Converted files plot style problems

[stephanie.gobler]

A previous colleague worked only in ArchiCad, and all the files have had to be converted to AutoCAD so we can continue to finish out this project. However, all of the layers are a mess to work with. I can go through and individually explode very object and change the properties of each individual piece, but that is a daunting task for a 28,000sf building. Is there any way to fix the layer print styles for what appears to be 8 types of layer color styles. Even selecting similar isn't helpful because as I explode, the pieces are somehow not similar enough to allow me to mass select and edit.

In the layer manager, I have these converted layers with their corresponding color and plot styles. I thought I could just change how each layer plotted, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I don't want to mess with my standard plot style configurations, as that will cause more of a headache down the road.

Any ideas?? Even if there's a way to go back to the original ArchiCad file and convert it in a different way... a pain, but do-able.

[pendean]

Are you just looking for SETBYLAYER command? Go into settings to edit what you want it to do. Explore it fully in HELP.

[stephanie.gobler]

I'm able to get the SETBYLAYER command to work, but somehow the plot still shows the converted layers in color.... even when I switch to monochrome, the layer settings are overriding and plotting color. I can't seem to change the layer plot style. The only option that's worked so far is to change each individual line to a new layer. Unfortunately, archicad creates tons of random blocks, and everything has to be exploded individually, then changed. It's just very tedius, so I was hoping there was an efficient way to fix this issue... 

[pendean]

CTB or STB?
colors 1-255 (work with plot style tables), or truecolors (ignored by plot style tables)?
SETBYLAYER command does handle blocks if set to do so using the Settings option when you start the command.

[dmfrazier]

"Is there any way to fix the layer print styles for what appears to be 8 types of layer color styles."

I'm not sure if I'm understanding the issue, but here's a thought that occurred to me: Could you create a blank "template" DWG of sorts, which contains all the layer names in the ArchiCAD drawing the way you want them to be defined?  Once this is created, insert your ArchiCAD DWG into it and the matching definitions will (should) take on the characteristics of the "template".

[stephanie.gobler · Accepted solution]

That is almost exactly what I ended up having to do to get it to work... isolated the layers and gave them all new properties. Took a while, but not nearly as long as it could've!

[dmfrazier]

Sounds like you worked it out yourself, then?

If so, please mark the post as solved.  (And be sure to give yourself the credit!)