TABLE OF CONTENTS One task has not changed much in the transition from board drafting to CAD: obtaining a hard copy. The term "hard copy" describes a tangible reproduction of a screen image. The hard copy is usually a reproducible medium from which prints are made and can take many forms, including slides, videotape, prints, or plots. This chapter describes the most commonly used processes for getting a hard copy: plotting/printing.
In manual drafting, if you need your drawing to be done in two different scales, you physically draw the drawing for two different scales. In CAD, with minor modifications, you plot or print the same drawing in different scale factors on different sizes of paper. In AutoCAD, you can even compose your drawing in Paper Space with limits that equal the sheet size and plot it at 1:1 scale. After completing this chapter, you will be able to do the following:
Plan the plotted sheet
Plot from model space
Set up a layout
Create and modify a layout
Create floating viewports
Scale views relative to paper space
Control the visibility of layers within viewports
Plot from Layout (WYSIWYG)
Create and modify plot style tables
Change the Plot Style Property for an Object or Layer
Configure plotters
Planning ahead is still required in laying out the objects to be drawn on the final sheet. The objects drawn on the plotted sheet must be arranged. At least in CAD, with its true-size capability, an object can be started without...
