Hewlett-Packard has released updated drivers for its DesignJet 70 and DesignJet 500 series plotters. The new drivers correct an issue in which these models fail to print when used as the system printer in AutoCAD running on Windows Vista. The failure is accompanied by the message:

“Autodesk Hardcopy component has stopped working.”

If you close AutoCAD after printing to a DesignJet 70 or 500 plotter, you receive the message:

“AutoCAD Application has stopped working.”

With AutoCAD 2009 (and LT 2009), Autodesk changed the rules for sorting layers by name in the Layer Properties Manager. In 2009, layer names that start with “10” are placed after names that start with “9.” In previous versions, layer names that start with “10” are placed after those that start with “1.” For example:

Layer1
Layer2
Layer3
Layer10

In addition, layer names that start with “02” are placed after layer names that start with “1.” The leading zero is ignored. Previous versions took the leading zero into account and placed those layer names after “0.”

Note that the sort order used in other places, such as the Layer Control pull-down list on the Layers toolbar, follows the same rules as previous versions of AutoCAD. So the example above would appear as:

Layer1
Layer10
Layer2
Layer3

If your layers aren’t sorted at all in the Layer Manager, you may need to increase the setting of the MAXSORT system variable. MAXSORT controls the number of named objects, such as file names, layer names, blocks, and linetypes, that AutoCAD will sort (or alphabetize). The default setting for MAXSORT is 1000 in AutoCAD 2004 and above, 200 in AutoCAD 2002 and below. Maximum value for MAXSORT is 32,767. Note that a higher MAXSORT setting may slow performance if AutoCAD has to sort through a huge list of names. Instead, it may be better to use fewer layers and blocks, or organize drawings into subdirectories. 

Note, too, that you can set MAXSORT to 0 if you want layers, drawings etc. listed in the order they were created.

Caption: MAXSORT set to 0 displays layers in the order they were created.

To move an object from one layer to another, select the object (or multiple objects), then click on the pull-down arrow in the Layer Control box and select the destination layer. This method works only when you have Noun/Verb Selection active. This setting lets you select objects, then invoke a command. Change the setting by selecting Options from the Tools menu. On the Selection tab under Selection Modes, check the Noun/Verb Selection box.

Caption: Enable Noun/Verb selection under Selection Modes if you want to move objects simply by selecting a new layer in the Layer Control box.

You can also use the Layer Match command (or Express Tool in earlier versions of AutoCAD). Select Layer Match from the Layers (or Express Tool Layers) menu. Select the objects you want to move. Press Enter. You can now select an object that resides on the destination layer, or enter Name to view and select from a list of layer names. Press Enter to complete the move.

Caption: Use Layer Match’s Name option to select the destination layer from a list of layers in the drawing.

The next step in streamlining your sheet set is to configure label and callout blocks to automatically display your desired data. Label blocks can be set to show the sheet number, sheet name, and scale. Callout blocks can show the detail (or view) number and sheet number.

If you already have label and callout blocks created, you can insert them directly into the sheet set template. If you take this route, delete the inserted blocks when you’re done configuring them so that only their definitions remain. You can also keep the blocks in a separate drawing and from there insert them into the template.

Insert your label or callout block (we will use callout block as an example).

Caption: Start with an existing callout block, or create a new one, if needed.

Use the Block Editor to edit the block, or explode the block. If text in the block has been created as attributes, you can edit them using the Block Attribute Manager.

Note: If you are using the Block Attribute Manager, be sure to select the Preset checkbox for each field you edit so you aren’t prompted to enter a value whenever you insert the block.

Double-click the text that contains the detail number. This will bring up the Mtext Editor or the Edit Attribute Definition dialog box, depending on whether the text is an attribute or not.

Select the text. Right-click and select Insert / Field.

Caption: Select the text in the Mtext Editor, then right-click and select Insert Field.

In the Field dialog box, choose SheetSetPlaceholder in the Field Names list. Then select ViewNumber from the Placeholder Type list. If you want, check the Associate Hyperlink box in the Field dialog box so that the callout bubble will link to the view it references.

Caption: Select SheetSetPlaceHolder in the Field Names window, then select ViewNumber (or whatever other value you want to display in your block).

Repeat this process for the sheet name, using the SheetName placeholder.

Once you’re done, redefine the block if you exploded it for editing. As noted earlier, delete the block if you inserted it into the sheet set template drawing.

Caption: Callout blocks with placeholder fields inserted.

Follow the same routine to create label blocks. For example, you might want to use the placeholders SheetNumber, SheetName, and ViewportScale.

Caption: Inserting a ViewportScale placeholder.

Save your sheet set template or drawing that contains the block.

The final step, which we have described previously, is to specify the location of your label and title blocks in the Sheet Set Manager Properties dialog box. In the Sheet Set Manager, right-click on the name of the sheet set and select Properties. Select Callout Block (or Label Block), then select the button with ellipses (…) to navigate to the file that contains your callout blocks.

Caption: Specify the locations for your label and callout blocks in the Sheet Set Properties dialog box. You can specify multiple blocks, if you want.

The files can be DWG or DWT. If your blocks are individual drawings, select Select the Drawing File as a Block. If they are definitions within a drawing or template, select Choose Blocks in the Drawing File, then select your block from the list that appears once you select the drawing.