topic Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !! in Documentation

Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Wed, 31 May 2023 08:18:40 GMT

Hi everyone
I've spent my last day trying to understand what is wrong with my Plotmaker :
I have noticed lately that all the drawings printed with Plotmaker had a problem with the dimensions (4 meters on the drawing were 3.9 meters on the paper....).Printed with Archicad everything was great.
I've been through the settings and found something odd (see the picture) that I later corrected which gave better results (4 meters on the drawing is 3.97 metres on the paper....)but still not acceptable for a professional software.I really don't know what to do.
Any help would be apprciated.

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 13:11:22 GMT

you have to go to your master sheet and then print set up with the printer you use for that sheet size, then sync them.

donald mac donald

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 14:42:52 GMT

This thing is killing me !!!
Started from scratch on Archicad with a "New and reset", drew a few lines with dimensions, saved my view, closed Archicad, opened up Plotmaker with a "New and reset", imported my view, printed.....the lines are too short the longest the line, the biggest the difference between the dimension and the reality......
I have tried all possible settings with the printer, even opened up the file on another machine, nothing works right.....the only thing that works perfectly is to print with Archicad.

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Aladar Kish — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 15:11:11 GMT

The problem is that the size of the imported drawing is larger than the printable surface defined in your Plotmaker Master layout sheet so that in order to print the entire sheet Plotmaker reduces the drawing size to 98.4%.
Two possible solutions:
1. Utiliser les marges de l'équipment
2. Change the "taille de mise en page", make it bigger

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

__archiben — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 04:44:24 GMT

also - if you have autotext elements whose anchor points hang off the edge of the layout, this will fool plotmaker into thinking the layout is actually bigger than it is. that's when it reduces the size to fit if you have the option checked (as i see you do).

HTH
~/archiben

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 06:37:41 GMT

Thank you for your help but it still doesn't work...as you will see on the attached file, the inserted view is way smaller than my sheet and my autotext elements are anchored inside of it.

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Aladar Kish — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 08:23:55 GMT

Guess I should not have been so categoric, sorry. There are a lot of variables.
Here is how I would set up the master layout settings in PM.

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Aladar Kish — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 08:32:20 GMT

Then, after setting the paper for A3 landscape, the print options look like this. Notice the layout size is 390 x 267.
HTH

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 08:58:53 GMT

I followed your advice but still doesn't work though I have to mention two things :
-first thing (as you will see on the attached file), I have set the margins to 15 mm for all...it didn't work so I came back to the dialog box but this time after setting the margins to 15 mm I clicked on the "apply" button which changed the values of the margins but still didn't work.
-second thing each time I want to print I have a message saying "there is a problem with your drawings.Do you still want to print or cancel".
Looks like PM knows something is wrong but what......................

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Aladar Kish — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 09:43:34 GMT

Look at:
options d'impression 392,060 x 291.073
and
the options mise en page type 404.412 x 286.501

286.501 / 291.073 = 98.4%

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 11:20:48 GMT

I have modified the settings (see the pic) but my lines are still too short and always that warning message........if at least PM could tell me what is wrong.....

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Aladar Kish — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:01:40 GMT

aiee... the only other things I can think of are:
- position the drawing in the center (don't really know if it's necessary)
and
- verify that there's not a scale reduction in the printer's dialogue box

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 13:08:36 GMT

It looks like this is the dead end... My printer is OK for it's the one that works perfectly with Archicad.
I guess I have to stop using PM until Archicad 9 ships in France....
Anyway, thank you for spending your time trying to solve my problem

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 14:48:43 GMT

When in Master layout setup go to print setup or plot setup (whichever method you use) and set your page size. Click on the apply button. Exit master layout setup and print or plot.

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Sep 2004 06:21:00 GMT

I have transmitted a file (PLN+BLK) to a pal working on Archicad 8.1 under MacOS and he got the same problem (difference between the dimension and the measured size).
Conclusion:
1) my file got corrupted during the transfer between PM and Archicad
2)PM prints that way.....

(I join the files for anyone who would like to see.I use the metric system)

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Sep 2004 06:23:07 GMT

File 2/2

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Aladar Kish — Thu, 30 Sep 2004 08:14:46 GMT

I think I got your file to work. Basically... go to the Master Layout setup, click on print setup and set to A3 paysage, validate and click on apply... then in the Print dialogue make sure that you have selected the A3 paysage and voila.
One thing... I use "publish to print" [rather than printing directly] and then print the resulting pdf file. Try it, you'll like it.

problem... archicad-talk doesn't seem to like my old software [Stuffit 6.5] and refuses to attach any of it's file, so if you want let me know your coordonnees by private message and I'll pass the it back to you

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 06:21:48 GMT

Well if someone has skills in voodoo or black magic let me know because it seems that it is my last chance to get things to work right..

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Aladar Kish — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 07:20:10 GMT

I tried to send the files back to you at the address you gave me but got a bounce back saying that the mailbox was full.

See the attachment. I don't have an A3 printer but using the Format A4 Paysage, on my A4 printer, everything looks OK

Re: Plotmaker is squeezing my drawings !!

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 08:53:48 GMT

Sorry for the mailbox it was full of spam but now it's been cleared up.
I have printed your PDF file and concerning the 5 meters line it, it measures a little less than 10 centimeters (error is small) but concerning the 10 metres line, it measures 19.90 centimeters where it should measure 20 centimeters.

I think there is a problem in PM because I have posted the same message in an Archicad forum in France and at least two persons have made the following test: draw a 30 cm x 30 cm square in PM and then print, believe or not, those two persons have seen a difference between the dimension and the real size.....(both with Archicad 8.1 but one under XP, one under OSX and with two different printers)
It would be a very good thing if some of the readers here could give a shot at it.Draw a long line in PM, print and measure.....