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CTB Usage in Multi-user Environment

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Message 1 of 16
b-man
1357 Views, 15 Replies

CTB Usage in Multi-user Environment

My company is facing a "Hattfields and McCoys" discussion on ctb files and their usage. I would like to know which version most cad managers are employing. I am attempting to present it without bias, so I can get unbiased feedback.

 

One side of the argument wants to leave all drawings in a "standard" set of colors, and adjust the ctb files on a per-project or even per-drawing type basis to allow lines to be differentiated by lineweight/screening. So in a given drawing, a line that is colored yellow might plot as the darkest, thickest line, whereas in another drawing, the same line may plot as a light, screened line that is barely visible. If an individual decides a line needs to be darker/thicker, they are to adjust the ctb file as appropriate.

 

The other side of the argument contends that a set of standardized ctb files should be used, such that a yellow line always plots the same. If a change to lineweight is desired, the user would select a color that plots, based on the ctb file, darker/thicker/etc.

 

I would like to hear from both sides.  Thanks in advance for your input!!

Andrew Martin, P.E., CFM
ESP Associates
Slave to the AutoCAD Civil 3D Machine
Civil 3D 2020
Win 7 Pro SP 1, 64-bit on HP Elitebook 8770w (8GB Ram)

"The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay" - Henry Ford (a fairly successful businessman)
15 REPLIES 15
Message 2 of 16
pendean
in reply to: b-man

Big mistake to allow individual users to edit and change CTB file settings: Bob like yellow to be 0.1, Robert like it 0.15, Bobby like it at 0.2 when printing and 0.25 when plotting. Which standard are the other project team members Tom, **** and Harry to follow?

 

Sounds like you folks are ready to move away from CTBs and into the realm of STBs: screen color matter little, actual setting is done BYLAYER  (or other choice you all determine) and everyone who touches the file gets the same line weight for yellow changed by one of your users.

 

STB: make the change. And no one is ever allowed to change it's settings, Company Standard means COMPANY STANDARD from now on.

Message 3 of 16
pkolarik
in reply to: b-man

If you're going to have lineweight by color be the company standard, then it has to be the company standard;  a set of ctb files (which can always be added to on a per project basis if absolutely needed, but that standard set never gets modified by the rank and file users) designating color a = lineweight b *always*.

Anything but that is simply crushing efficiency in the workplace.

Message 4 of 16
leothebuilder
in reply to: b-man

CTB is soooo 1990's

 

Change to STB (named plot styles)

Message 5 of 16
dgorsman
in reply to: leothebuilder

... just don't forget to send the STB along with the file.  Its possible to get a drawing third-hand without a matching STB (document control usually has no idea what to do with supporting files), using styles like "BOB" "STYLE_1" "STYLE_2" etc., and have *zero* idea on how it is intended to be plotted.  At least with colors you can visually identify which items are intended to plot the same style.

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 6 of 16
pkolarik
in reply to: leothebuilder

Yes, because changing "just because" is a really good reason to revamp your entire way of doing things... 😕

If CTB's work for you, and users like to see "yellow = .010 always" then keep with it.

If you don't care if color=lineweight, then you could think about switching. Don't ever do it just because someone claims "it's so 1990's", that mindset will get you nowhere good.


@leothebuilder wrote:

CTB is soooo 1990's

 

Change to STB (named plot styles)


 

Message 7 of 16
pendean
in reply to: pkolarik

Did anyone read the OP's actual post? First one way at the top. I'll summerize:

 

More than one user wants color Yellow to be different line widths: per DWG in a set and/or per project set of DWG files.

 

You can't do that with one CTB file andf still maintain anything resembling office sharable content for eeryone to us, but you can with one STB file. Regardless of 1990s comment or not, we should help the OP present a solution(s) to their team for consideration, not to fog up answers with pointless/vague personal feelings about doing it one way or the other 🙂

Message 8 of 16
leothebuilder
in reply to: b-man

Ghee guys...............sorry about the 1990's comment. Didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings.

 

In  my humble opinion CTB plot styles are very restrictive and STB plot styles are much more versatile.

 

The OP can accomplish what they want using STB plot styles, they can't with CTB.

 

And I know this is an age old argument and I don't mean any disrespect to users who want to stick with CTB plot styles.

 

I work in a small office with about 10 users.

Half (my half) uses STB and the other half uses CTB.

And why is this you may ask?

 

Because the other half just doesn't want to change.

 

My half also use Architectural Desktop and Revit.

The other half don't, again because they don't want to change.

The other half did upgrade last year from autocad 2006 to 2012 (in the classic mode of course!!)

 

 

Message 9 of 16
dgorsman
in reply to: leothebuilder

Where consistency is important, that restriction can be useful in keeping things inline 🙂

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 10 of 16
leothebuilder
in reply to: dgorsman

I agree, consistency and standards in a multi user environment are very important.

We have (our half) all agreed on the STB plot styles.

And we allow for overrides in particular projects.

Overrides are easier with STB as our basic STB files does not get changed.

All these overrides have already been defined in out standard STB file.

 

Message 11 of 16
lsimms1
in reply to: b-man

We still use ctb.

We have our standard ctb file(s) based on city standards. If we want to change the way something plots, we x-ref into another drawing and change the color of the layer to the appropriate pen.

This leave the original drawing as it "should" be, but plots as required for that job/drawing sheet.

Message 12 of 16
pkolarik
in reply to: pendean

Yes Dean.... the OP was read. You may have noticed when you breezed thru it that he said not only does one group want to have yellow be different lineweights, but that another group wants to have yellow always be the same lineweight.

 

He then went on to ask for opinions from *both* sides of this issue.

Message 13 of 16
troma
in reply to: pkolarik

Is it possibe to set a layer to plot with a screening using STB?


Mark Green

Working on Civil 3D in Canada

Message 14 of 16
leothebuilder
in reply to: lsimms1

Yes, using STB plot styles you can set layers to screen.

You can also use "transparency".

Message 15 of 16

Any one here use CTB with fully 3d drawings?

Also hidden plot styles?

How? We've found hidden plot style does not respect CTB control. All settings to control line weight whether by layer or by style (dim style based line weight))  or CTB seem to default to LWDEFAULT setting.

 

 Is any one seeing this also? Any solutions?

 

Message 16 of 16

If you have a color set to a lineweight in the ctb instead of "useobjectlineweight" it will ALWAYS over ride a lineweight applied to an object... if the color used for the object is set in the ctb to useobjectlineweight you shouldn't have problems...

 

that is why i institute a system that limits the use of like 15-20 colors out of 255 in CTB setups such that you have access to "colors" and other "lineweights" even "blacks" as long as the ctb color is set to pen 7, and useobjectlineweight.

John Hammer, LA/CADD Manager

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