ctb files not recognized in new drawings AutoCAD Architecture 2012

[kruzcad]

I've been using AutoCAD for ten years and recently upgraded from AutoCAD 2007 to AutoCAD Architecture 2012.  After reading many help blogs, I'm still having no success in getting New Drawings to recognize the .ctb files, however... older dwg files don't have this issue.

What I have done:

I verified the Options > Plot and Publish > Plot Style Table Settings were set to "Use color dependent plot styles" under the "Default plot style behavior for new drawings" tab.   I also verified that my custom .ctb style was the default plot style table.  It was; so that was set-up properly.

I verified that the File location for the .ctb files corresponded with Options > Files > Printer Support File Path > Plot Style Table Search Path.

The folder contained all the .ctb files I used in AC2007 (as I had already transfered them there when I first installed AC2012. 

I experimented with the location they were in, by copying all the .stb and .ctb files into another (destination) folder and repathed the Plot Style Table Search Path to that location.  

That, I thought might work, but it didn't.  It actually stands to reason that it wouldn't work, because I'm not having an issue with older, existing .dwg's; even with the alternate (repathed) location.  So the location is not the issue.

I even used an idea someone had made from a previous blog; about plotting an existng .dwg and then going into the New drawing and clicking on "Previous" in the "Page setup" of the PLOT menu.  Very cool idea, but when I did this, my customized .ctb Pen Setting appeared in the "Plot Style table"... but with an exclamation mark inside a yellow triangle as "(missing)."

I went into the PRINT > Page Setup menu, and created a setup by IMPORTing an existing (older) drawing.  That didn't work either.

What I have noticed:  When I'm in the PLOT menu of an old (2007) drawing, only the .ctb files show up as options to choose from in the "Plot syle table" setting; no .stb's.  Whereas in the New drawings, the only options are .stb files.

Somewhere, there is a setting that I'm missing.  All the discussion blogs have users who have come up with a work around, but no one has determined a definitive proceedure that correctly works with this situation.

Does anyone have a solution?

[Jay_B]

Sounds like your issue may be related to the CONVERTPSTYLES command.

[dmfrazier]

"I verified the Options > Plot and Publish > Plot Style Table Settings were set to "Use color dependent plot styles" under the "Default plot style behavior for new drawings" tab.   I also verified that my custom .ctb style was the default plot style table.  It was; so that was set-up properly."

The above setting (PSTYLEPOLICY) affects new drawings (and pre-R14 DWGs), unless your new DWG template is set up otherwise.

"When I'm in the PLOT menu of an old (2007) drawing, only the .ctb files show up as options to choose from in the "Plot syle table" setting; no .stb's.  Whereas in the New drawings, the only options are .stb files."

Your old DWGs were set up for CTB (PSTYLEPOLICY = 1).  If "new" DWGs only show STB, then your template for new DWGs must be set up with PSTYLEPOLICY = 0.  Check your template settings.

[kruzcad]

Well, I was aware of CONVERTPSTYLES command, but have to admit I shyed away from it because it emphasized changing .ctb's to .stb's, and that was the opposite of what I wanted to do.

I went back into "help" and re-read the Overview of Plot Styles, and tried using PSTYLEPOLICY.  That command indicated that I was already in (1), which dissappointed me at first.  So I played around with the other related commands and finally tried CONVERTPSTYLES again.  This time it gave me a small pop-up menu with options; and one of them was, "Convert to ctb'.  That gave me some hope, and of course I entered that option.

I then tried Ploting, and saw "None" in the Plot Style table of the PLOT menu, so I clicked on the arrow and was relieved to see all the .ctb files listed; no .stb files.  

Anyway, that seems to work for the individual drawing, but now I'm wondering if I will have to do this with all "New Drawings", since "Modify"ing the "Page Setup" (under PRINT) doesn't change unless I first deal with CONVERTPSTYLES.  Somehow there's got to be a way to establish it as the default.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm really greatful and very pleased to see that there is a viable solution to this.

If you have any other suggestions to making it a permanent (default) set-up I would appreciate it.  In the meantime, I'll keep experimenting.

Thanks again!!

[Jay_B · Accepted solution]

Yes you are correct, each existing dwg has to be converted.

But create a template or do this in the template you have, that way each new dwg created from the template will be using ctb as desired.

[dmfrazier · Accepted solution]

"...now I'm wondering if I will have to do this with all "New Drawings""

"Somehow there's got to be a way to establish it as the default."

"...any other suggestions to making it a permanent (default) set-up I would appreciate it."

See last paragraph of my previous post (and Jay_B's last comment).

Check your template settings.  This may mean you have to specify a different template in Tools, Options, Files, Default Template for QNew (assuming you start new DWGs this way) or you need to modify whatever other template is being used when you start a new DWG.

[kruzcad]

Thank you, Jay_B  and dmfrazier.

Well, that was easy.  I must admit, I've always used another file from an existing job to create a new job because all the "set-up" was there.  So, in a way I was utilizing the concept of a template without really creating one, and began thinking I would have to do likewise in AC2012.

I should also say that having upgraded to AutoCAD Architecture 2012 has me thinking a little differently, mainly because everything is laid out the way I always thought it could be.   The command panels are so much better than what I was used to seeing in AutoCAD 2007 and 2004ADT, and everything is packaged to make more functional sense.  It's taking a little time to get used to; I've only been using it for just over 2 weeks; 4 weeks ago I changed out my OS from XP to W7.  So it's a whole different look... but now I can't imagine going back.

BTW:  I chose 2012 because I found it available at a more re$onable price (than 2014), and I'm contracting with more Architects who are on the same plane.

Thanks again, guys!