How can I tell if the dwg was plotted recently?

[frankreid]

I have hundreds of drawings, some that have been plotted including those that have been done within two weeks. The date saved is some help. The plot.log file will show recent plots but I need a way to see if a drawing was EVER plotted. Two years ago? Six years ago? Last month? Never?

Any ideas?

Frank Reid
Reid Engineering Services of Utah

 

[djs]

In general no there is not. However ACAD does save plotting infomation in the dwg file. However the user must save the file after plotting for this information to be written to the disk file. So you can plot a file and then close ACAD without saving the file and all plotting information is lost.

 

[frankreid]

Thanks. I usually save the drawing after plotting just for this reason. Do you know where in the drawing the data is located? Does it include the date?
Frank

Frank Reid
Reid Engineering Services of Utah

 

[zuccus]

Frankreid,

This is a great reason to have a plot stamp setup in your drawings. I know this doesn't help you now.

Out of curosity and based on your other question about saving the file, what is the driver behind needing this information.

 

[frankreid]

The nature of my work is that my small engineering services company is hired for a short duration to complete some work at a customer's site. Often it is more document management than hard-core drafting and it usually involves 100-300 drawings. But it pays well! (smile)

I am currently in the middle of a project to call up each drawing, make some small changes, print and store them in folders with a signoff sheet. Then someone else carries it to the another building for someone else to further process.

But I'm not alone. Another man there is also doing some of it. But we are working off the same database. I can simply check the date and it will let me know if it was done recently. But we've had some confusion about who did what. So I thought if I could check the plot date it might let me put the files into two "piles" in separate folders.

When you have a small business doing work for a larger one it often comes down to just making sense of what they are doing and to make it look like I know what I'm doing. That's why they keep calling me back and paying me well!

Frank Reid
Reid Engineering Services of Utah

 

[zuccus]

Frank,

Thanks for the context. My company uses an approved system for electronic files.

If the Autocad files are not complex with multiple xrefs and external links, then this process will work.

Once a paper copy of the file has been signed off, an admin moves the electronic file into an approved folder. Not a great system, but one that works well in our environment.

Loyd

 

[frankreid]

Zuccos,

"Once a paper copy of the file has been signed off, an admin moves the electronic file into an approved folder. Not a great system, but one that works well in our environment."

It's what I would do if I were in charge. But I chose money over admin authority. (smile)

Frank Reid
Reid Engineering Services of Utah