are used if there are no settings specified include plot to system printer, plot the current display, scaled to fit, 0 rotation, and 0,0 offset.
You use a PlotSettings object to modify the plot settings of the layout to plot, and then validate the plot settings with a PlotSettingsValidatorobject before passing the PlotSettings object to a PlotInfo object. Once the Plot Info object is defined, you use a PlotEngine object to output create the plot and pass to it the PlotInfo object that contains the information of the sheet or layout to plot.
Plot the extents of the Model layout
This example establishes several plot settings before generating the final plot. The output generated is a DWF file named Myplot. Before running this example, you might want to add some objects to Model space first.
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.PlottingServices
<CommandMethod("PlotCurrentLayout")> _Public Sub PlotCurrentLayout()
'' Get the current document and database, and start a transaction
Dim acDoc As Document = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
Dim acCurDb As Database = acDoc.Database
Using acTrans As Transaction = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()
'' Reference the Layout Manager
Dim acLayoutMgr As LayoutManager
acLayoutMgr = LayoutManager.Current
'' Get the current layout and output its name in the Command Line window
Dim acLayout As Layout
acLayout = acTrans.GetObject(acLayoutMgr.GetLayoutId(acLayoutMgr.CurrentLayout), _
OpenMode.ForRead)
'' Get the PlotInfo from the layout
Dim acPlInfo As PlotInfo = New PlotInfo()
acPlInfo.Layout = acLayout.ObjectId
'' Get a copy of the PlotSettings from the layout
Dim acPlSet As PlotSettings = New PlotSettings(acLayout.ModelType)
acPlSet.CopyFrom(acLayout)
'' Update the PlotSettings object
Dim acPlSetVdr As PlotSettingsValidator = PlotSettingsValidator.Current
'' Set the plot type
acPlSetVdr.SetPlotType(acPlSet, _
Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.PlotType.Extents)
'' Set the plot scale
acPlSetVdr.SetUseStandardScale(acPlSet, True)
acPlSetVdr.SetStdScaleType(acPlSet, StdScaleType.ScaleToFit)
'' Center the plot
acPlSetVdr.SetPlotCentered(acPlSet, True)
'' Set the plot device to use
acPlSetVdr.SetPlotConfigurationName(acPlSet, "DWF6 ePlot.pc3", _
"ANSI_A_(8.50_x_11.00_Inches)")
'' Set the plot info as an override since it will
'' not be saved back to the layout
acPlInfo.OverrideSettings = acPlSet
'' Validate the plot info
Dim acPlInfoVdr As PlotInfoValidator = New PlotInfoValidator()
acPlInfoVdr.MediaMatchingPolicy = MatchingPolicy.MatchEnabled
acPlInfoVdr.Validate(acPlInfo)
'' Check to see if a plot is already in progress
If PlotFactory.ProcessPlotState = Autodesk.AutoCAD.PlottingServices. _
ProcessPlotState.NotPlotting Then
Using acPlEng As PlotEngine = PlotFactory.CreatePublishEngine()
'' Track the plot progress with a Progress dialog
Dim acPlProgDlg As PlotProgressDialog = New PlotProgressDialog(False, _
1, _
True)
Using (acPlProgDlg)
'' Define the status messages to display when plotting starts
acPlProgDlg.PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.DialogTitle) = _
"Plot Progress"
acPlProgDlg.PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.CancelJobButtonMessage) = _
"Cancel Job"
acPlProgDlg.PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.CancelSheetButtonMessage) = _
"Cancel Sheet"
acPlProgDlg.PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.SheetSetProgressCaption) = _
"Sheet Set Progress"
acPlProgDlg.PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.SheetProgressCaption) = _
"Sheet Progress"
'' Set the plot progress range
acPlProgDlg.LowerPlotProgressRange = 0
acPlProgDlg.UpperPlotProgressRange = 100
acPlProgDlg.PlotProgressPos = 0
'' Display the Progress dialog
acPlProgDlg.OnBeginPlot()
acPlProgDlg.IsVisible = True
'' Start to plot the layout
acPlEng.BeginPlot(acPlProgDlg, Nothing)
'' Define the plot output
acPlEng.BeginDocument(acPlInfo, _
acDoc.Name, _
Nothing, _
1, _
True, _
"c:\myplot")
'' Display information about the current plot
acPlProgDlg.PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.Status) = _
"Plotting: " & acDoc.Name & _
" - " & acLayout.LayoutName
'' Set the sheet progress range
acPlProgDlg.OnBeginSheet()
acPlProgDlg.LowerSheetProgressRange = 0
acPlProgDlg.UpperSheetProgressRange = 100
acPlProgDlg.SheetProgressPos = 0
'' Plot the first sheet/layout
Dim acPlPageInfo As PlotPageInfo = New PlotPageInfo()
acPlEng.BeginPage(acPlPageInfo, _
acPlInfo, _
True, _
Nothing)
acPlEng.BeginGenerateGraphics(Nothing)
acPlEng.EndGenerateGraphics(Nothing)
'' Finish plotting the sheet/layout
acPlEng.EndPage(Nothing)
acPlProgDlg.SheetProgressPos = 100
acPlProgDlg.OnEndSheet()
'' Finish plotting the document
acPlEng.EndDocument(Nothing)
'' Finish the plot
acPlProgDlg.PlotProgressPos = 100
acPlProgDlg.OnEndPlot()
acPlEng.EndPlot(Nothing)
End Using
End Using
End If
End Using
End Sub
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.PlottingServices;
[CommandMethod("PlotCurrentLayout")]public static void PlotCurrentLayout()
{// Get the current document and database, and start a transaction
Document acDoc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
Database acCurDb = acDoc.Database;
using (Transaction acTrans = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
{// Reference the Layout Manager
LayoutManager acLayoutMgr;
acLayoutMgr = LayoutManager.Current;
// Get the current layout and output its name in the Command Line window
Layout acLayout;
acLayout = acTrans.GetObject(acLayoutMgr.GetLayoutId(acLayoutMgr.CurrentLayout),
OpenMode.ForRead) as Layout;
// Get the PlotInfo from the layout
PlotInfo acPlInfo = new PlotInfo();
acPlInfo.Layout = acLayout.ObjectId;
// Get a copy of the PlotSettings from the layout
PlotSettings acPlSet = new PlotSettings(acLayout.ModelType);
acPlSet.CopyFrom(acLayout);
// Update the PlotSettings object
PlotSettingsValidator acPlSetVdr = PlotSettingsValidator.Current;
// Set the plot type
acPlSetVdr.SetPlotType(acPlSet,
Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.PlotType.Extents);
// Set the plot scale
acPlSetVdr.SetUseStandardScale(acPlSet, true);
acPlSetVdr.SetStdScaleType(acPlSet, StdScaleType.ScaleToFit);
// Center the plot
acPlSetVdr.SetPlotCentered(acPlSet, true);
// Set the plot device to use
acPlSetVdr.SetPlotConfigurationName(acPlSet, "DWF6 ePlot.pc3",
"ANSI_A_(8.50_x_11.00_Inches)");
// Set the plot info as an override since it will
// not be saved back to the layout
acPlInfo.OverrideSettings = acPlSet;
// Validate the plot info
PlotInfoValidator acPlInfoVdr = new PlotInfoValidator();
acPlInfoVdr.MediaMatchingPolicy = MatchingPolicy.MatchEnabled;
acPlInfoVdr.Validate(acPlInfo);
// Check to see if a plot is already in progress
if (PlotFactory.ProcessPlotState == ProcessPlotState.NotPlotting)
{using (PlotEngine acPlEng = PlotFactory.CreatePublishEngine())
{// Track the plot progress with a Progress dialog
PlotProgressDialog acPlProgDlg = new PlotProgressDialog(false,
1,
true);
using (acPlProgDlg)
{// Define the status messages to display when plotting starts
acPlProgDlg.set_PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.DialogTitle,
"Plot Progress");
acPlProgDlg.set_PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.CancelJobButtonMessage,
"Cancel Job");
acPlProgDlg.set_PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.CancelSheetButtonMessage,
"Cancel Sheet");
acPlProgDlg.set_PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.SheetSetProgressCaption,
"Sheet Set Progress");
acPlProgDlg.set_PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.SheetProgressCaption,
"Sheet Progress");
// Set the plot progress range
acPlProgDlg.LowerPlotProgressRange = 0;
acPlProgDlg.UpperPlotProgressRange = 100;
acPlProgDlg.PlotProgressPos = 0;
// Display the Progress dialog
acPlProgDlg.OnBeginPlot();
acPlProgDlg.IsVisible = true;
// Start to plot the layout
acPlEng.BeginPlot(acPlProgDlg, null);
// Define the plot output
acPlEng.BeginDocument(acPlInfo,
acDoc.Name,
null,
1,
true,
"c:\\myplot");
// Display information about the current plot
acPlProgDlg.set_PlotMsgString(PlotMessageIndex.Status,
"Plotting: " + acDoc.Name + " - " +
acLayout.LayoutName);
// Set the sheet progress range
acPlProgDlg.OnBeginSheet();
acPlProgDlg.LowerSheetProgressRange = 0;
acPlProgDlg.UpperSheetProgressRange = 100;
acPlProgDlg.SheetProgressPos = 0;
// Plot the first sheet/layout
PlotPageInfo acPlPageInfo = new PlotPageInfo();
acPlEng.BeginPage(acPlPageInfo,
acPlInfo,
true,
null);
acPlEng.BeginGenerateGraphics(null);
acPlEng.EndGenerateGraphics(null);
// Finish plotting the sheet/layout
acPlEng.EndPage(null);
acPlProgDlg.SheetProgressPos = 100;
acPlProgDlg.OnEndSheet();
// Finish plotting the document
acPlEng.EndDocument(null);
// Finish the plot
acPlProgDlg.PlotProgressPos = 100;
acPlProgDlg.OnEndPlot();
acPlEng.EndPlot(null);
}
}
}
}
}
The device name can be specified using the ConfigName property. This device can be overridden in the PlotToDevice method by specifying a PC3 file.
