Visual Basic AutoCad Batch Plotter

Written in Visual Basic this program uses AutoCad R-14 (or later) as an (unseen) object to plot drawing files. It can be used locally or across a network and as a user-run program or in a server role to plot drawing requests from computers without AutoCad. It is used by machinists, the purchasing department, technical documentators and drafters.

BPlot.exe is the 1998 successor to DWGP.exe, a program I wrote in 1992 using PDS 7.0 (extended Quick Basic) for DOS.
The program is not available

Visual Basic Programming Calling the AutoCad Application as an Object Program by Michael Strong - Batch-Plot AutoCad Drawings - BPLOT.exe

The file list is derived from gathering the list of drawing files via the file dialog. It can also be derived from a text list of files sent to the watch drive and directory by another user who does not have AutoCad R-14 on their machine. This program allows you to use the existing AutoCad R-14 (or later) program on your computer as a resource to plot AutoCad files. This is useable on a network and can send the plot to any printer on the network. The printer assignment depends on the default printer as set up in AutoCad. It also allows you to use this machine in a "server" role to plot drawings for persons elsewhere on the network who do not have AutoCad.

It also allows you to print (copy to a port) print files you've already plotted to a file. This uses a DOS LPT port and there fore needs a capture setup if it is to send the file to a network outlet.

The Plot tab controls manually plotting files.

The "Add File" button brings up the multi-select file dialog. The Output Options control whether AutoCad plots directly to a printer or to a file. If to a file you are able to choose a number of output formats.

Search paths are used to specify which paths to look for to find files on the file list when watching for a list of files.

The watch path is the drive and path to either look for file lists or to send file lists. If you do not have AutoCad on your machine you will be sending a list of files for the "server" version of this program to plot.

The "server" version of the program uses this screen. Any machine on the network with AutoCad R-14 on the machine can be used as a "server."


The file list is derived from gathering the list of drawing files via the file dialog. It can also be derived from a text list of files sent to the watch drive and directory by another user who does not have AutoCad R-14 on their machine.	This program allows you to use the existing AutoCad R-14 (or later) program on your computer as a resource to plot AutoCad files. This is useable on a network and can send the plot to any printer on the network. The printer assignment depends on the default printer as set up in AutoCad. It also allows you to use this machine in a "server" role to plot drawings for persons elsewhere on the network who do not have AutoCad. It also allows you to print (copy to a port) print files you've already plotted to a file. This uses a DOS LPT port and there fore needs a capture setup if it is to send the file to a network outlet. The Plot tab controls manually plotting files. The "Add File" button brings up the multi-select file dialog. The Output Options control whether AutoCad plots directly to a printer or to a file. If to a file you are able to choose a number of output formats.
Search paths are used to specify which paths to look for to find files on the file list when watching for a list of files. The watch path is the drive and path to either look for file lists or to send file lists. If you do not have AutoCad on your machine you will be sending a list of files for the "server" version of this program to plot.
The "server" version of the program uses this screen. Any machine on the network with AutoCad R-14 on the machine can be used as a "server."