Billy Haynes

I have AutoCAD R14 AEC. I need to get some drawings on paper. I took a drawing to the only local print shop w/drawing in .DWG. He tried to plot it, but it came out 1/2 the size it's suppose to. I drew it to the scale I want (34" ws), but it printed out 17"! He said I needed to take it home & put it in .PLT format for him so it will print out the scale I want. Wasted 2 hr. try'n to figure this out & the only success I got was to get mad! (1) What format do most plotters print from (with auto cad)? (2) I heard Kinko's can plot or print drawings. What format of Auto CAD does Kinko's need? (Kinko's is a fair way's off & would only want to make one trip) (3) How do I print on my printer? Do I use extents, view, display, ect... & set it up to print the entire drawing on multiple pages? Thanks for any/all help with this, as I'm about to go mad

LesUyeda

You need to download a program from Kinko's web site, that converts your .dwg to their format. Then you can e-mail the file to them and they can print. This program installs itself into AutoCad as a printer. You print to Kinko's program, and preview.

The only hook that I found, was that when you print to their program, you must select the appropriate paper size in AutoCad. It may not be a bad idea to include a line of known length, to let them check their scaling.

Les

DICKEYBIRD

Like Les said, the Kinko's File Prep tool works great. Once downloaded and installed, you load your drawing in your CAD program, set your paper size to a paper large enough for the entire drawing (I used ANSI E) select Kinkos File tool from the printer list and click print. It will crunch for a few seconds and then display the print in a window onscreen. You can then email that to Kinkos's or save it on a floppy as a .kdf to carry it in to them.

Caution: Zoom in and look over your drawing VERY carefully to check all your text, radii, filets, etc. I use TurboCAD and for some unexplainable and frustrating reason, once the drawing is converted to the .kdf, some of the filets and radii "disappear." I just go back to the CAD drawing, snap a "multiline" segment over the offending radii & filets and then they come out fine. Just use enough nodes to make it look like a smooth curve to the eye.

I haven't had any weird text issues but I've heard from other CAD brand users that they've had problems. Also, make sure you've made your line widths appropriate to show up well on the final print.

It can be a pain to replace the missing entities but the final product is worth it! The printout is beautiful and priced right. I paid $5.50 + tax for an ANSI "E" size (34"x44")

Good Luck!

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

My experiences with Kinkos has been poor. The talent behind the front counter seems to be lacking. You instead "get whatever they ring up in the cashregister", take it or leave it. There is no explaining, as you may know more about the plotting process than the cute girl does.

However, doing a "plot to file" is quick, but not as easy as you may think. You need to get to your Windows Control Panel, and do an install of a plotter of the same type and character that Kinkos uses. You need the whole exact setup that they use. If the girl is really cute, she won't know what you are talking about when plotter set up is concerned. In the Windows install routine, there will be an option at to which port the plotter is hooked up to, or "Plot to File" which you will choose.

When you open up Autocad, and go to print/plot your drawing, it will flash along and cite something like PLAN1.PRN created. That file will usually be within the same file you are operating with the parent drawing.

Now, you can also plot to your little inkjet as you know. When calling up the assigned printer/plotter in Autocad, just choose the little one, instead of the large in the pulldown menu. Do a Preview Plot and see what to expect.

OK, now here are a couple of the problems.
If you did the drawing at 1=1 scale ratio, then the last users at Kinkos may have changed the plotter ratio. That is their fault. Not yours. Each plotter is set up individually, and how it was last used. This may be why you got a miniature drawing, as it is within the plotter setup routine. Some last user put in 1=2 and they are trying to make it your fault.

Line widths are by colors in Autocad. If you have a red line at .025" wide in your plotter setup panel, it don't mean it will come out that width at Kinkos. The last user may have red set for 0.010" wide. And thus all your lines will come out wacko. As Kinkos also runs work for artist type firms, the linework may come out in varying shades of gray instead of hard black lines to varying widths. I have one customer using my drawings on his plotter, and I have to do the whole drawing in polylines with a width assigned. The whole drawing is in color black/white/neutral, but the polylines add the widths for everything from the border to the outlines of the fuselage. A slow routine to be sure. This is probably the biggest problem to solve with your local Kinkos.

Our local Kinkos use OCE' machines as they are so fast and versatile. To do a plot file, you need to load up the driver for the particular machine. OCE' will not let out their drivers but to currently maintained machine owners. You may be buying one then at whatever cost they come at. If the Kinkos uses an H-P, Calcomp or Encad plotter, then you can get the drivers off the web, or they may be attached to your version of Autocad when it was loaded up.

It's not easy, but it is obtainable. But I think most of your problems will be with Kinkos, not your own work.


Wm.

BMatthews

For home plotting I've had excellent luck using the Banner Print option in my inkjet. This will print long stips of the plans. The only catch is that you have to cut the file up and save each strip as one file. Also if I'm doing a wing I know enough after all these years that I only need enough to ensure alignment so I don't print the whole wing, only the rear 7 inches or whatever is needed to build over.

I've had good luck with matching along a "cut line" for about 4 pages of length. After that it gets a little dicey as the ink seems to warp the paper a little. But any errors are easily within 1/32 of an inch so it's pretty good all in all unless you're picky like me...

To cut apart the original files I use a rectangle set to the paper print size and the split option. Use the rectangle as the cutting line and cut any elements that cross the line. Then cut and paste each banner into a new file.

Billy Haynes

Thanks for everyone's reply. My friend that works at an engineering firm stoped by after I placed this post. He showed me how to set up a .plt file. He used to plot for me, but.... his company removed all cad programes from the computers except for 2 or 3. (another cost cutting plan, something about each program is licensed & leased seperate?) This makes it harder for him 'cause he didn't actually have permissing to plot the stuff for me.... Well I took the .plt file to the printer...........Different guy.....same place......He first tried to open it with Acrobat Reader.......Don't think he know's what he's doing either.
Told him I'd leave it with him, & if he couldn't figure it out don't worry about it.
An engineer at work looked at it, & plotted it right out for me! This is not something I can use on a continual basis (upper mang. prob. would frown on this use of company resources)
I printed all this out to study over. Thanks agin to everyone.

Wormy J

My Feedback: (6)

Billy,
Try "Pdf Factory" at www.fineprint.com It is a free down load that you print to and it converts your drawing to a .pdf file which anyone can print even Kinkos. I have used it with Design Cad and it is fantastic. The price is right too, free.
Jeremy