Shading

[kimlance]

Hi:
I'm sure this is easy but we always plot in black and gray. now my boss wants me to do a drawing and plot it in colors. I can do this, but what I can't do is make lets say a solid red hatch transparent red. The gradient fill makes the color dark from the ouside in to the center or center to outside. I need consistant throughout. Any ideas. Also I'm running acad 2005

[TerribleTim]

Yup, we do it all the time. Here's what you do, or at least what we do. Build a second pen table to start with, or save your existing one as some other name. Go into the pen table editor dealie and change the screening to 50%, or 75% if you want it less faded looking. Do this to each color (yup, all 256 of 'em) that you want to plot that way. What we did is save the first 11 colors for your actual linework, then all others are color screened at 50%. It makes for some real nice presentation stuff, and works real good for space planning projects where you need to show an area for "administration" and another area for "accounting" and so on (or in our case with the jails, an area for "control" and another for "housing" and so on.). Make sense? I hope so, some times I get myself confused. . .

[ccowgill]

Hi:
I'm sure this is easy but we always plot in black and gray. now my boss wants me to do a drawing and plot it in colors. I can do this, but what I can't do is make lets say a solid red hatch transparent red. The gradient fill makes the color dark from the ouside in to the center or center to outside. I need consistant throughout. Any ideas. Also I'm running acad 2005

you could change the solid hatch to a dot hatch and adjust the scale to get the level of transparency you are looking for.

[kimlance]

I've already done that and it works great for screening lines but for some reason it won't screen a solid colored hatch. I also suggested using dot hatching but my boss wants a solid hatch. Any ideas why it won't work with a solid colored hatch.

[jaberwok]

I also suggested using dot hatching but my boss wants a solid hatch. Any ideas why it won't work with a solid colored hatch.

but screening works by printing dots...

[ccowgill]

I've already done that and it works great for screening lines but for some reason it won't screen a solid colored hatch. I also suggested using dot hatching but my boss wants a solid hatch. Any ideas why it won't work with a solid colored hatch.

you sometimes just have to do what you have to do to get the job done. Transparent layers are on the wishlist and hopefully will be added to autocad in the near future. until then, you have to deal with the tools you have

[kimlance]

You know that's what I was begining to think, but when your boss is telling you that you must be able to do it then you reach out to others, thanks. By the way I already decided just to use a light red and the used a heavy red for what I needed to see. Once again thanks for your help.

[michael.12445]

If the boss wants really saturated, solid colors, you might try changing the draworder so that the solid hatches are behind everything else.

Michael Evans
Togawa Smith Martin Residential, Inc.

[StephenJ]

When you set the colors screening to a % does it print as a screened color? If it does but you cant see the line work below you may need to set your plotters properties to print correctly. Under you plotter check its properties and under the graphics option in properties check the merge control. Make sure the lines merged is checked.

Also, in the plot style editor check to see if dithering is on, if it is off the line merge will not work.

[TerribleTim]

Yea, when we do it here we use solid color hatches and just screen them whatever percentage we are looking for. It works here, so if it doesn't there, check your printer settings.