Aerial Photo

[chet.smith]

I am using AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 and installed the "raster_design" add on to support my image file. I have a very large aerial photo "ecw" file that I inserted into my drawing. On top of my aerial photo I have the "footprint" of a highway, county boundaries, city boundaries etc. With all this information I am running out of colors to designate the different entities and it gets hard to designate each. My question: Is there any tint or shading etc. that I can use to "color" in my city and county boundaries but still see through them when I plot to see the underlying aerial photo. Hope somebody can help!!!!

[Railrose]

I'm sure someone will have a better idea, but all I can think of would be to set the image file as transparent, & put it in front of the linework.

[ekubaskie]

If the boundaries & such are brought in as AutoCAD objects with hatches... no.

If these items are brought in from GIS files via FDO connection, you can set transparency in their display style. You are limited in ways to plot the transparency to paper, though.

[Jmurphy]

If the boundaries are polygons you can convert them (export) to SDF format and use the data connect to bring them back in. The style manager for FDO features will allow transparency then depending on out plotter/printer and a few other things you can have a WYSIWYG when printed.

[Ed Jobe]

If the boundaries are polygons you can convert them (export) to SDF format and use the data connect to bring them back in. The style manager for FDO features will allow transparency then depending on out plotter/printer and a few other things you can have a WYSIWYG when printed.
I'm not sure that he has Map available.

Chet, you could use a hatch with pattern "DOTS", scaled to achieve the desired "transparency".

[deschulthess]

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I am using AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 and installed the "raster_design" add on to support my image file. I have a very large aerial photo "ecw" file that I inserted into my drawing. On top of my aerial photo I have the "footprint" of a highway, county boundaries, city boundaries etc. With all this information I am running out of colors to designate the different entities and it gets hard to designate each. My question: Is there any tint or shading etc. that I can use to "color" in my city and county boundaries but still see through them when I plot to see the underlying aerial photo. Hope somebody can help!!!!

I don't tknow if this will help, but if you change the properties in your plotter to "Lines Merge" you will be able to see the information below that line.

You can also use ANSI31 or 37 hatch, with very little spacing between the lines, this will allow you to see the photo below.

AutoCAD also has the Color Books & True Color Tabs for more color choices.

[Jmurphy]

I'm not sure that he has Map available.

Chet, you could use a hatch with pattern "DOTS", scaled to achieve the desired "transparency".
From the OP " I am using AutoCAD Map 3D 2009 and installed the "raster_design" add on to support my image file. "

That's OK Ed it's Friday. Miller Time. :beer:

[litchfieldl]

One way I used to get around that was to use the ANSI131 hatch. If I got the scale just right (you have to play with it), it looks filled, but you can see through it since it is not a solid hatch. You might give that a try.