This article details how to print or plot high-quality Plex-Earth mosaics in AutoCAD. It explains image types, emphasizes setting Plot Mode to "Final" for best print results, and offers troubleshooting tips. Users can also convert mosaics to raster images to avoid issues.
Introduction
After finishing a project in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or BricsCAD, in most cases, you will need to print your work (hard-copy or PDF) as a final deliverable.
In Plex-Earth, we offer three types of images: Single Images, Mosaics, and Timelines. Single Images are raster images and are printable. Mosaic images are generally printable. Timelines cannot be printed directly, but you can create a mosaic image from a dataset of your choice contained to it, and print it. All images are, by default, stored in our servers and automatically re-fetched and shown by our software when you reopen your drawing. Thus, for better printing and performance results, we have developed the Plot Quality Options for the Mosaics.
You can follow the steps below to achieve the best printing results using these options.
Step 1: Set the Plot Mode to Final
Step 2: Select the Layout you want to print
Alternative: Convert the Plex-Earth Mosaic to Raster Image before printing
Step 1: Set the Plot Mode to Final
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After importing all the mosaics you need for your project, go to the Collection Manager → click on Settings.
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Go to Imagery → Select Plot Quality.
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Select from three of the Plot Mode option:
No Plot: This option is suitable if you want your mosaic not to appear in your plot.
Draft is the predefined option. The draft mode is more suitable during the creation of your drawing as it makes the mosaic lighter and ensures better AutoCAD performance. It is also suitable for quick printing if there are no high-quality demands.
Final is the suitable mode when you need to print your drawing with the highest quality result, as it leads to better printing results of the mosaic, and offers advanced image rendering.
To proceed with our final printing, set Plot Mode to Final.
Step 2: Select the Layout to print
You may have created your Layout already, or you can finalize it now. Make sure that you have all your settings as needed before printing.
Step 3: Proceed with Printing
Use any plot or print-related commands in CAD (i.e., PRINT, PLOT, BATCHPLOT, PUBLISH). Adjust your printing preferences and choose to print the Layout in Step 2.
Now, you are ready to print your drawing as a hard copy or PDF!
Alternative: Convert the Plex-Earth Mosaic to a Raster Image (PNG, JPG, TIFF)
Instead of printing the dynamic Plex-Earth mosaic, you can convert your mosaic to a raster image to prevent any printing issues. You can check out the tutorial here on how to do so.
Troubleshooting
If you are having printing issues, check out the following article:
Imagery Not Printing or Exporting to PDF Correctly
FAQs
My imagery looks lower quality or shows grid lines when I print or export to PDF — how do I fix it?
This is usually caused by the Plot Mode being set to Draft instead of Final. Go to Collection Manager → Settings → Imagery → Select Plot Quality and change the Plot Mode to Final before printing. Draft mode is intentionally lighter for drawing performance but is not suitable for final print output.
Can I print a Timeline image?
Not directly. Timeline images cannot be printed as-is. To print from a Timeline, create a Site Area and add historical datasets from there. Then, create a Mosaic from the dataset of your choice and print the mosaic using the steps in this article.
My imagery is not printing at all when I use BATCHPLOT or PUBLISH — what should I check?
If you're using the BATCHPLOT (PUBLISH) command, go to the Publish Output area and uncheck Publish in background before proceeding. Background publishing can prevent Plex-Earth imagery from rendering correctly in the output.
Are there any providers whose imagery cannot be printed?
Yes. Airbus mosaics can only be viewed and cannot be printed or downloaded. Vantor (formerly Maxar) mosaics can be viewed and printed, but not downloaded. For all other providers, check Useful Information about our Providers to see more details.
Is there an alternative to printing the dynamic mosaic directly?
Yes, you can convert your mosaic to a static raster image (PNG, JPG, or TIF) first, then print from that. This avoids any dynamic rendering issues during the print process and gives you more control over the output. See Convert Imagery Mosaic to Raster Image for the full steps.
Related Questions
This article explains how to print or export Plex-Earth imagery to PDF from AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or BricsCAD. You may have searched for:
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