Flattening 3D models similar to Flatshot, but retaining color?

[jjatho]

I work all day with large, complex 3D models of mobile cranes. They need to be 3D for the purpose of my work, but always come out looking kind of wonky in paperspace. I love the look that the Flatshot command creates once all the 3D work is done, but hate that it removes all color. Is there a command or process already built in that creates the same visual style as flatshot but leaves in all color?

 

One thought I had was that creating a specific custom visual style might work, but I've never worked with visual styles before so I haven't ventured in this direction yet.

[ReMark]

Parts of the cranes are in different colors and you would like to retain those colors when using Flatshot?

Edited November 19, 2014 by ReMark

[jjatho]

Yes, and sometimes the other 3D objects in the drawing.

[ReMark]

Flatshot gives the user the ability to assign but two colors, one for Foreground lines and one for Obscured (hidden) lines. Note that the block created by Flatshot in the above image however has three colors. How did that happen? I changed the Layer of the two circles to one assigned the color yellow using the BEDIT command then saved my changes. Couldn't you do the same for your crane?

 

I don't think a new visual style is going to accomplish what you would like to do.

Edited November 19, 2014 by ReMark

[nestly]

None of the AutoCAD tools create projected linework that preserves the original geometry properties (Layer/Color/Lineweight/etc)

 

By chance someone bumped an old topic I had replied to, but forgotten about that might help with the Visual Style solution

 

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-2010-2011-2012/plot-like-flatshot/m-p/3129254