SW printing capabilities...
SW printing capabilities...
(OP)
Is it just me or is the solidworks printing functionality useless?
Whenever i need to print special views out of a drawing (like quick 1:1 zoomed-in-views for the guys on the shopfloor) i need to save the sw drawing as a dwg file...open up autocad and use the printing options there, which are easy to use and work like charm. Even Autodesk's Inventor's printing options were far superior.
I've tried the 'selection' option in the print window, but the view-frame doesn't even show up now when i select the 'custom scale' option in sw.
When will sw finally improve their printing functionality??
Whenever i need to print special views out of a drawing (like quick 1:1 zoomed-in-views for the guys on the shopfloor) i need to save the sw drawing as a dwg file...open up autocad and use the printing options there, which are easy to use and work like charm. Even Autodesk's Inventor's printing options were far superior.
I've tried the 'selection' option in the print window, but the view-frame doesn't even show up now when i select the 'custom scale' option in sw.
When will sw finally improve their printing functionality??






RE: SW printing capabilities...
What version of SW?
Have you tried the screen capture then print from an image viewer?
PDF?
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
I would use screen capture as CBL suggested, or just change the scale of the view.
IMO, saving as a DWG makes the file useless.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
I just find the printing in sw very limited. Im trying to print a 1:1 area on a certain part of the drawing sheet on an 11x17", instead of printing the full size "D" size drawing on the plotter. (trying to save a tree).
Is there a way to isolate an area on a typical drawing and print that to a specific scale?
Ive been using sw since '02...but still find sw falls behind as far as printing is concerned :(
I guess autodesk has coined the printing functionality.
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Im not talking printing 3D pictures...Im looking to isolate specific 2D detail drawings (.slddrw) views and plot them out 1:1. Surely ymost of us have used autocad or something like that in the past and had to generate scaled plots of an entire drawing or just partial sections of a drawing.
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
SolidWorks 2006 SP3.1
Intel Xeon 2.8GHz 2GB Ram
NVIDIA Quadro FX3000
RE: SW printing capabilities...
http:
http
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Alot of guys on the floor like to place certain parts on a 1:1 plot for quick reference of size and accuracy (sort of like a paper version of a shadow-board).
Now CorBlimey, try printing that view 1:1, then measure it with a tape measure. Do you get 8.5" for the hole pitch? Sometimes it works, sometimes i find it is out of scale. I have a feeling it can be caused due to the sheet scale itself, and the printing scale set.
Any chance a "Print Preview" button will be added to the print window eventually? ;)
RE: SW printing capabilities...
RE: SW printing capabilities...
1:1 is metric, 1/1 is inches.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
(If this is fixed in 2006, then I'll find out in a few weeks when we finally upgrade.)
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
I have no idea about the "Print Preview" function being added, but how would that help anyway?
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
But, it was just a FYI here anyway.
Anyhoo ... printing at 1/1 most likely will not get you an accurate print. It's in the printers/plotters, not the CAD software. Most printers/plotters will get you very close. A lot of companies do not print a dwg that indicated a scale. They will indicate "NTS" or "Do not scale this dwg", etc. I think SolidWorks corp sees this and has not been a factor. Now that more ACAD users are coming on board, maybe the print function will be expanded.
D3sign3r, turn in an Enhancement Request.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
If your border is centerd on the sheet (standard template?) and your views are centred in the border ... why wouldn't it be?
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Corblimey, couldnt they put a 'Print Preview' button in the print window aswell...would be handy. Plus, when some of us are tinkering with scales and custom views it would be nice to know that the print coming out matches whats on the screen.
2D prints are a very inportant part of Mechanical Design. You could have the perfect, solid model or assembly on screen, but it means nothing if it's not presented correctly on paper for the vendors and assemblers to work with. Hence why it would be nice if the printing features were a bit more versatile in sw (...and not so 'microsoft windows generic').
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
http:
We do 2D dwgs in SW. Not good if it were exactly like ACAD.
A lot of us are getting away from prints anyway. 3D modeling allows us to send the model for manufacturing without the creation of dwgs.
If you want to be proficient in SW, I suggest thinking like SW. It's a different world from ACAD.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
The Design Engineering field is such a vast field...i suppose its tough for any cad company to cater everybody.
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Searched online for ANSI standards , and found "Engineering Drawing Practices Aerospace and Ground Support Equipment" from the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
htt
(not sure if that document is supposed to be public because I can't access the top-level website).
Page 46 of this pdf, section 2.4.2 "Indication of Scale",
"The scale shall be indicated as a decimal or common fraction". I just used the SW default scale notation and never thought twice about it.
Flores
SW06 SP3.0
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Thanks. I did find the difference between the two in a ASME or ANSI standard. But, I don't have them right now to look up. I'll keep searching.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
thanks
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
I would have to agree with ctopher, at least with the 3 or 4 different plotters and printers we have in our building here, when we print 1:1, we could get 3 or 4 different "scales" of the part.
This has happened everywhere that I have ever worked at, weather it was using SolidWorks or AutoCAD. I have always been told it is just a combination of the resolution of the printer/plotter, and the orientaion (portrait or landscape) you are printing to.
SolidWorks 2006 SP3.1
Intel Xeon 2.8GHz 2GB Ram
NVIDIA Quadro FX3000
RE: SW printing capabilities...
this is the reason why one should never scale off a plotted dwg... if you want to do this, take the time to draw a part with pencil.
Wes C.
------------------------------
When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions...
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
When i used to work with autocad 14 a few years ago, and print drawings 1:1 on the old hp laser printers, the results were pretty accurate. If I wanted extreme accuracy, i'd bring my drawings to a aircraft facility and print off their ploters that are calibrated frequently ;)
RE: SW printing capabilities...
The drawings were printed on the following printers:
HP Designjet 430 (an oldie, most drawings were printed on this one)
HP Desingjet 130nr
HP Desingjet 500
Canon W6400Pg
We actually checked the drawings often, just as a precaution (before wasting a couple 40mm steel plates).
Stefan Hamminga
EngIT Solutions
CSWP/Mechanical designer/AI student
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...
.01" (inches)... my goof... I feel like an A$$
Wes C.
------------------------------
When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions...
RE: SW printing capabilities...
Thanks
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: SW printing capabilities...