Plots a layout to the specified file.

See Also | Example

Signature

RetVal = object.PlotToFile (plotFile[, plotConfig])

Object

Plot
The object or objects this method applies to.

plotFile

String; input-only
The name of the file to plot the active layout to. If you plot multiple layouts, the file name for each plot will be generated from the drawing and layout names.

plotConfig

String; input-only; optional
The full path and file name of the PC3 file to use instead of the current configuration. If this parameter is not provided, the current configuration will be used.

RetVal

Boolean

TRUE: The plot was successfully sent to the file.

FALSE: The plot was not sent to the file. There was either a plot process failure or the plot was cancelled.

Remarks

The drawing from which the plot is initiated must be active for the plot to succeed.

To plot in the foreground using VBA, you must set the BACKGROUNDPLOT system variable to 0. Otherwise, plotting occurs in the background.

If you plot the active layout (that is, you have not called SetLayoutsToPlot before this method), the plotFile parameter specifies the name for the output plot file. If you plot multiple layouts using the SetLayoutsToPlot method, the output plot files are automatically named using the drawing name, layout name, and any path information provided in the plotFile parameter.

If a file extension is provided in the plotFile parameter, that extension will almost always be used for the output plot file. The specified extension will be overwritten only for certain raster output drivers that replace user-provided extensions with .gif.

If a file extension is not provided in the plotFile parameter, an extension is automatically generated for the output plot file based on the default extension for the specified driver or device.

For some plotters, the output format you choose determines the file extension and whether the plot is written to a file. Also, some plotters might not be able to plot to a file. For further information, see "Set Up Plotters and Printers" in the AutoCAD Driver and Peripheral Guide, or the plotter manufacturer's instructions.