Creating a new CTB Plot Style

[nk_buttercup375152]

I have just started a new job and there is no CTB set up. Can someone (or multiple people) give me some examples of standard lineweights for colors 1-9 & white. As well if there is anything else that I would need to input. Thanks!

[rkmcswain]

I have just started a new job and there is no CTB set up. Can someone (or multiple people) give me some examples of standard lineweights for colors 1-9 & white. As well if there is anything else that I would need to input. Thanks!

What have they been doing in the past?
Maybe they are using STB files?

If you're starting from scratch, then it's all up to you I suppose....
Our red (color 1) is the lightest line (0.0025") and each subsequent color is a bit thicker up to color 9 (0.055").
Then we added some others in the mix so that there are more than one color for each lineweight.

[dgorsman]

As noted, the specifics are what you need. The important part is the overall implementation. Will it work for all printers? Page sizes? Work groups? What about different types of drawings? Will users need to keep a color chart handy, or do they just have to remember a general color scheme? Are you limited to just the "named" colors, what about the "numbered" colors?

[jaberwok]

What industry are you working in?

[nk_buttercup375152]

Interior design. the person before me had her own CTB, but I can't figure out how to set a new one up with out killing a thousand trees. :)

[tedg]

Interior design. the person before me had her own CTB, but I can't figure out how to set a new one up with out killing a thousand trees. :)
Are you forced to use her layers and colors or are you creating everything from scratch?

If the former,
Can you print one of her drawings, like a PDF she created to see what the intended line weights are?
And then simply map her/your layer colors to assumed line weights, and then use an existing CTB or create one based on what you find.

If the latter,
I would pick a standard already done, like an NCS3.1 or NCS 4.0 format.
Have the layers have color and line weights ByLayer and use something like an NCS or AIA ctb file.
AutoCAD has an ACAD.ctb which reads color and object line weight.

NCS 4.0 ignores color, but uses object (or layer) line weights.

And of course, it depends on your work flow, office structure, number of people working, etc.
Most companies already have standards they use so everyone is on the same page.

A lot of standards I've seen (or used):
1 (red) 0.18mm
2 (yellow) 0.25mm
3 (green) 0.35mm
4 (cyan) 0.35mm
5 (blue) 0.50mm
6 (magenta) 1.00mm
7 (white) 1.40mm
8 (gray) 0.35mm (50% screened)

And so on....

[nk_buttercup375152]

Thanks so much, I will try that out. No she left with her CTB and I am moving forward with a new one. So I am trying to get it right so I don't have to change it again.

[ccarlson376355]

We dropped CTBs and went to named plot styles (STB with lineweights in the layer) and haven't looked back. We had somewhere around 200~ numbered styles which just got confusing trying to remember which number did what and when it was used, not sure if there is any advantage to using CTB's?

[Tom Beauford]

We dropped CTBs and went to named plot styles (STB with lineweights in the layer) and haven't looked back. We had somewhere around 200~ numbered styles which just got confusing trying to remember which number did what and when it was used, not sure if there is any advantage to using CTB's?

Same here, the Autodesk-MONO.stb is all I use now. Never have to send it with a drawing, everybody has it.

Don't kill trees! Use Display plot styles.
Display Plot Style toggle by: Tim Creary
http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=75802&highlight=ShowPlotStyles#3

[dgorsman]

We dropped CTBs and went to named plot styles (STB with lineweights in the layer) and haven't looked back. We had somewhere around 200~ numbered styles which just got confusing trying to remember which number did what and when it was used, not sure if there is any advantage to using CTB's?

Visual checking of drawings on screen *without* printing. A user can look at a drawing and know that cyan line will plot thin and that red dimension will also plot thin. Unlike with STB, where the plot thickness is completely divorced from the appearance on the screen e.g. that cyan line could have a per-object override to plot "Some really thick style". And with the ACI there is a defined and limited list of potential settings, unlike STB where there could be any number of different styles (e.g. "Some really thick style" vs. "Some realy thick style". Oh, and dimension text.

Don't get me wrong, STB has its advantages as well as drawbacks. And so does CTB. You just need to leverage the strenghs and mitigate the weaknesses.

[Tom Beauford]

Visual checking of drawings on screen *without* printing. A user can look at a drawing and know that cyan line will plot thin and that red dimension will also plot thin. Unlike with STB, where the plot thickness is completely divorced from the appearance on the screen e.g. that cyan line could have a per-object override to plot "Some really thick style". And with the ACI there is a defined and limited list of potential settings, unlike STB where there could be any number of different styles (e.g. "Some really thick style" vs. "Some realy thick style". Oh, and dimension text.

Don't get me wrong, STB has its advantages as well as drawbacks. And so does CTB. You just need to leverage the strenghs and mitigate the weaknesses. Knowing the CTB you're using you may be able to speculate the width by the color, but with an STB you can actually show lineweights on the screen or view them as properties. I'm sure each has its advantages as well as drawbacks, but STB's have the advantage of seing lines in any color and lineweight you want.

[dgorsman]

As in, "Show lineweights" under the page set-up manager? Applies to CTB as well, so I consider that a wash. Viewing individual object properties is a *tad* slower than just looking at it on screen. Whether its BYLAYER and on a CYAN layer, or object-set as CYAN, doesn't really matter. Everything on a drawing could be color cyan and plot a variety of lineweights without anybody being able to tell the difference, which is certainly a drawback. Plotting in color is nice and sometimes necessary but for many cases drawings are still produced in black-and-grey (and sometimes not even -grey).

[Tom Beauford]

As in, "Show lineweights" under the page set-up manager? Applies to CTB as well, so I consider that a wash. Viewing individual object properties is a *tad* slower than just looking at it on screen. Whether its BYLAYER and on a CYAN layer, or object-set as CYAN, doesn't really matter. Everything on a drawing could be color cyan and plot a variety of lineweights without anybody being able to tell the difference, which is certainly a drawback. Plotting in color is nice and sometimes necessary but for many cases drawings are still produced in black-and-grey (and sometimes not even -grey).

Not talking about "Display plot styles" under Page Setup Manager. 'Lineweights' is one of the Status Toggles between 'Dynamic Input' and 'Transparency'. Clicking it toggles Lineweight Display On/Off. Although you are correct in that "Display plot styles" under Page Setup Manager would display lineweights for CTB as well. Like you Most of my drawings are produced in black-and-greyscales, for the greyscales Autodesk-MONO.stb has 9 levels of screening. Problem with "Display plot styles" is loosing all the colors from a black & white drawing.

[cadtag]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the on-screen Show Lineweights toggle _ignore_ plot styles? That is, if the Layer (or the entiity) has a lineweight property set to 0.80mm, but a Plotstyle is assigned to that layer or entity that calls for a 10% screened lineweight of 0.013mm, what I'll see on screen is the 0.80, but what plots is the 0.013@10%.

It works that way with CTB files -- the lineweights displayed on screen do NOT relect the settings of the CBT. Assigning a different CTB does not impact the on-screen display of lineweights. For them to coincide I have to manually adjust the lineweights assigned to the layers.

[Tom Beauford]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the on-screen Show Lineweights toggle _ignore_ plot styles? That is, if the Layer (or the entiity) has a lineweight property set to 0.80mm, but a Plotstyle is assigned to that layer or entity that calls for a 10% screened lineweight of 0.013mm, what I'll see on screen is the 0.80, but what plots is the 0.013@10%.

It works that way with CTB files -- the lineweights displayed on screen do NOT relect the settings of the CBT. Assigning a different CTB does not impact the on-screen display of lineweights. For them to coincide I have to manually adjust the lineweights assigned to the layers. Autodesk-MONO.stb has all Lineweights set to "Use object lineweight". Checked and most CTB's that come with AutoCAD also have all Lineweights set to "Use object lineweight". Lineweights may be controled the same way CTB or STB. Only difference is with CTB the base 256 colors are the plot Styles while with STB you set the plot styles seperate from the colors. That way I can change a group of objects or layers in a black & white drawing to plot in color or screened without changing the colors.