Layouts

Using layouts for printing

 

Select File  ---  page setup

 

Choose the plot device and the paper size.

 

Click Ok

 

1.  Click on the layout tab. This will show the drawing in a rectangle. Click on it and delete it.
    
2.  Click View---viewports---1 viewport
    
3.  Drag a rectangle box of desired size. The entire drawing will be shown in the box.
    
4.  Click on the border of the box ( which is called the paper space viewport and then click the properties tool.
    
5.  Choose the desired scale for the drawing, and any other related parameters.
    
6.  Type ms and enter, to go to model space option. Use pan command to move the drg in such a way that the desired part of the drg is inside the viewport box. Do not use zoom command or even scroll of the mouse to zoom in or out while you are in model space.
    
7. Type ps and enter to go to paper space.
    
8.  If different parts of the drawing are to be plotted in different scale on the same paper, then you can repeat the above procedure, having one box for each scale.
    
9.  Arrange all the boxes suitably on the layout.
    
10.  You may choose not to print the box boundaries in the final printout. The option is available in the properties dialog box.

 

The above procedure can be utilized to save time for creating a title box for every drawing.

 

• Create a title box in model space for in the desired size i.e. A2 or A1 or A0 as the case may be.

 

• Then create a single viewport as in above procedure and place this title box in that.

 

• Place create viewports for different parts of drg by adding viewports inside this first viewport.

 

• Copy the layout to create a new layout.

 

• Delete the inner viewports, but keep the viewport of title box as it is.

 

• Add new viewports for some other part of drg to be printed on a new sheet.

 

• Repeat the procedure as per the requirement.

  

In an architectural drawing , there are many layouts for a building drawing. For example Base plan layout, plumbing layout, electrical or lighting layout, floor plan etc. Many times all these layouts are drawn in a single drawing file using layers for each type of layout. In such drawings there may be certain layers which are common to all layouts and certain layers are for only a particular topic like plumbing or lighting etc. in this case also we can use the layout procedure described above.

 

• Keep all the common layers on.

 

• Keep the layers related to a particular layout (e. g. plumbing layout ) ON.

 

• Switch off all other layers ( not related to plumbing layout in this case )

 

• Then using the above procedure create a viewport with desired scale.

 

• Create new layout sheets for other layouts like electrical , lighting etc.

 

• This will enable you to print these different layouts on different sheets.

 

The advantage here is simple to understand. You do not have to remember or search the layers which are to be kept On or Off for printing a particular layout. If you are using outside service for printing this strategy will be very much useful as you do not have to send many instructions for printing.