• Importing and modifying Drawings in PlotMaker

Contents

New PlotMaker Concept
From PlotMaker 3 on a new option was introduced, beside the well known PMK (PlotMaker Drawing), you can import Project drawings directly from ArchiCAD. For this direct access between ArchiCAD and PlotMaker is the Navigator's View Editor available. It means the View Sets in PlotMaker act in accordance with the View Sets defined in ArchiCAD.

ArchiCAD > Navigator

Importing a plan properly from an ArchiCAD project
Workflow:

1. ArchiCAD – Adjusting
   Check the Layer Settings and the Scale, set the Storing Options etc. According to your needs.

2. ArchiCAD – Navigator – View Editor
   The View Editor palette is opened by clicking the top-left button on the Navigator Palette, or with the Window > Palette Display > Show View Editor command. Choose the appropriate View Set e.g. '02 Approval'. To save all settings click on Save Current View and Save.
   

3. ArchiCAD – Save the Project file
   After these settings you should save your project!

Important:
If you don’t save the file the new settings won’t be available when importing the View Set into PlotMaker. It means that the Layers, Storing Options etc. may differ from the previously set data. So please always save before importing drawings and View Sets.
Hint:
You have the opportunity to delete the predefined view sets (Preliminary, Approval and Construction) and create your own view sets. But if you already edited these predefined View Sets in PlotMaker in this way you can delete them. So please do these actions before creating the first PlotMaker Layout.

We finished the file preparation in ArchiCAD let’s start PlotMaker.

PlotMaker > Import

1. PlotMaker – Adjusting
   Make the necessary adjustments in the Layout and in the Master. We advise before the Layout settings set the Master according to the Printer/Plotter settings.

2. PlotMaker – Import
   Now in PlotMaker you can import your project file (PLN) (e.g. in Navigator with the arrow on the right) onto the current Layout or on a new Layout.
   
   If you have chosen an ArchiCAD Project, the Import Drawing dialog box will appear. The View Sets listed here are the ones you defined in ArchiCAD, using the Navigator's View Editor. Choose the previously adjusted View Set e.g. ‘02 Approval’, and check the Drawings you want to import. Choosing the ‘Place Drawings on Current Layout’ option will place each selected View or Drawing onto the currently active Layout. When choosing the ‘Append new Layouts to ["Layout Boo’ radio button each View or Drawing will be placed on a new Layout appended to the Layout Book. When importing Project files, PlotMaker starts up Background ArchiCAD (BGArchiCAD), which will generate the views and transfer them to PlotMaker.

Note: During this process the system takes up lot of resources (PlotMaker and ArchiCAD). We advise sit this process out and make no additional action simultaneously.

At the end of the Import process the drawings will be placed in the Layout.

ArchiCAD/PlotMaker > Redefining View Sets/ Update Drawing

When the Layout is ready, but there were some changes in the Project file you may want them to be implemented in PlotMaker and update the layout.

Workflow:

1. ArchiCAD – Adjusting
   Make the modifications you want.

2. ArchiCAD – Navigator – Redefine View
   If you want your drawing to be updated in PlotMaker as well, you should redefine the View in ArchiCAD.
   

3. ArchiCAD – Save Project file
   After these settings you should save your ArchiCAD project again.

4. PlotMaker – Updating Linked Drawings
   Again back to PlotMaker: Choose the Drawing Usage option from the pop-up at the top of the Navigator to open the Drawing Usage view. Here you can find information on the placed drawing e.g. Name, Drawing Type, Status, and Layout. Select a Drawing from the Tree by Navigator view, then choose Update from its context menu or from the Navigator menu. When updating ArchiCAD Views, ArchiCAD will be started in the background again.
   

Hint:
If you want to control how the revisions take effect on the linked drawings we advise to update them manually (not automatically).

Note:
You can break the link at any time you want, In Drawing Usage, the Drawing's icon and status will change to reflect its new type (Embedded). You can no longer update this file. Or you can replace the linked Drawing with another.
Consequence in the Layout: the updated Drawing will get all changes from ArchiCAD.

CategoryLayouting