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AutoCAD Drawing Area - what color do you use?


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What color is your AutoCAD drawing area?  

238 members have voted

  1. 1. What color is your AutoCAD drawing area?

    • Black (the original)
      619
    • White (a common choice)
      99
    • Cream (the default up to 2010)
      37
    • Dark Blue-Grey (the current default)
      159
    • Any other color... (tell us which color you use)
      52


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I use background color black because it looks more attractive and shining and white color in line. Its depend on what kind of assignment do you have but using 2 to 3 colors are fine.

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White backgrounds are ridiculous. Way harder to read. It isn't a real piece of paper, it's a computer screen. white on black should be standard for computer text. That's why I choose black.

 

and I do black for revit as well.

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White backgrounds are ridiculous. Way harder to read. It isn't a real piece of paper, it's a computer screen. white on black should be standard for computer text. That's why I choose black.

 

and I do black for revit as well.

Do you use a black background in Word?
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Do you use a black background in Word?

 

If there was a setting I would. I sometimes invert my screen but that makes ALL the colors messed up, which is annoying lol. I just generally prefer white text on a black background and its easier on the eyes. I think the idea of the white background came from the idea that the first word processing systems were emulating the color of paper, thus, had a white background. But, on a screen, that's illuminated from behind, it doesn't make much sense to have white. It's like staring at a lightbulb. we are just used to it but it's not better. Sorry for the rant, these kind of weird things are interesting to me.

 

I enjoy how Maddox puts it lol

 

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=faq

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This whole white vs. black background is a personal thing. It's not ridiculous, old school, or whatever choice words you have for the reasons behind other peoples preferences. Some people get eye strain when looking at a white background for long periods, others don't. There is no right or wrong, unless you are trying to replicate what you are printing. Even then, there will likely be differences from screen to paper.

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Do you use a black background in Word?

 

Unfortunately only AutoCAD has color 7 White/Black that displays whichever works best against the background color. I've tried modifying Windows colors etc… over the years to get away from bright backgrounds only to have issues displaying text by others. Maybe Microsoft will catch up with AutoCAD on this someday.

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I've read the Maddox article many moons ago. Sight is based on light... no matter if you're eyes are receiving light directly from a computer monitor or the reflective light from the papers on your desk. Light is the very foundation of sight - without it you wouldn't see anything. My eye doc says (after asking him this very question one day) it's not the light from the monitor that strains your eyes, it's the constant focus and alignment of the muscles. And years ago when I switched to all white backgrounds I can say through experience that I have no differences in "eye strain".

 

AutoCAD background for me has to stay black because I'm just used to it. Also, AutoCAD is a Layer-based color-intensive drafting application so it makes more sense. I categorize Revit as a modeling application so I don't "draft" in Revit with lines, circles and rectangles. Different setups for different applications is all it is. But I'm not going to believe "eye strain" has anything to do with white vs black on the computer monitor. When I used to think this, it was just all in my mind, not my eyes.

 

And that's all for Fireside Chat's with Tannar Frampton. Tune in next week to talk about why CTB files are still relevant. ;)

Edited by f700es
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I don't know man, my eyes "feel" more tired after I work in an application that has a lighter background (SketchUp, FormZ, PS, Illustrator, etc.)

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I have removed all the off topic arguing. Heated discussions are one thing, but blatant fighting will not be tolerated. Please be respectful when posting in the forum. If you have a problem with another member, hit the "Report Post" button or contact a moderator. Or, if you feel so strongly that you need to speak your mind, please use the PM system to discuss the issue. The open forum is not the place for this sort of thing.

 

Thanks ;)

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Back on topic, it's actually kind of funny. AutoCAD is the only application I use where the background is black, and that's the way I like it. Every other program I use has a light colored background and I'm perfectly ok with that too. I guess it's all just a matter of what you're used to working with. I could never have a white background in AutoCAD. It just wouldn't feel right. Just like I could never have a black background in Studio Max. It just doesn't work for me.

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... Just like I could never have a black background in Studio Max. It just doesn't work for me.

 

Didn't Max once have a black background? I thought older versions did.

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I have used AutoCAD with it set to a black background since I started with it. Recently I have been trying with PS set to a light gray (242,242,242) and setting the pagesetup to display plot styles and I like that so far. Gives me a good idea of what the plot will look like. I use STB and sometimes when I convert an old drawing not everything is set to plot b/w so this lets me know right away if I need to adjust some properties in the drawing. If I am plotting with color then I also get to see how that is looking before hitting the OK to plot button.

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Didn't Max once have a black background? I thought older versions did.

 

Ive been using Studio Max since version 9, and it has always had a grey background. I don't know about earlier versions though? It used to have a light grey background, but recently it's become much darker. I'm using 2014 right now and the perspective background is actually a gradient that goes from dark at the top to light at the bottom, which isn't bad. The orthographic viewports are dark grey, and that's ok too. I just don't like a completely black background when working in 3D. It feels sort of claustrophobic.

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.... it's actually kind of funny. AutoCAD is the only application I use where the background is black, and that's the way I like it. Every other program I use has a light colored background and I'm perfectly ok with that too. I guess it's all just a matter of what you're used to working with. I could never have a white background in AutoCAD.

 

I think it's more a matter of habit than logic. Here's two screencaps of different Autodesk apps where those who use them largely disagree about what color the background "should" be. That's fairly illogical though, because there's not a lick of difference between the two visually. Neither is there any significant difference between the way the user interacts with what's seen on screen... ie picks, snaps, zooms, etc. I can go either way in AutoCAD. but my preference is a light background because it's WYSIWYG so there's never any ambiguity about what it will look like when printed/plotted.

 

Acad-White.jpg

 

Regarding eyestrain, IMO, that's got more to do with the monitor/monitor setup than the background. I dislike the highest rated monitor I own, because for some reason, my eyes hurt after only a relatively short period of time when using a primarily light background, ie MS Word, internet browser, AutoCAD, Revit, etc. It's a dual monitor setup and I even invested in a color/brightness calibration device, and still it's just harder to look at than the cheaper model/brand right next to it. :?

Revit-White.jpg

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