Author Topic: Line Weights "By Object" in AutoCAD Using a .ctb  (Read 9668 times)

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Rob...

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Line Weights "By Object" in AutoCAD Using a .ctb
« on: August 29, 2018, 07:53:08 PM »
So, I just started a new job this week in a new drafting field for me, AV/IT. It's a mixed AutoCAD/Revit environment that I had no problem being mildly productive in almost immediately. Their CAD standards are good for what they do, but they are not really documented. I found a couple documents that hadn't been updated in a very long time but no mention of line weights in them for either platform. Interesting reads, none the less. So, I end up going to the .ctb file, figuring that is what the Revit ones are based off of, so that I can start documenting what they have and verify that the two programs plot the same. So, this .ctb is assigning the linewieght, by object. I had already noticed that their objects had colors set to, by layer. Simple, elegant, and very Revitish. I couldn't wait to plot a set of drawings from each platform. Plotter is broken. Has been for quite some time and no one cares. They use a printing service to plot and send hard copies. I see lots of wasted dollar signs in my head, plus I had done all this research about their pen settings and it looked like they really do have a good system established and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a set of drawings from both AutoCAD and Revit to make a comparison.

All of a sudden, it all came together me. No one, absolutely, no one had a set of drawings laid out. Not even a single sheet. No rack for hanging drawing sets, no flat files, nothing. No file cabinets, not even a working fax machine. They are almost paperless! It's so very bittersweet. The hard copies have always been a priority for me. Stamp and sign and deliver paper in one fashion or another. I'm gonna miss having pile of drawings with important chicken scratch on them.

So yeah, lineweights by layer, using a .ctb that is not color dependent and is able to be overwritten by object. In the end, it sounds so very Revitish, but the ability to do it in AutoCAD has been around for quite some time. I knew it was possible, it's cool to see it being used. How effectively is yet to be determined, but I'm liking it so far.

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dgorsman

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Re: Line Weights "By Object" in AutoCAD Using a .ctb
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2018, 02:34:06 PM »
We have a client which does that with their CTB - lineweight by object, object lineweight BYLAYER, layer line weight setting as specific thickness.  Getting good prints requires close control of those object and layer settings as you can't rely on your eyes to make that color => line weight connection.

We're almost the complete opposite for hard copy.  Lots of senior designers who have been around for a long time and *insist* on hard copies.  And also insist on printing and hand delivering rather than stored once in a network project folder.  A number of more junior designers insist on doing this as it's the only thing they've been exposed to.

I'm not a huge fan of the completely "paperless-office" concept - there is room for some hand mark-ups on paper with highlighters, colored pens/pencils, etc.  I push for the "less-paper" office, instead of someone printing individual drawings, picking them up, tossing them in the recycle bin, and printing again.  And again... and again... until they finally get a finished product.  Which gets scanned.   :grumpy:
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tedg

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Re: Line Weights "By Object" in AutoCAD Using a .ctb
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2018, 10:28:51 AM »

So yeah, lineweights by layer, using a .ctb that is not color dependent and is able to be overwritten by object. In the end, it sounds so very Revitish, but the ability to do it in AutoCAD has been around for quite some time. I knew it was possible, it's cool to see it being used. How effectively is yet to be determined, but I'm liking it so far.


Congrats on the new job.



It's been a while since I worked with this style but I like it too, I first saw this in the NCS 4.0 CTB file which does what you're talking about.
All colors plot black*, with layer-assigned LWT's or if objects are assigned a LWT other than ByLayer, that's how it plots.
*exception is the gray scale colors 250-255 are those actual colors not black.
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