XRef not printing greyed

[TedK]

I have just noticed a problem with AC 2012.
When I print a drawing that has an XRef in it, I want the XRef greyed out like it is in the viewport but it prints it dark as the rest.
Is there a setting I cant find to do that again?

Thanks...

Ted

[Jrobker]

Do you print with a CTB or STB?
Do you use transparencies in your layers in your layer manager?

The reason it is faded in the viewport is because the variable XDWGFADECTL. This variable has nothing to do with the way the xref will print.

[TedK]

I dont know what CTB or STB are?
I am printing to a postscript printer file and then importing to another program for assembling the complete document.
No transparencies at all.

Ted

[irneb]

You can adjust the xreffed layers' colours to be grey (or whatever you need). I'd avoid transparency especially with post-script stuff.

But Jrobker's correct about the XDWGFADECTL (it's new but similar to the old XFADECTL). Thus the "grey" out is only an indication in acad - it will not print. To get it to print you'll need to adjust the relevant layers' colours (if using CTB) or plot style (if using STB).

BTW: CTB is what you use when the colours displayed in ACad governs what pen widths are used. STB is a different type of pen width settings where the plot-style can be set independent of the displayed colour.

[Jrobker]

You can adjust the xreffed layers' colours to be grey (or whatever you need). I'd avoid transparency especially with post-script stuff.

But Jrobker's correct about the XDWGFADECTL (it's new but similar to the old XFADECTL). Thus the "grey" out is only an indication in acad - it will not print. To get it to print you'll need to adjust the relevant layers' colours (if using CTB) or plot style (if using STB).

BTW: CTB is what you use when the colours displayed in ACad governs what pen widths are used. STB is a different type of pen width settings where the plot-style can be set independent of the displayed colour.

In addition to this helpful information.
If you try and print and your plot style table is looking for the wrong style table (you want CTB and the list contains STB) you can use the system variable CONVERTPSTYLES and this will "Swap" between the two.

Usually we change the xref'd line color to a specific color (we use color eight).
You can either open the Xref and change the layer color or if the the xref'd drawing was drawn BYLAYER you can change the colors in the layer manager of your file (it is very rare that the entire drawing is bylayer).
In our CTB file we use a lower screening and lineweight for that color (eight).

Good luck.

[irneb]

... (it is very rare that the entire drawing is bylayer). ...Ain't that the truth! Of course there is the "newer" SetByLayer command - just for such a purpose!

[TedK]

Thanks guys, I will try that tomorrow and see how it works.

Thasnks again.

Ted

[TedK]

Well it did work on lines but not on blocks.
So I had to explode the blocks and save the file as a different name and use that as the xref.
So not a big deal just a little workaround.
Thanks again...

Ted

[Jrobker]

Blocks are always more difficult to control, especially triple nested blocks all on different layers assigned different colors.
You can always edit the block and change the line color to BYBLOCK and the entire block will inherit the layer color you assign to it.
or like irneb said use the SetByLayer command, quick key CB (i think)

[irneb]

or like irneb said use the SetByLayer command, quick key CB (i think)Yep, the SetByLayer command works through blocks as well. No need to BEdit / Explode them first - one-command-to-rule-them-all :lol:

[irneb]

Well it did work on lines but not on blocks.
So I had to explode the blocks and save the file as a different name and use that as the xref.
So not a big deal just a little workaround.
Thanks again...

TedDo you mean the SetByLayer command didn't work on block? That's strange, there must be something wrong on your system, since it worked for me the first time I used it some years back.

Be careful when simply exploding the blocks - you might loose some data especially if they're DB's or have attributes.

But I'm with Jrobker on stuff inside blocks being on layers and colours of their own! That should "never" happen, but it does ... constantly. I prefer having everything inside my blocks on layer 0 and properties ByBlock - that allows for the least hassles later. It's in extremely rare circumstances where you simply cannot get away from placing some objects inside the block on their own layers - but then you still have no excuse for not setting them to ByBlock / ByLayer. And this is a wine which many experienced users have been uttering for more than 2 decades now - still the same old problems crop up!

[TedK]

The SetByLayer sounds interesting....I will give it a whirl...

Thanks again...

Ted