PLT files are supported in Asite Platform and can be viewed in Asite Viewer. PLT files are usually of similar size to the corresponding DWG file. PLT files were not originally designed to be used within a viewer application, but to be transmitted to a Hard Copy device such as a plotter or printer.
PLT files are unlike most other file formats because they can be created in numerous formats, as they are dependent on the printer / plotter driver that was used to create them.
In order for them to be used successfully with Asite, they must be created using the Hewlett Packard HPGL/2 format. PLT files contain the data that is normally sent to the plotter / printer to produce a hardcopy plot.
Reprographics companies normally recommend sending PLT files, as the file format is very accurate & also flexible for modification & Scaling & line thicknesses. For this reason, Reprographics companies dislike working with DWF files.
If the PLT files are created using AutoCAD 2000 or later, we recommend using the Hewlett Packard DesignJet 650C System Printer Driver V4.6 or later, which can be obtained from the HP Web site, as it has been optimised for use with AutoCAD. The files created by this driver are usually smaller than ones created by alternative drivers in AutoCAD. This driver requires that the option for text should be configured to “text as graphics” within the “Custom Properties” option. This is because this driver enhances the PLT file by specifying that the plotter uses its internal fonts to display true type text. The Brava viewer does not support this option. Also, the Brava viewer may display the PLT file upside down, causing the person viewing the file to have to use the rotate commands to orient the display correctly. For this reason the “Plot Upside down” option may need to be selected when creating PLT files within the application being used to create it. Also, if the AutoCAD Drawing that the PLT file is being produced from contains viewports that are non rectangular, the PLT file can typically be twice normal size (Refer Plot File Creation Guide for further details).
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