Expert: Bill DeShawn - 3/8/2010

Question
QUESTION: Autocad does not pick up plot styles when I try to make a plot. The preview shows color drawings without line weight. How can I resolve this issue?

ANSWER: David:
The most common cause of this symptom is a checkbox that is checked when it should not be.  Next to that checkbox are the words "Scale lineweights".  Please uncheck that box.

If that did not solve your problem, let me know.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your message. The plot dialogue box shows "Scale lineweights" is unchecked and "plot with plot styles" is checked. One ctb file is selected as plot style. However the plot does not pick up any plot style. What else can I do about this issue?

ANSWER: David:
OK.  I have two questions for you:
1.  Version of AutoCAD
2.  Are you using an Autodesk-supplied CTB file or one that you have created?

If you are using an Autodesk-supplied CTB file such as monochrome.ctb or grayscale.ctb, then you need to know that the default settings for lineweight on those two CTB files is "Use Object Lineweight".  Therefore, if you are using either of those two CTB files, you need to assign a lineweight property either to the layer or to the color.  If in the Layer Properties Manager, your assigned lineweight for the layer is "Default", and you are using a color-dependent plot style (and you are), then a lineweight needs to be assigned to the color in the CTB file.  An alternative to that is to assign a lineweight to the layer regardless of the color.  Doing that, makes it difficult to know how things are going to plot unless you give the LWDISPLAY system variable a value of 1 (turn it on).  However that can be annoying to those AutoCAD veterans who are not used to having lineweights display while working with the geometry on screen.  So, that is a personal choice.  My choice is to leave the lineweight layer property set to default, plot color-dependent, and assign lineweight to the various colors in the Plot Style dialog (for the ctb files).  That means I don't use monochrome or grayscale ctb files.  I use something closer to "AIA Standard Color" in which the lineweights are assigned by color, but then uses the monochrome principle of assigning all the colors in that style to black.  All unused color in that style will be assigned a color that is not black and will most likely be the one that normally corresponds with the color name.

Look this over and if you are still confused, I'll tell you how to where to send me a drawing and ctb file so that I can look them over.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Bill,
To answer your question:
1. I am using Auto 2010 64-bit.
2. I have tried "monochrome" and the one I created. None of them works. I am getting the same color drawing without line weight. For the ctb I created, I set the color 1 to color 9 as "Black" and each color is assigned a specific line weight.
David

Answer
I have consulted with other experts and they agree with me that I need a close look at two things:  the drawing and the ctb file you are using.  Please go to my website:
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn
and scroll down to my email icon and send me the both the drawing file and ctb file that you are using and let us have a look.

Thank you
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn



SHADEMODE!  Set it to 2D wireframe in all your viewports and in Model tab.

I often have to check that setting for other users, but the symptoms were a little different in ACAD 2010, so I didn't recognize the problem at first.

Keep in touch

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn