Layouts and plotting

In model space you draw at full size (1 unit = 1 meter, or 1 millimeter, depending on the project). In the paper space of each layout you compose the sheet to be printed: the title block, notes, and one or more viewports that show the model at the chosen scale. Plotting turns the model or a layout into a PDF, SVG or PNG file.

Model and layout tabs

Below the drawing area are the Model tab and one tab per layout in the drawing. Switching to a layout shows the sheet of paper with its shadow and printable area, and the viewports with their contents.

A button next to the tabs shows whether you are working on paper (PAPER) or inside a viewport (MODEL); a click switches.

Viewports

Double-click inside a viewport, or use MSPACE, to enter it: what you draw or edit goes to the model, clipped and at the viewport scale.
Double-click outside the viewports, or use PSPACE, to return to paper.
On paper you draw the title block, the texts and the dimensions of the sheet, at paper size (in millimeters or inches).
Each viewport keeps its scale and its list of frozen layers: the Freeze in current viewport icon of the layer control hides a layer in that viewport only, on screen and when plotting. AutoCAD respects it.
Annotative objects of the model are shown in each viewport at its annotation scale (the viewport's own or the one matching its scale): the same text comes out the same size on paper in a 1:50 viewport and in a 1:100 one.

LAYOUT and the layout tab context menu create, copy, delete, rename and insert layouts from templates (drag the tabs to reorder). MVIEW creates viewports (also non-rectangular) and VPCLIP clips them; inside a viewport zoom changes its view, and its scale is set in the status bar or PROPERTIES. VPMAX maximizes it.

Plotting

PLOT (Ctrl+P) opens the Plot dialog box:

Setting	Options
Page setup	One saved with PAGESETUP, the previous one, or none
Printer/plotter	Output to a vector PDF file (saved as "DWG To PDF.pc3", as in AutoCAD)
Paper size	Those of "DWG To PDF.pc3": ISO (A and B), ANSI and ARCH; portrait or landscape
What to plot	Layout, Extents, Display, Limits or Window (two corners in the drawing)
Scale	Fit to paper or a scale: millimeters (or inches) of paper per drawing units
Offset	Plot origin or Center the plot
Plot style table	Color, screening and lineweight of each color when plotting
Options	Plot lineweights, plot with plot styles, plot paper space last, scale lineweights

When you click OK you choose the file: the extension (.pdf, .svg or .png) decides the format. For PNG you choose the resolution in dots per inch. Apply to Layout saves the settings in the layout.

The PDF is vector-based: lines, fills and texts (with their real SHX or TrueType fonts) stay sharp at any zoom. With a system printer, the sheet is printed at the printer resolution.

Plot styles (CTB and STB)

The plot style table decides the color, screening and lineweight each object is plotted with. LinceCAD includes monochrome.ctb (everything in black) and grayscale.ctb (grays), and also uses the .ctb files (or .stb, if the drawing uses named plot styles) in the drawing folder and in %APPDATA%\lince\estilos_trazado. You can copy AutoCAD's tables there.

Page setups and preview

PAGESETUP manages the page setup of each layout and the named page setups, and imports them from other drawings. They are stored in the drawing as in AutoCAD.
PREVIEW shows the sheet exactly as it will be plotted, with plot styles; the wheel zooms and dragging pans.
EXPORT plots directly to PDF, SVG or PNG with the same dialog box.

Notes

Plotting is always wireframe (no hidden lines), which is what a 2D drawing needs.
Viewport views cannot be rotated yet, and ZOOM does not work inside a viewport yet.