Expert: Bill DeShawn - 2/16/2005

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Dear Mr. DeShawn,
I am trying to create a layout using one of my own templates, but my template does not appear in the single viewport when I click on the tab listing my template. This is the procedure I am using: (1) I first pull up the drawing that I want to appear on the template (DESKSET2.dwg ) (2) I click  on the “LAYOUT FROM TEMPLATE”   icon. (3) The “Select Template From File” box appears with the word “template” in the “Look in” section. (4)  I click on the 11 x 17 template I made called “Big-sheet Layout.dwt”.  My template appears in the “Preview” window. (5) I click “OK” and the “Insert Layout(s)” box appears listing “Layout1”, “Layout2”, and “Layout3”.  (6) I click “Layout3.  My drawing, DESKSET2.dwg, appears again in model space with an added tab labeled “Layout3. (7) I click Layout3 and the “Page Setup – Layout3” box appears.  (8) I type “Big-sheet Layout” as Layout name, select HP1000C as printer and tabloid as the paper size and select “OK”. My “DESKSET2 drawing appears in paperspace with a new  layout tab labeled “Big-sheet Layout” as I expected, but my template is nowhere to be found.  When I try this with standard AutoCad templates, I have no problems.  What did I do wrong?  

I'm using the following:
AutoCad 2002.
Windows XP
Hewlet-Packard DeskJet 1000C printer
Reference Text book "AutoCad And Its Applications by Shumaker and Madsen

Thanks very much.
George

Answer -
Very quickly:
I see two problems:
1.  A template file does not have a ".DWG " extension.  It has a ".DWT" extension.  No matter where it is placed, your DWG file will not show up when AutoCAD thinks you want to choose a DWT file.  Using the SAVEAS command, you will be able to save your drawing file as a template file.

2.  Placement of your template file is very important.
Go to:
Options;Files;Drawing Template File location
to see the folder name of where the template files should be placed.

There.  All that done, your template file should now show up.

Mr. DeShawn,
Thank you for your quick and thorough response.  I still have a question about your response. I'm not sure of your answer.  The template that I want to bring up is “Big-sheet Layout.dwt”. When I created it, I saved it as a Drawing File Template in the templates file.  Is there something else I should have done?  Thank again.

George  

Answer
I'm not sure what you were expecting.  You imported the LAYOUT only and did so successfully.  The template is a file that you imported the layout from.  Were you thinking that you were supposed to have more from your template file that that which you imported, which was only the layout?  I'm sorry George, I just don't undestand what is was that you were expecting to see.  Help me out with a little more info, or perhaps you could send me the template file and drawing and talk me through the problem.
I'm at bdeshawn@sterling.net
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn