Using Batch and Electronic Plots

The focus of this chapter so far has been printer or plotter hard-copy output. But a major part of your work will involve the transmission of electronic versions of your documents. More than ever, architects and engineers are using the Internet to exchange documents of all types, so AutoCAD offers several tools to make the process easier.

You might have noticed that in the Options dialog box, the tab you've been using for plotter settings is labeled Plot And Publish. The Publish side includes features that enable you to "print" your drawings as a file that can be e-mailed to clients and consultants , or posted on an FTP site or web- site. The Publish features enable you to create a single file that contains multiple pages so you can combine several drawing sheets into one file.

The Publish feature also enables you to plot several drawings at once without having to load and print each one individually. This can be helpful when you've finished a set of drawings and want to plot them during a break or overnight. Chapter 21 gives you a detailed look at the Publish feature in the section entitled "ePublishing Your Drawings."