# Plot Management

## How to Define and Assign Plotter default Configurations

### Introduction

Plotter defaults define the plot method for a specific output device and comprise various configuration parameters: plotter, scaling methods, start time and date of a plot job and the plot stamp definition of a plot job.
Plot default configurations must be assigned to each individual user before any documents can be plotted with the Plot Management module. A plotter default parameter must be defined if more than one parameter is to be assigned. A plotter default parameter defines the default mask values for plot output.
Any number of plotter default configurations that control a specific output device can be configured. At least one plotter default configuration must be defined for each plot device.

### Properties of output devices

The properties of each available output device must be defined before a plot job can be submitted. Properties include information on size/format, color support, plot media etc. These parameters need to be specified only once for each output device.
A distinction between output device definition and plotter default configuration definitions enables the user to create multiple configurations for a single plotter, i.e. multiple plotter default configurations can be assigned to a specific plotter.

The illustration below shows the logical relationship between plotter characteristics and plotter default configurations:

### The Definition of plotter defaults mask

| To define a plotter default configuration, select System > Plot management > Plotter defaults. The Definition of plotter defaults mask is opened.
| The plotter cvtiff and cvpdf have already been configured as the virtual default plotter!
| Select List from the context menu to display a list of available default configurations.
| If the attributes of a new output device are similar to a previously defined configuration on this list, it is recommended that you copy and edit the record of this default configuration.

###

| Even though default configuration parameters apply as default values for all associated documents they can be changed in individual documents!

Field | Description
Title block
Default | Unique name of the plot default configuration.
Name | Name of the output device. Select a device from the select menu. For information on how to add more output devices to the list refer to Define a Plotter. Parameter values for the Media, Color, Folding, Size and Setup fields are retrieved from the configuration of the selected plotter.
General tab
Copies | Number of copies to be produced of the total plot job. The default value of this parameter is 1.
Priority | Priority of the plot job (value range 1 .. 10). The default value of this parameter is 5. Higher priorities are set by lower parameter values: plot jobs with a Priority value of 1 are processed first.
Setup | Specifies the configuration parameter set to be used for the plot server system. The selection menu contains a list of available output device configurations. The list of available parameter values for this field depends on the selected plot server system installation. When using a CIMGRAPH plot management system enter Default as the parameter value. Some CAD software interfaces may require definition of custom plotter configurations. For all other plot management systems please refer to the relevant documentation.
Media | Media type of the output device. Available parameter values vary with the type of output device.
Size | Maximum format/size supported by the plotter. Available parameter values vary with the type of output device.
Banner | The Banner parameter determines whether an (optional) banner page is to be plotted for each plot job. The following installation variants are available: No start page Banner: A start page is plotted for each plot job. No start and end page : Both, a start page and an end page are plotted for each plot job.
Start time mode | The following options are available: User Defined Immediate Blocked If the Immediate option is selected, the plot job is plotted immediately. The Blocked option submits the job to the plot server system but does not plot it. The plot job can be reactivated at any time by the administrator of the plot server system. The User defined option allows the definition of a start time for this plot job in the Start time field.
Start time | Start date and time for a plot job. Use the following format to specify the start time: DD.MM.YY HH:MM:SS
Scale mode | User defined: the scale mode is defined by the parameter values in the Factor and Size fields. In this case, a parameter value must be entered. All documents of the plot job are scaled according to this parameter! Size: defines the format/size, e.g. DIN A4. In this case, a parameter value must be defined. All documents of the plot job are scaled according to this parameter! Optimized: automatic scaling: scales drawings to the optimum size for the selected output device. The configuration parameters apply to all associated documents, i.e. to all files of a plot job!
Factor | A scaling factor is mandatory if User defined has been selected as the scale mode. The factor must be a numeric value between 0 and 1. Example: To scale down the output file to 50% of its original size, enter 0.5 as the parameter value.
Size | The target size must be specified in this field if Size has been selected as the scale mode. Valid size formats include all size formats that are: defined for a selected output device, and smaller or identical in size to the maximum size for this default configuration (see Size above). The list of available parameter values depends on the maximum size supported by the output device.
Folding | Folding: name of folding program Fold and punch: name of the folding program; printout is also punched None: no folding program support For information on the actual folding types, please refer to the User Manual of the plot server system's output device.
Color | Identifies output devices with color support. This field is an information-only field. The field parameter cannot be changed. Available parameter values vary with the type of output device.
Set | enabled: a plot job consisting of several documents is processed as a single task by the plot management system. This means that all files are plotted in sequential order. not enabled: all associated files are processed by the plot management system as independent plot jobs. This can lead to a disruption of the plot sequence due to concurrent plot jobs.
Printroom plotter | Information only
Special plotter | If the check box is marked, the print and punch information is written to the output file.
Stamp | Optional text to be plotted along the drawing. Both static strings and variable data retrieved from the database can be integrated. A number of default keywords for the retrieval of data from the database have been defined. Keywords have the format @+<name of keyword>. Additional keywords must be preceded by a '&' sign as a new block identifier. The following parameter values can be retrieved from Agile e6: User: @USER Date: @DATE Time: @TIME Document ID: @DOCUMENT_ID Document version: @DOCUMENT_VERSION Document revision: @DOCUMENT_REVISION Sheet no.: @DOCUMENT_SHEET Document status: @STATUS Additional keywords from table fields in the following tables can be used in stamps: T_DOC_DAT T_DOC_XXX T_PAC_DAT CDD_PLO_PAC Example: @T_DOC_DAT.LEV_IND
Description | Comment field. This field can, for example, contain information on the target user group of a plot default configuration.

### Assigned User tab

The Assigned User tab contains a list of all Agile e6 users assigned to a plotter default configuration.

Each user must be assigned to at least one plot default configuration that defines document plot parameters for the plot management system. Multiple plotter default configurations can be assigned to a single user. This way, it is possible to provide users, who are using the plot management system on more than one client computer, with client-specific plotter default configurations.
The plot management system automatically selects the appropriate plotter default definition. The Computer field parameter contains the name of the client PC associated with the configuration.
One configuration must be defined as the default plot configuration of a user.

Field | Description
User | Login name of the user assigned to the default configuration. Additional users can be assigned through a selection list with all users in the Agile e6 system.
Computer | Name of the computer to be associated with the current default configuration and the corresponding user. Specify ALL as the parameter value or leave the field empty, to make this the default configuration for all clients of the corresponding user.
S. (default value) | Identifies the default configuration. This field identifies the preferred (default) configuration as multiple default plotter configurations can be associated with a user.

#### Assigned Groups tab

The Assigned Groups tab contains a list of assigned PLM user groups.

Plotter default configurations can be assigned to a user group consisting of a number of users.

One configuration must be defined as the default plot configuration of a user group.

Field | Description
Name | Name of the group associated with the default configuration. Additional groups can be assigned through a selection list with all users in the Agile e6 system.
Node | Name of the computer to be associated with the current default configuration and the corresponding group. Specify ALL as the parameter value or leave the field empty, to make this the default configuration for all clients of the corresponding user.
S. (default value) | This field identifies the preferred (default) configuration as multiple default plotter configurations can be associated with each group.

### Determining default data

The plot management system determines the appropriate default configuration by means of the following procedure:

1. Find a plotter default definition matching the following criteria:
   - the User field contains the name of the current user
   - the Computer field contains the name of the current computer
   - the S. (standard) field is enabled.
2. The default configuration parameters for a matching definition are used if one exists.
   Otherwise the system looks for a definition matching the following criteria:
   - the User field contains the name of the current user
   - the Computer field contains the parameter value ALL
   - ALL identifies the default definition to be used on all clients
   - The S. (standard) field is enabled.
3. The default configuration parameters of a matching definition are used if one is found.
   If no matching definition is found, the system verifies if the list of assigned groups contains an entry for the group of the current user. The following procedure is used:

- Find a definition matching the following criteria:
  - the Name field contains the name of the current group
  - the Computer field contains the name of the current computer
  - the S. (standard) field is enabled
- Otherwise the system looks for a definition matching the following criteria:
  - the Name contains the current group if S. (standard) has been enabled
  - If no matching definition is found then no plotter default definition is available for the current user or the group this user belongs to. A corresponding message is displayed.

### The Definition of Plotter defaults List

Plotter default definitions can also be created and edited in the Definition of plotter defaults list.

| Select System > Plot management > Plotter defaults. The Definition of plotter defaults mask is opened.
| Select List from the context menu. The Definition of plotter defaults list is opened.
| Where a CIMGRAPH plot management system is being used, the selection menu of the Setup field contains the parameter value DEFAULT. The list of available menu options varies with the plot server configuration.