Color Dependent Or Layer Dependent Lineweights

[getsevilla]

Hello everyone;

 

I just recently registered here... and i need a response on these...

 

...in our office, we are trying to standardized things and we cannot

decide whether we will use a "color dependent" or "layer dependent"

lineweights... what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

 

in your personal use of AutoCAD, what do you normally use and why?

 

thanks a lot,

 

Gil

[BlackBox]

Hi, and welcome to the forums!

 

In my office, our lineweights are dependent on our CTB colors, or pen settings. Now, that said, we also have standardized layers, which are assigned a specific color. All of our standard colors (1-255) print black, or grayscale, and we use true colors (xxx,xxx,xxx) for color prints (usually for exhibits).

 

Hope this helps!

[ReMark]

For too long we have used lineweights based upon color. Works great in-house but sending them to someone else does have its problems. Therefore, we are slowly moving to where lineweights are assigned within the Layer Properties Manager and saved with the drawing.

[getsevilla]

thanks a lot Renderman and ReMark...

 

its been a while now we are using "color dependent" lineweight and seems to

be easy compared to "layer dependent"... but maybe its just a matter of practice...

but if Autodesk released this 2 options, there's a reason.

 

i'm just trying to dig out which option is the best to use for an interior design

consultant like us.

 

getsevilla

[ReMark]

Consider the following. If you were to set up a template with the layers, linetypes, color, and lineweights it would be a "no brainer" for anyone in the office to use and all drawings would look the same.

[sinnerboy]

In our office we have used ctb files to control pen settings for over 12 years - ( and intend to keep doing so ) . We have a project now where we were not the original architects .

 

The original architects used stb files - I want to change over to our way of doing things with these cad files - and so with this post I look for help .

 

My "inherited" files simply refuse to "see" the ctb files . When I try to assign them on page setup - it wont list them ( only stb files ) .

 

When I try to "force" the issue by importing a page set up from one of our own files - it takes all settings ( plotting device , scale , paper size etc ) but states "A1.ctb ( missing) "

 

All our ctbs can be located by clicking on Plot style Manager , The correct path is located under Options - Printer Support File Path - Plots Style Table Search Path .... but the "inherited" files just won't find them .

 

We use AutoCAD 2004 and LT 2006 + LT 2006 - same problem no matter which package we try .

 

Is there some switch/toggle I am missing ?

[rkent]

sinnerboy, use the convertpstyles command. It won't see your ctb files because a dwg file can only see one type at a time.

[rkent]

getsevilla, I have always preferred to have the lineweights determined by the plot style rather than assigned bylayer. When receiving or sending files to others that will xref those files in it can be plotted to thinner lines by simply assigning a ctb or stb file set up for that project. Otherwise you have to go into the file to change things or change them in each file the dwg has been xrefed into.

[BlackBox]

What ReMark says has merit.

 

However, if one were to adopt a purely drawing-centric 'container' for their layer standards, rather than a CTB, then one *should* (in my opinion) also make the effort to provide a reactor function, so that all CAD users *enjoy* the same luxury a CTB provides in having the layers *just work*.

 

From a CAD Management perspective, the limited 'security' that a CTB provides is valuable. Granted your training program *should* aleviate any issues with rogue users, assuming they are professional to begin with.

 

What are your thoughts..?

[sinnerboy]

sinnerboy, use the convertpstyles command. It won't see your ctb files because a dwg file can only see one type at a time.

 

Magic ! . That worked - Many Thanks