MULTIPLT.TXT

Sierra Hermitage
Rod Young, programmer
140 Mesa Vista Drive
Bishop, CA  93514
Phone 619-387-2479 (voice)   619-387-2488 (data/fax, seldom enabled)
E-mail hermit1@ix.netcom.com

MULTIPLT.LSP, SAVEPCP.LSP, SAVEPCPB.LSP and CHKPCP.LSP are a suite of 
programs to be used in harmony to provide an automated plotted system 
for all of your drawings.

Use SAVEPCP.LSP to save the drawing's plot parameters as Extended Entity
Data attached to the first entity in the drawing.  The EED includes the 
appropriate PLOTTER ID, PLOT CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS FILE and plot scale.

You are required to create an appropriate PCP file by using AutoCad's plot
dialog box's 'Device and Defaults Selection' and 'Save Defaults to File'
features.  If you already have an appropriate PCP file created you can
skip this step.

Next run SAVEPCP.LSP and select the PCP file from the dialog box.

Next enter the plot scale.  So if you want the drawing to be plotted
at 1=40 simply enter 40.  The plot scale is saved as EED, rather than
read from the PCP file, so that you can use the same PCP file for various 
plotting scales.  The plotter name is also saved as EED because that
information is not stored in the PCC file.  Be sure that the current
plotter is appropriate.  Type PLOTID to check.

That's all there is to using SAVEPCP.LSP  You'll no longer have to deal
will setting up the plot on this drawing.  Just start making a habit of
running SAVEPCP.LSP on your new drawings (after creating at least one
entity).

Use SAVEPCPB.LSP to save drawing plot parameters in batch mode.  All the
drawings have to have the same appropriate PCP file, the same plot scale
and be plotted to the same plotter.  This program is useful to set up
your existing drawings in batch mode.

To use SAVEPCPB.LSP in batch mode you'll need RUN LISP (see RUNLISP.TXT)
or you'll need to create a script file.  Script files are a pain to prepare, 
order RUN LISP today and save time.

Prior to running SAVEPCPB.LSP you need to create a text file with the following
three lines:

pcpfilename
drawingscale
plotternamme

where 
		pcpfilename is the full path and name of the PCP file

		drawingscale is the plot scale (ie: 40)

		plottername is the plotter name as it appears above the
		'Device and Default Selection' button in AutoCad plot
		dialog box - upper and lower case is significant, so it
		needs to be exactly as shown

Name the file PRAMS.TXT and save it into current directory.
There is a sample PRAMS.TXT file on the disk

Use CHKPCP.LSP to check if drawings have the EED needed to use MULTIPLT.LSP
This is a quick way to check to see if you have all of your old drawings
setup to use MULTIPLT.LSP  It writes a file name NOPCP.TXT in the current
subdirectory.  Be sure to delete this file after you have added the EED to
those drawings lacking it or the old info will be included next time you run
CHKPCP.LSP

To use CHKPCP.LSP in batch mode you'll need RUN LISP (see RUNLISP.TXT)
or you'll need to create a script file.

MULTIPLT.LSP is a batch mode plotting program that reads the EED that was
previously created with SAVEPCP.LSP or SAVEPCPB.LSP and plots the drawings
in batch mode or it can plot the current drawing in non-batch mode.

MULTPLT.LSP plots a view and each drawing must have a saved view named "PLOTVIEW".


You can use MULTIPLT.LSP to plot the current drawing by simply typing
(multiplt) at the command line.  No more hassels setting up the plot.

To use MULTIPLT.LSP in batch mode you'll need RUN LISP (see RUNLISP.TXT)
or you'll need to create a script file.  Guess what? Script files are still
a pain to prepare, order RUN LISP today and save time.

MULTIPLT.LSP resets all the pen assignments, which can take awhile if
you use all 255 colors.  If you don't, you can speed things up by just
having MULTIPLT.LSP reset only the pens only up to the highest number you
use.  See the program code for more details.


