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[Q] benefits of ctb files


rock1

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I don’t use ctb files and have downloaded tutorials regarding it. I’ve heard a lot about ctb files from my friends. However, I am not actively involved in AutoCAD work, so not been pressurized to use it. Everyone says that ctb files are great way to work in AutoCAD drawings and should always be used. But no one can clearly explain the disadvantages of not using ctb files. I have my drawing organized in layers and have assigned lineweights to each of the layers. On the other hand if one is working with ctb system, no lineweight to layers is given and lines and final lineweight is given in the ctb files. I want to ask what are the advantages of using ctb system over the method of “layers with lineweights and colours”?

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There are very many articles and lots of posts on most AutoCAD related sites discussing the STB vs CTB issue.

 

There is no wrong choice, just what works best for you. AFAIK, most people still use CTB, it is older and more are familiar with them, it is easy enough to convert them, though I am not sure how good it works.

 

 

Here is a start....STB vs CTB

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There are only two plot style table types in AutoCAD, the only alternative to CTB (Color-dependent plot style tables) is STB (Named plot style tables).

 

But no one can clearly explain the disadvantages of not using ctb files

 

Did you even go to the link? Pretty much talks about the benefits of each and gets into the (“layers with lineweights and colours”).

 

If that is not what you're talking about, please explain further.

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I don’t use ctb files and have downloaded tutorials regarding it. I’ve heard a lot about ctb files from my friends. However, I am not actively involved in AutoCAD work, so not been pressurized to use it. Everyone says that ctb files are great way to work in AutoCAD drawings and should always be used. But no one can clearly explain the disadvantages of not using ctb files. I have my drawing organized in layers and have assigned lineweights to each of the layers. On the other hand if one is working with ctb system, no lineweight to layers is given and lines and final lineweight is given in the ctb files. I want to ask what are the advantages of using ctb system over the method of “layers with lineweights and colours”?

 

Your method works fine for drawings that are never used in other files, as in xref's. Drawings are often xrefed into other files,either the files are xrefed in to file in-house, or the files are shared with others outside of the office. When the file is brought into another file using either ctb or stb then it is very easy to get them to plot the way that is desired. Typically the xref file(s) are plotted to a thinner line and it is much easier to control with a ctb or stb. Once the ctb or stb files are established then any drawing can be plotted the desired way. With your method someone has to manipulate the lineweight settings each and every time a drawing is created with that file xrefed in.

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Those "in the know" will say that .ctb's are "old school". I agree, but I still use them because that is the standard where I work.

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Think about color v's black and white, small sheet and large sheet = thick and thin line work.

 

Raster output is a good example where sometimes you need to play with line thickness to get plots right or start playing with resolution settings.

 

We have say 6 ctbs.

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I have my ctb set up to plot colours 1-9 as black with varying line weights. This means when draughting I can use colours 1-9 to easily identify different elements but when plotted these will all be black but the different lineweights will differentiate different elements. Any colours required can be achieved by using colours 10-255.

 

In my opinion (from civil point of view) all standard details should be black and white where possible.

 

The CTB just makes draughting a lot easier.

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I thought colour printers were available in Ireland :lol: we moved to colour prints and would never go back to b-w. Our CTB is the same. Our electricity & gas lines are bright red they can kill you, water is blue you just get wet.

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Them sneaky little divils of leprechauns robbed all our coloured printers. What colour do you plot the sharks in the water?

 

Only standard details would be plotted to black and white, much more professional looking in my opinion. Of course, as you pointed out BIGAL, our big, bad electricity would be plotted red in layouts.

 

On very large scale projects the cost difference is massive. The project I'm involved in at the moment it was estimated that if we kept all standard detail drawings as B & W there'd be a printing saving of approx 35k over the project (renting printers & plotters for site offices). So, Rock1, tell the boss you'll save him 35k by setting up a decent ctb file...BIGAL won't approve but you'll be golfing with the boss in no time!

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The other advantage of B&W drawings is that while you have a decent plotter in your office, the guys on site only have a rubbish little A4 photocopier that they paid a tenner for. We have one client who as standard ask us to split our conveyance plans into A3 chunks and be black lines only - even if that does mean it spans a dozen sheets.

 

 

dJE

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dkeran my office overlooks the harbour the whales are dark grey almost black, the dolphins colour 252.

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?77510-My-office-what-is-yours-like&highlight=office

 

We have a A3 colour and yes bw is say $.01 a colour is $.05, worst part is the waste by others that use this printer, print stuff and never collect. As a organisation 35k probably on waste.

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Certainly beats my view. I work above a run down McDonalds overlooking an old graveyard which has been renovated into a concrete park with concrete benches that is invested with addicts, alcoholics and pigeons.

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an old graveyard which has been renovated into a concrete park with concrete benches that is invested with addicts, alcoholics and pigeons.

 

At least they had the wherewithal to invest in something solid! I wonder what they did with the old tenants.

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Former tenants headstones were moved to the end of the park and are used as seats now...

 

Sorry I've hijacked this thread with useless information!

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Former tenants headstones were moved to the end of the park and are used as seats now...

 

Wow! No respect for the dead?

 

Are you sure about that? That would mean the bodies are still where they were under the concrete park.

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Not sure if they were intended to be used as seats but they are! It's a very, very old graveyard, I actually must look into it's history but I wouldn't imagine there'd be anyone still about with links to anyone who was buried there. It's city centre Dublin so space is a premium. In fairness it was a very nice job they did with upgrading it until Dublin's finest took it over.

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In fairness it was a very nice job they did with upgrading it until Dublin's finest took it over.

 

They've got an "invested" interest.

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