How to have both office-wide and project-specific PC3 FIles? 1

[Barnaby]

Many of our projects have custom or client-specific PC3 & CTB files. We also have standard files we share office-wide and want to keep everyone current on.

So, what has happened is we have 100s (literally) of PC3 & CTB files in our shared directories--our standards and all the project specific ones. Given the poor interface in the plotting dialogue box, scrolling through those to find a given configuration is unwieldy at best.

I had originally hoped that the "AutoCAD library search path" (specified directory, current directory, drawing directory, etc.) would apply to the "Printer Configuration Search Path" and the "Plot Style Table Search Path." That would have allowed the project specific files to be in the project's drawing directory, which would neatly solve the problem. After some experiments and scrutinizing the manual, it seems this is not the case, and ACAD isn't smart enough to look at more than one particular directory for PC3 and CTB files, respectively. This seems like an odd oversight on AutoDesk's part, as they make a point of providing that project (drawing directory) specific search path for other things.

Anyone have a clever trick that would allow some PC3 and CTB files to be shared office-wide, along with other PC3 and CTB files being shard on a drawing (preferably drawing directory) specific basis?

Thanks,
B.

 

[daddymem]

Here's how we handle it at our company. Our plotter setting are on the server. We created an "Alternative CTB" folder in the directory one level above "Plot Styles" (where our standard CTB files are kept). Within the "Plot Styles" folder we have an "Others" folder. AutoCAD reads everything below the "Plot Styles" folder so anything placed in there shows up in the Plot dialog box. Now the procedure for using an alternative pc3...The alternative pc3 files are permanently kept in the "Alternative CTB" folder. When a pc3 is needed, the user copies the file into the "Others" folder, procedes to print, then removes the ctb when done. It is a quirky method, but it does work, and since we have a backup system on the server, we haven't lost a needed ctb file yet.

 

[VMichl]

In your default plot styles directory, you can add a Windows shortcut (.LNK file) pointing to another folder - AutoCAD will search both.
See also:

http://www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/qaID.asp?tip=4335

Vladimir Michl,

http://www.aac-solutions.cz