- [Instructor] We're starting another chapter now
in our AutoCAD essential course
and we're going to be looking at how we create output.
We did touch on that a bit
in the previous chapter
where we were looking at our view ports
and things and our title blocks.
What we're going to look at now is how we generate that output
so that we can still communicate our design intent.
So we've got a new drawing for you,
remarkably similar to the previous chapter.
It's GF-1031 SE Madison_REV1.
Now the reason we've called it REV1
is in essence the drawing is going out.
It's next revision in the project.
Now we can plot from the layout tabs.
Now we've got one layout tab at the moment.
What we're going to do is
we're going to create a duplicate of that layout tab first.
So I'm going to come down here
to the ISO A1-Landscape layout tab
and I'm going to do a move or copy on the shortcut menu.
I'm going to move it to the end and create a copy,
like so
and then I click on okay.
You'll notice I now have
can you see an ISO A1-Landscape(2) there
it's an exact replica of the previous layout
saying see we've got ISO A1-Landscape(2)
ISO A1-Landscape there as well.
They look the same.
layout(2) is a default layout tab
so we can right click on that one and we can just delete it.
You'll be prompted just click on okay.
And then what we'll do on the ISO A1-Landscape(2)
we could potentially right click on that,
rename it and call it something like ground floor,
for example.
Now it will be exactly the same as the other layout.
I'm not worried about that at the moment.
It's more about how we set these layout tabs up in AutoCAD.
Now, obviously we can plot very quickly and easily
from the layout tab.
We've already proved that in the previous chapter.
So it's just a case of
right clicking on the current layout tab,
going to plot
it's using the appropriate page setup here at the top
and I can preview that
and you can see that's what it's going to look like
when it plots.
So I can right click and exit the preview
and just cancel the plot command for the moment.
But did you know, you can plot from the model tab as well.
Let's go back to the model tab.
And obviously this is our real world full size floor plan
for this particular drawing.
I'm going to zoom in on the restroom area here, like so.
And what I'm going to do
is I'm going to take a quick plot of those restrooms.
And I might potentially print that out on a sheet of paper
a smaller sheet of paper,
just to take it on site with me
to check out the layout of the restrooms.
So what I do is I right click on the model tab
and you'll notice I can set up page setups for this as well,
if I want to.
The page setup manager is there.
I'm just going to click on plot though.
And it'll say, "Oh, we notice you've got multiple drawings
and layouts open, which we have.
We've got the model tab, the ISO A1-Landscape layout tab
and the ground floor layout tab."
I'm just going to continue to plot to a single sheet
in this particular case.
Now, as you can see
we haven't got a page set up, we don't really need one.
What I'm going to do is select my printer plotter
and I'm going to go for AutoCAD PDF general documentation.
Doesn't need to be high res or super duper in this case.
I'm going to change my paper size here, come down the a list.
There's all my ISOs there.
I'm going to go for an ISO expand A4 210 by 297.
That makes it portrait.
Can you see, it's kind of upright?
And then what's a plot?
I'm going to click here and select window.
So now what I can do is put a little window
around what I'm going to be plotting, like so,
as if I was drawing a rectangle
or perhaps doing a window selection.
And there's my windowed area there
I'm going to center it on my A4 sheet.
And this time it will be fit to paper.
You want it to fit to the paper, like so.
Plot style table.
I'll just go with monochrome, just black and white for now.
Do I want to assign that plot star table to all layouts?
No, I don't just this one.
So then when I do a preview now,
you can see there's my little sheet of paper there.
And as you can see, it's scaled to fit on the sheet.
Now you'll notice it's coming out landscape.
Why is that?
If I write click and exit
you'll notice I didn't change it to portrait here
in the drawing orientation.
Now, if I preview it, you'll see the orientation changes
and then I can right click and I can plot this if I want to.
I'm not going to, but obviously if I click on exit
that just takes me back to the plot command
from the model tab.
I'll just cancel that for the moment
but you can see how quick and easy it is
to pick an area in your drawing in the model tab
to plot if you need it quickly and easily.