A print configuration is a set of parameters that define the printing, i.e. all the parameters that are entered in the Print dialog box: printer, paper size, scale, orientation, margin offset, etc.
This information is stored in a .CFG file and can be reused for any drawing. Users have the option to create their own new print configurations or import (i.e. tell DraftSight to use) an existing one if they are provided with a .CFG file.
Things to keep in mind:
- A print configuration is used specifically for either the model or the sheet(s). Configurations created for the model are not available for the sheets and vice-versa.
- Print configurations are associated with sheet names. If a print configuration is applied to a sheet in a drawing, then all sheets with the same name in other drawings will also be applied the same print configuration when those drawings are opened.
- Renaming a sheet “un-applies” the print configuration. If the new name is associated to an existing print configuration, this print configuration is applied to the sheet in place of the initial one; if not, no configuration is applied after the sheet is renamed.
In the brief example below, we are using DraftSight version V1R3 and the drawing ‘pump housing.dwg’ which is located by default in ‘C:\\ProgramData\\Dassault Systemes\\DraftSight\\Examples’ after installing DraftSight. We’ll limit the scope to print configurations applied to sheets.
Since a print configuration is linked to a sheet name, it is a good idea to rename the sheet wisely.
1. Select Sheet1, right-click on “Sheet1” and select Rename. Enter a name of your choice, for example “Format-D”.
The first step is to create a new print configuration.
- Select File > Print Configuration Manager…
- Click New.
- Click OK in the New Print Configuration dialog box.
- Enter a name for the .CFG file, for example “ANSI-D”, and click OK.
- Set the parameters in the Print Configuration dialog box and save. An example is:
The second step is to assign it to a sheet, here to Sheet1
1. Select the print configuration just created and click on Activate and Close.
The size of the sheet is adjusted based on the ‘Paper size’ set in the Print dialog box.
The last step is to adjust the viewport.
- Resize the viewport (by clicking on the border and dragging the corners).
- Activate the viewport (by double-clicking inside the viewport).
- Scale the viewport (from the Properties palette).
- Pan to adjust the layout.
- Lock it (from the Properties palette).
If another drawing has a sheet named ‘Format-D’, the Print configuration ANSI-D will be automatically applied to this sheet.
Batch Printing Sheets
The same procedure can be applied to create additional configurations and use them for other sheets.
Then all the sheets can be sent to their respective printers in one step. By selecting the Select Sheets… button in the Print dialog box, the user can specify which sheets to print accordingly to their respective print configurations.
Print configurations can be re-used for any drawing.
After creating a print configuration, the print settings entered in the Print Configuration dialog box are saved in a.cfg file.
Instructions for using these settings are saved in a config.map file. This file tells DraftSight what print configurations are to be applied to the model and/or the sheets.
The default location for these files is: C:\\Users\\\\AppData\\Roaming\\DraftSight\\1.2.263\\Print Settings (the name of the 1.2.263 folder varies with the version of DraftSight). This location is set up in the Options dialog box (Tools > Options > File Locations)
The print configuration file can be saved on a network location or emailed to other users. Then after saving it in the local Print Settings folder, the Print configuration Manager allows DraftSight to use it (Import…), apply it to the current sheet (Activate) or to any other sheet(s) (Assign to…).
Additional resources:
- Practice with the Print Configuration webinar from our Training Specialist Mark Lyons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHOW641jhEA&list=PL0D91F2C0FF4BE3F3&index=21
- Detailed information can be found in the User guide: Press F1 > Contents > Creating Sheets and Printing Drawings > Printing and Plotting Drawings > Managing Print Configurations.
