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C
cwilkes1-Visitor
1-Visitor
June 21, 2012
Question

PLOT BORDER

  • June 21, 2012
  • 2 replies
  • 9046 views

How do I disable plotting of the page outline? My drawing template already has a full border so I don't want to print the automatic border. Config setting? Which one?


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2 replies

C
cwilkes1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
June 21, 2012

this is Creo 1.0 by the way

B
BrianMartin13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
June 21, 2012

Hi Chris...

I know you can enable/disable the plotting of the format easily enough. However, I'm not so sure about that thin black border that prints with all pages. I've looked through the PCF file documentation and other sources but I don't see anything about disabling that border.

I've tried everything I know how to do... and at least part of it persists. Sometimes I can use the Clipped printer setting to remove some of the lines but not all. Would an option be to remove the outer line from your format border? I know this isn't a solution per se... but it may solve the problem.

In the big picture, I realize this is small potatoes but it should still be possible. Here's a link to the PDF documentation on ptc.com (LINK). I don't see any method of disabling the border. Maybe someone else can chime in?

Thanks!

-Brian

C
cwilkes1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
June 22, 2012

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. I might as well ask some other questions while I have some willing assistance.

1. Is there a way to reopen the format in "format mode" for editing? Is it simply opening the format file? I'd like to look around some of the settings and see if I can't find something about this print border.

2. I have my format set up to prompt for my title block values, about 10 prompts (although I do not remember how I set it up to do this =X). Can I reuse some of the inputs for each sheet (Project name, #, customer, etc.) but prompt for other values upon new sheet creation (sheet #, scale, etc.)? It gets to be a bit tedious repeating all the inputs for each sheet.

And 3. Is there any benefit to copying the format file to each folder I create drawings in? I don't necessarily change the format from job to job, just the values in it.

Also, I'm having issues with my format border being hidden upon reopen of any drawing I put together. Funny thing is, when I reopen and the format border is gone, the mysterious plot border shows. A clue to solving my problem? Probably. Do I know what that clue means? Not at all.

Thanks again

M
MartinHanak24-Ruby III
24-Ruby III
June 22, 2012

Chris,

ad 1.]

You can open and modify existing .frm file. After finishing the modification you have to open existing drawing, remove old format and include modified format.

ad 2.]

Prompts inside format file are located in table cells. They were entered as &prompt_name. If you create user parameter prompt_name in drawing model, then software will not prompt you and put parameter value into table cell automatically. Sheet # and scale have corresponding system parameters, you can find their names in Creo Help Center and put them into table cells as &system_parameter_name.

ad 3.]

You can set pro_format_dir config.pro option and place all formats into this directory to prevent copying formats to project directories.

Martin Hanak

B
BrianMartin13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
June 22, 2012

With respect to point #2, there's a good deal of work you can do to simplify your formats and include parameters in your drawings such that the automatic prompting doesn't occur.

Martin's quickly describing it in his email but it may take a few more details before you fully understand. As Martin says, for the format to automatically prompt for certain values, you needed to enter parameters into a table cell. If the parameter aren't in a table cell, they won't auto-prompt. Parameters are in the format &parameter_name.

When you start a new drawing from scratch and add the format, you're prompted to enter a value for every parameter contained in a table cell on that format. This can be tedious. Sometimes people want to quickly start their drawing so they skip entering the parameters by hitting "enter" only to find this removes the parameter completely.

To eliminate this problem, make a Drawing Template file. This is essentially just a blank drawing with some data pre-loaded manually (by you) and then aved for later use. In your drawing template, you create DRAWING parameters (again, not model parameters in the 3D model) that allow you to bypass the auto-prompting.

For example, in my format, I have a table cell containing the parameter &checked_by. In my template file, I have a drawing parameter called checked_by that's been set to a dash "-". When I start a new drawing from scratch and load the format by hand, I am prompted to enter a value for checked_by. Yet when I start a new drawing using a the drawing template, I am NOT promoted. Instead, checked_by already appears in the title block with the dash value. If I want to change it, I can double-click the "-" value and I am prompted to enter a new value.

Sounds complex but it's really not! If you'd like to try making a template, just write back and I'll help you through it. There are other benefits to templates but that's probably enough to get you started.

Also, you may want to investigate the following config.pro options:

  • make_parameters_from_fmt_tables
  • format_setup_file

They play into the setup of the formats and the way parameters behave when you replace formats (as happens from time to time).

Thanks!

-Brian

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