-PLOT (Command)

Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file in the command line.

The following prompts are displayed.

Detailed plot configuration?

Sets whether you specify a few basic settings before printing your drawing or change more advanced settings.

No (Detailed plot configuration)

Indicates that you do not want a detailed plot configuration for this plot and displays fewer prompt options.

Layout name
Specifies the name of the tab you want to plot. Enter ? to display a list of tabs.
Page setup name
Specifies a different page setup to use for the plot. Enter ? to display a list of named page setups.
Output device name
Specifies the name of the output device for the plot.

If you enter a new device name without an extension, the program assumes that the device is a PC3 file (Autodesk ® HDI plotter configuration file). If no PC3 file is found, the program searches for a Windows system printer with that device name.

Write plot to a file?
Specifies whether to save the plot, as configured, to a file.
  • Yes. Saves the plot to a file.
  • No. Sends the plot to some other form of output.
  • File name. Specifies the file name for the plot file.
Save changes to layout?
Specify whether you want to save the changes you've made.
Proceed with plot?
Specifies whether you want to plot the drawing (Yes) or cancel the operation (No).

Yes (Detailed plot configuration)

Specifies detailed page setup for the Model tab or layout tab you are plotting.

Layout name
Specifies the name of the tab you want to plot. Enter ? to display a list of tabs.
Output device name
Specifies the name of the output device for the plot.

If you enter a new device name without an extension, the program assumes that the device is a PC3 file (Autodesk ® HDI plotter configuration file). If no PC3 file is found, the program searches for a Windows system printer with that device name.

Paper size
Specifies the size of the paper. You must specify the size exactly as it is defined by the plotter driver. Enter ? to display the list of paper sizes.
Paper units
Specifies whether to use inches or millimeters for the paper size.
Drawing orientation
Specifies the orientation used to plot the drawing.
  • Portrait. Orients and plots the drawing so that the short edge of the paper represents the top of the page.
  • Landscape. Orients and plots the drawing so that the long edge of the paper represents the top of the page
Plot upside down?
Specifies whether the drawing is plotted upside-down.
Plot area
Specifies which part of the drawing to plot.
  • Display. Plots the view in the current viewport on the Model tab or the current view in the layout, depending on which tab you select to plot.
  • Extents. Plots all of the objects in the current viewport, except objects on frozen layers. From a layout tab, all the geometry in paper space is plotted. The drawing may be regenerated to recalculate the extents before plotting.

    If you plot the drawing's extents with a perspective view active and the camera position is within the drawing extents, this option has the same effect as the Display option. (Not applicable to AutoCAD LT)

  • Limits. (Available only when the Model tab is selected) Plots the drawing area defined by the grid limits.
  • Layout.(Available only when a layout tab is selected ) Plots everything within the printable area of the specified paper size, with the origin calculated from 0,0 in the layout.
  • View. (Available only if the drawing has named views) Plots a view saved previously with the VIEW command. You can select a named view from the list provided.
  • Window. Plots any portion of the drawing you specify. This option prompts you to specify the corners of a window that defines the plot area.
Plot scale
Calculates the plot scale for the output.
The default scale setting is 1:1 when plotting a layout, unless you have modified and saved the setting. The default setting is Fit when plotting a Model tab.
  • Plotted <units> = Drawing units. Calculates the plot scale based on the inches or millimeters to drawing units that you specify. You can also enter a real number as a fraction (for example, you can enter 1=2 or .5).
  • Fit. Calculates the scale to fit the area on the sheet of paper
Plot offset
Specifies the distance between the drawing and the edge of the paper.
  • X,Y. Specifies the plot offset in the X or Y direction.
  • Center. Centers the plot on the paper.
Plot with plot styles?
Specifies whether to plot using the plot styles applied to objects and defined in the plot style table.
  • Yes. Plots using a plot style you specify. All style definitions with different property characteristics are stored in the current plot style table and can be attached to the geometry. This setting replaces pen mapping in earlier versions of the program.
  • No. Does not use a plot style.
Plot style table name
(Available if Plot with plot styles = Yes) Specifies a plot style table name. Enter ? to display a list of available plot styles.
Plot with lineweights?
Specifies whether to use assigned lineweights in the plot.
  • Scale lineweights with plot scale? (Available only if you plot from a layout tab). Specifies whether to use plot scale to scale lineweights.
Shade plot setting
(Available only if the Model tab is current) Specifies use of a shade plot option.
Note: To control shaded plotting settings of viewports in a layout tab, use the Shadeplot option of the -vports command when you create a viewport.
  • As Displayed. Specifies that a model space view is plotted the same way it is displayed. (Available in AutoCAD LT)
  • Legacy Wireframe. Specifies that a model space view is plotted in wireframe regardless of display. (Available in AutoCAD LT)
  • Legacy Hidden. Specifies that a model space view is plotted with hidden lines removed regardless of display. (Available in AutoCAD LT)
  • Visual styles. Plots a model space view with the specified visual style applied regardless of the current display in the viewport. You are prompted to specify a visual style.
  • Visual Styles - Wireframe. Plots objects in wireframe regardless of the way they are displayed on the screen.
  • Visual Styles - Hidden. Plots objects with hidden lines removed regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen.
  • Visual Styles - Realistic. Plots objects with the Realistic visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen.
  • Visual Styles - Conceptual. Plots objects with the Conceptual visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen.
  • Visual Styles - Shaded. Plots objects with Shaded visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen
  • Visual Styles - Shaded with Edges. Plots objects with Shaded with Edges visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen
  • Visual Styles - Shades of Gray. Plots objects with Shades of Gray visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen.
  • Visual Styles - Sketchy. Plots objects with Sketchy visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen.
  • Visual Styles - X-ray. Plots objects with x-ray visual style applied regardless of the way the objects are displayed on the screen
  • Rendered. Specifies that model space view plots are rendered regardless of display.
Write plot to a file?
Specifies whether to set the plot, as configured, to a file.
  • Yes. Saves the plot to a file.
  • No. Sends the plot to some other form of output.
  • File name. Specifies the file name for the plot file.
Save changes to a page setup? Or set shade plot quality?
  • Yes. Saves changes to current settings in the Page Setup dialog box.
  • No. Discards changes.
  • Quality. Specifies custom dots per inch (DPI) settings, with the option to save them to the page setup.
Shade plot quality
(Available if Set shade plot quality = Quality) Sets the render quality of the plotted drawing.
  • Draft. Sets rendered and shaded model space views to be plotted as wireframe.
  • Preview. Sets rendered and shaded model space views to be plotted at one quarter of the current device resolution, to a maximum of 150 dpi.
  • Normal. Sets rendered and shaded model space views to be plotted at one half of the current device resolution, to a maximum of 300 dpi.
  • Presentation. Sets rendered and shaded model space views to be plotted at the current device resolution, to a maximum of 600 dpi.
  • Maximum. Sets rendered and shaded model space views to be plotted at the current device resolution with no maximum.
  • Custom. Sets rendered and shaded model space views to be plotted at the resolution setting that you specify in the DPI setting, up to the current device resolution.
DPI
(Available if Shade plot quality = Custom) Specifies the dots per inch for shaded and rendered views, up to the maximum resolution of the current plotting device.
Proceed with plot?
Specifies whether you want to plot the drawing or cancel the operation.

Related Tasks

Related Reference