code to plot drawing right justified?

Does anyone have code to plot a drawing scaled to fit, right justified and
centered vertically on a page? I have spent hours trying to get plotter
paper margins, get drawing extents, adjust drawing scale and adjust plot
origin but just can't seem to get it right. I'm trying to use 17"x11" paper
and 1/4" margins all around with various drawing sizes that don't match that
aspect ratio.

thanks
LJB

 

I finally managed to solve the problem myself.

Const InchToMM = 25.4
Const DesiredMargine = 0.25 * InchToMM '1/4" margin converted to mm

ExtLL(0) = CadDoc.GetVariable("extmin")(0) * InchToMM: ExtLL(1) =
CadDoc.GetVariable("extmin")(1) * InchToMM
ExtUR(0) = CadDoc.GetVariable("extmax")(0) * InchToMM: ExtUR(1) =
CadDoc.GetVariable("extmax")(1) * InchToMM

Set cadLayout = CadDoc.ActiveLayout
With cadLayout

.ConfigName = "Xerox DocuTech 6135 (01.02.00)"
.RefreshPlotDeviceInfo
.CanonicalMediaName = "Ledger"
.PlotWithPlotStyles = True
.StyleSheet = "butler.ctb"
.PlotRotation = ac0degrees
.PlotType = acExtents
.CenterPlot = False

.GetPaperSize PaperWidth, PaperHeight
.GetPaperMargins LLMargin, URMargin

DwgWidth = ExtUR(0) - ExtLL(0)
DwgHeight = ExtUR(1) - ExtLL(1)

DwgScaleFactor = (PaperWidth - 2 * DesiredMargine) / DwgWidth
If DwgScaleFactor > (PaperHeight - 2 * DesiredMargine) / DwgHeight
Then
DwgScaleFactor = (PaperHeight - 2 * DesiredMargine) / DwgHeight
End If

.SetCustomScale DwgScaleFactor, 1

OffsetX = PaperWidth - DesiredMargine - DwgWidth * DwgScaleFactor
OffsetY = PaperHeight - DesiredMargine - DwgHeight * DwgScaleFactor

OrgOffset(0) = OffsetX - DesiredMargine + LLMargin(0)
OrgOffset(1) = OffsetY - DesiredMargine + LLMargin(1)

.PlotOrigin = OrgOffset

.RefreshPlotDeviceInfo
End With
CadDoc.Plot.PlotToFile strName

 

Glad you got it working. Those margins can be a bear. Luckily another guy
here has to mess with all that.

Just a tiny observation on the code...
you might consider setting a var instead of calling getvariable twice
and you could use another With clause if you wanted to wrap the doc calls as
well
(very minor points)

With CadDoc
vmin = .GetVariable("extmin")
vmax = .GetVariable("extmax")
ExtLl(0) = vmin(0) * InchToMM: ExtLl(1) = vmin(1) * InchToMM
ExtUr(0) = vmax(0) * InchToMM: ExtUr(1) = vmax(1) * InchToMM
Set cadLayout = .ActiveLayout
With cadLayout
etc
End With 'CadLayout
.Plot.PlotToFile strName
End With 'CadDoc

Mark

 

Thanks for the comments. Not only was I interested in margins, and right
justifying the drawing on the paper, I also need to rescale some of the
drawings. It was a bear.

I will implement the changes you noted.

Thanks
LJB

 

I also need to rescale some of the drawings.

I'm guessing you're still with Butler? And further that some of their shop
dwgs are not necessarily "to scale"
That's the only way I can think how you can "get away with" scaling the dwg
to fit a page? (since you mentioned earlier a different aspect ratio)


Mark
ps
Thanks for sharing your success with the ng.
I'll tuck that away for the day when *I* need to deal with the plotting
issues!

 

You got it! Are you familiar with Butler? Nothing is to scale around here.
To scale our structural steel detailing would result in drawings looking
like sticks with a little smudge of holes near each end. One of our CAD
systems (AutoTrol GS5000) produces drawings with different X and Y scale now
often being imported into AutoCAD from DXF files.

 

Hey, everyone in KC is familiar with Butler aren't they?
Yep, I know the concept of that kind of detailing - it's all about
information.
If you're used to having everything to scale they look funny at first, but
like you say, that's the only way to clearly convey the information - which
is the important part.