CTB - Edit Lineweights

Hi All

 

I have been give a CTB file for a project.

It contains custom Lineweights for various colours such as 0.16mm and 0.2263mm.

Edited via opening CTB file -> Table View -> "Edit Lineweights" button

 

Within a DWG file, I wanted to set these custom lineweights correctly to the layer colour.

But, if you enter Lineweights on the command line, the custom lineweights are not there, just AutoCADs default.

 

I believe you can only 'edit lineweights' in the plot style editor. Correct?

 

Is there a way to import custom lineweights from CTB file into AutoCAD?

 

Regards

Do you have the CTB plot file you were given loaded for your layout?

Hi All

 

I have been give a CTB file for a project.

It contains custom Lineweights for various colours such as 0.16mm and 0.2263mm.

Edited via opening CTB file -> Table View -> "Edit Lineweights" button

 

Within a DWG file, I wanted to set these custom lineweights correctly to the layer colour.

But, if you enter Lineweights on the command line, the custom lineweights are not there, just AutoCADs default.

 

I believe you can only 'edit lineweights' in the plot style editor. Correct?

 

Is there a way to import custom lineweights from CTB file into AutoCAD?

 

Regards

I think you were probably given that plotstyle, or ctb file because that drawing is already set up for it. The ctb file is what does it. It is already done. When using a ctb file set up with output lineweights depending on color, you don't change the modelspace lineweights, you only match the color of the lines or objects to the ctb file. If you want an object to be plotted at a certain lineweight, you make that object the same color as that line in the plotsyle table editor which shows the lineweight you need. Leave the layer and/or object lineweight properties alone, and let the ctb file do it. That's what it's for. When the plotter encounters a magenta line for instance, it will plot at the lineweight specified in the ctb file. That is, of course if you "Plot with Plotstyles".

 

Now, if the drawing is not already "standardized" for that particular plotstyle, someone will have to set the modelspace colors up so the expected plot output lineweights will happen.

 

I believe you can only 'edit lineweights' in the plot style editor. Correct?

That is not true at all. There must be a half dozen ways to edit lineweights but none of them are what you want in order to use a ctb plot style to determine plotted lineweights.

 

Now, there should be a bit of prep for using this system to determine lineweights on the plotted page:

 

Ideally, 1 layer for each color as the layer color property, and these layer properties for lineweight should be set to "default".

 

You can have more than one layer with the same color, but they will all plot at the same lineweight, determined by that color in the ctb file.

 

Objects should be put on the layer of a particular color that will result in the object being plotted at the correct lineweight. These objects need their object property color set to "BY LAYER".

 

Any object with a color object property other than "BY LAYER" will plot at the lineweight determined by that color listed in the ctb file, so it is possible to plot with different lineweights without using more than one layer, but this is generally frowned upon.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Dana W

Within a DWG file, I wanted to set these custom lineweights correctly to the layer colour.

I cannot comprehend exactly what you're trying to accomplish but I'm assuming you want to "transfer" (in a sense) the Lineweight settings for each color in the received CTB file directly to each Layer in the DWG file(s). The easiest way to do this is simply to open the CTB file and open the Layer Manager, sort the Layers by Color to group them together then use Shift+Select to change all the same colors to the Lineweight that is defined in the CTB file. I do not know of an automated way of doing this process but even if you have 50 colors it shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

 

That is not true at all. There must be a half dozen ways to edit lineweights but none of them are what you want in order to use a ctb plot style to determine plotted lineweights.

This actually "is" true if a color in a CTB file has a Lineweight that's predefined. If a color in a CTB file has the Lineweight set to "Use Object Linetype", then you have many other options in changing and controlling Lineweights.

If you could open the ctb it would be easy to match 1st line is interesting PIAFILEVERSION_2.0,CTBVER1, un compress any one ?

I cannot comprehend exactly what you're trying to accomplish but I'm assuming you want to "transfer" (in a sense) the Lineweight settings for each color in the received CTB file directly to each Layer in the DWG file(s). The easiest way to do this is simply to open the CTB file and open the Layer Manager, sort the Layers by Color to group them together then use Shift+Select to change all the same colors to the Lineweight that is defined in the CTB file. I do not know of an automated way of doing this process but even if you have 50 colors it shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

 

This actually "is" true if a color in a CTB file has a Lineweight that's predefined. If a color in a CTB file has the Lineweight set to "Use Object Linetype", then you have many other options in changing and controlling Lineweights.

What is not true at all is that the ctb file is the ONLY way to edit line weights.

What is not true at all is that the ctb file is the ONLY way to edit line weights.

Correct! My apologies in advance if this is what you were referring to originally.

First - Thanks for all replies.

 

The easiest way to do this is simply to open the CTB file and open the Layer Manager, sort the Layers by Color to group them together then use Shift+Select to change all the same colors to the Lineweight that is defined in the CTB file. I do not know of an automated way of doing this process but even if you have 50 colors it shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

 

If a lineweight for a color (say yellow) in the CTB is set to 0.2263mm. How can I set that lineweight for all layers which have the color yellow set via the layer dialog box? Selecting the lineweight column in the layer dialog will only show the default lineweights and not the custom 0.2263mm lineweight. Or am i missing something here??

 

Regards

Select the Color column and it will reorder everything "by color" in ascending order. Then you can Shift+Select all the "yellow only" Layers and apply the Lineweight. Although it would be a moot point since the CTB file already has Yellow predefined.

First - Thanks for all replies.

 

 

 

If a lineweight for a color (say yellow) in the CTB is set to 0.2263mm. How can I set that lineweight for all layers which have the color yellow set via the layer dialog box? Selecting the lineweight column in the layer dialog will only show the default lineweights and not the custom 0.2263mm lineweight. Or am i missing something here??

 

Regards

 

By using a default lineweight in the layer dialog you are letting the CTB set the lineweight, which is what you seem to be after and is what most use.

 

So setting a layer to yellow - color 2, which will use color 2 in the CTB, will mean that when plotting with that CTB the 0.2263 will be used.

Correct! My apologies in advance if this is what you were referring to originally.

Yeah, it just struck me at the time that the OP was making that assertion. No sweat on my end. Just to be clear, is all.

By using a default lineweight in the layer dialog you are letting the CTB set the lineweight, which is what you seem to be after and is what most use.

 

So setting a layer to yellow - color 2, which will use color 2 in the CTB, will mean that when plotting with that CTB the 0.2263 will be used.

To re-itterate, you don't have to set the lineweights on the layers if you are using a ctb file with the lineweights set in its table.

Thanks again.

 

I know that the CTB lineweights override the lineweights set for the layers.

Setting a layer with colour '2' with a lineweight of 'default' or '0.5mm' will plot out at 0.2263mm with the CTB set to 0.2263mm.

 

The case is here, and maybe I should have been clearer so apologies, is that I would like to use the LWDISPLAY toggle / command to see colours display thickness of the lineweight in your DWG. By having the correct lineweight display for the colour, I can easily observe. If lineweights are set to default for layers, and indeed in some case lineweights are set incorrectly (CAD users behaving badly) then this is not achievable.

 

I have a lisp routine that can set colours to CTB Lineweights when lineweights for the layer colours do not correspond to the CTB.

 

But if they are custom lineweights in the CTB file then I cannot set the custom lineweight in the layer manager and therefore not observe the correct lineweight when I use LWDISPLAY.

 

Regards

There are some things you need to understand about the lwdisplay function.

 

It will not display the true width of the lines in modelspace. It is only a representation of the ratio of thicker to thinner. In other words, you can tell which lines are thicker than others, but that is it. What's more is that the overall thickness of the screen displayed lines is controlled by a slide switch on the Lineweight Settings dialog, off of the Options >> User Preferences tab. In modelspace, lines are displayed in pixels, not units, and the displayed weights do not change with the zoom level.

 

In paperspace, lineweights are displayed in true units, only limited by how small your screen pixels are and the screen resolution. However, this only applies to a 1:1 scale layout displayed at exactly true size, since lineweight will change in paperspace with the zoom level. Another thing is that this only applies IF you set your layouts to Display Plotstyle.

 

In other words, your plan to check lineweight on screen is probably not going to give you the results you are looking for even after you have applied all the matching lineweights to the layers.

 

It would be more productive to go by color. If an object is on the proper layer, and the color property is set to By layer, then there is no way the lineweight will be wrong.

 

If you want to check up on mischevious CAD operators who will change an object property color rather than observe layer discipline, you can use qselect to select all objects with a color not equal to By Layer. Even then, the ctb will plot the proper lineweight for that object.

Try creating and assigning a page setup to your drawing, edit the page setup to Display plot styles, upper right part of Page Setup dialog.

 

I haven't tried this but it seems like it should work.

It would be more productive to go by color. If an object is on the proper layer, and the color property is set to By layer, then there is no way the lineweight will be wrong.

I disagree with this. By Object is far more productive in the end, instead of predefined Lineweights per color.

 

Try creating and assigning a page setup to your drawing, edit the page setup to Display plot styles, upper right part of Page Setup dialog.

 

I haven't tried this but it seems like it should work.

This reminds me of my "Live Plot Preview" tutorial I did once. Here is the video:

 

Basically I use a technique to show the lineweights as they would be plotted in a non-preview mode, which allows for a fantastic view for fine tuning the sheet.

I disagree with this. By Object is far more productive in the end, instead of predefined Lineweights per color.

I agree with you, I think. I don't use ctb controlled lineweights myself, unless I am forced to use a client's template. I'm just sticking with the OP's determination to use the ctb and match it to the layer colors/weights. Trying to manipulate a ctb file is harder than trimming my dog's nails to me.

 

Where do you do this? I can't find the By Object property. Is this to do with the ctb file or the object properties controlled by the layer properties?

Dana, it's in the CTB File. Just click any Color and look at the "Lineweight" drop down. You can Shift+Select all the colors to set them all at once.

 

If you want to check this out, make a copy of the CTB File and but a suffix at the end, something like "By Object" and give it a whirl with only using the Layer Manager. You'll wish you had a long time ago amigo.

 

Dana, it's in the CTB File. Just click any Color and look at the "Lineweight" drop down. You can Shift+Select all the colors to set them all at once.

 

If you want to check this out, make a copy of the CTB File and but a suffix at the end, something like "By Object" and give it a whirl with only using the Layer Manager. You'll wish you had a long time ago amigo.

 

hmmmmmmmmmmm, the one place I didn't look. I'll give it an eyeball.