Batch Plot

Key-in:  mdl load batchplt

 

Won't be around for ever, so eventually you're going to have to take the time to adapt.  You might even like it.  : )

 

Mark,

I fully understand your concerns about the time and effort needed to set up your batch plot customization and establishing workflows and now Bentley has a new way of doing it ...

However in this case, especially because you are making good use of batch plot, I would advice you to get acustomed to the new print organizer. Originally print organizer was named iPlot and since it´s development by Intergraph was a high end plotting solution and a substantial investment. Now the functionality of the iPlot Client has been developed further and integrated for no additional cost into MicroStation. Print organizer enable syou to do handle your batch plots smarter and more efficiently. So give it a try.

HTH

Gunnar

I don't think Bentley fully understands the economic crises in this country. CAD management is becoming a side line for most folks that do hold this job function. Most CAD managers are Engineers, Designers, Supervisors etc first and already have a full plate to deal with in their real job. I know I personally don't have unlimited time to spend learning, tweaking and re-designing our CAD setup every year or two.

I also understand progress, and newer and better products being delivered. My concern is that Bentley is not considering the numerous hours of in-house development, training and documentation involved with keeping up with their latest technologies. Why make 100's or 1000's of users reconfigure their sites every few years rather than have their developers write a simple converter for legacy products to at least assist them in getting started with a new application when discarding a long time product.? 

And if you wondered, this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened. I've been in the industry since 1975 using Intergraph mainframes and Bentley software since Pseudo station (if you remember that far back). I have been through several different versions of Menu systems and Architectural software, each of which we had to completely re-configure. Product developers need to create the upgrade features into the software so the masses do not have to carry the brunt of conversion time and costs.

This is just one small thing that keeps me wondering how BIM is ever going to be able to maintain a facility for it's lifecycle as being touted by the software companies selling it. If you can't even use your existing plotting features from year to year, how is a 3D model and all of it's database components ever going to be usable for 50-100 years as newer products are developed with no conversion tools included????

Our plotting needs are really very basic and simple but we maintain a facility of over 400 buildings (thus 800 batch print job files (2 per building) and the Batchplt.spc file with dozens of printers configured).  I don't need a Cadillac to drive to the local carryout and back, I need a Hyundai with an automatic transmission..

I apologies up front for carrying on but I feel I needed to make a point.

I may be missing something, but you do know that Bentley doesn't require you to upgrade to V8i don't you?  By making a change to a newer product releaser there will inevitably be a learning curve (after all, that comes with change).  And, sadly Bentley probably isn't going to make (and maintain) your own custom product build to suit your work-flow.  The learning curve required to move from batch plot to print organizer is minimal at best.  After all, if you set up your configuration correctly, print organizer will be able to load your old .job files and save them as .pset files.  And, at least from my perspective, the print organizer work-flow is much more intuitive for new users.

This blog article describing the differences between Print Organizer and Batch Print might be useful to you, if you haven't already read it: http://communities.bentley.com/Other/Old_Site_Member_Blogs/Bentley_Employees/b/andrew_edges_blog/archive/2008/11/09/print-organizer-vs-batch-print.aspx