Error message while trying to plot

[jbaldeo]

Can anyone help me please, I am using Autocad 2014 and my plotter is KIP 7700. I am having problems with one particular ctb file all the others work, but for this one ( I have multiple copies of this file on different computers and they are all giving me problems on one particular computer for this ctb only). The message I am getting is "Print unexpected error: Invalid plotstyle file" does anyone know what this means?

[dmfrazier]

What is the name of the CTB file?

Can you post a screenshot of the error message?

Can you post a copy of the CTB file?

[jbaldeo]

The name of the file is conedison.ctb  The screen shot is as follows ;-

Command: _PRINT

Select first corner of window:

Select second corner of window:

Print unexpected error: Invalid plotstyle file

Command: '_PMTHIST

this program is not allowing me to send the ctb file, it's saying it does not accept that extension

[dmfrazier]

You should be able to post the file if you put it in a ZIP first.

[jbaldeo]

here is the zip file

[pendean]

There is no PRINT command in AutoCAD: is that just an abreviation or is it calling a customization or a third party program tool?

Start PLOT command, or better yet PAGESETUP command, and assign your plot style table there. If there is a problem it will be more readily visible why.

[dmfrazier]

In AutoCAD 2013 (at least in my case), typing "_PRINT" executes the PLOT command. (I can't tell you currently the precise mechanism responsible, but I do know it is not a custom command I've defined.)

The prompting for corner points certainly suggests it is running a custom "command", however.

[jbaldeo]

I found a solution for this problem which is really mind bogling, all I did was rename the file and it works. Thanks everyone for your input

[dmfrazier]

Not that it's any of my business (other than to help you better understand what you did), but what did you rename the file to?  (And why did you choose that name?)

[jbaldeo]

I renamed it jbaldeotest.ctb and it worked, then I renamed it ConOA.ctb and it worked, it seems as thought it will accept any other name but the one it previously had, now I am sure there is a reason for that or maybe not. lol

[dmfrazier]

I can't be certain of this, but I think the CTB file is actually no good; I cannot open it with AutoCAD 2013 (which may be "by design", but I doubt it), so I suspect this is what is happening:

The custom "Print" program you use is hard-coded to first look for the existence of a CTB file named "conedison".

If it is found (in any of the established search paths), it tries to use it, but it fails (to read it) because it is damaged in some way.

By renaming it you have effectively "disabled" the corrupt file and forced the program to go off on an alternate (conditional) branch where it uses some other CTB file (a typical "default", like acad.ctb, or simply "none").

You might be able to confirm (or refute) this:

Immediately after running your custom "_PRINT" command (with the CTB file renamed), run a "manual" PLOT and select "Previous Plot" from the Page Setup drop-down at the upper left of the plot dialog (this was actually suggested earlier as a troubleshooting strategy).

See what shows up as the selected Plot Style table at the upper right.

If I'm right, you will see something there that does not match any of the custom CTB filenames you've noted here.

If this is the case, then it may be necessary to create (or acquire from somewhere) a new copy of the custom CTB file.

[jbaldeo]

I did exactly what you requested and the ctb file did not change to any other file, it held the same file I selected when I choose previous file. I did make a print of the drawing and it has the correct line weights as the correct selected file.

[dmfrazier · Accepted solution]

Thanks for being willing to give it a test.

What you report certainly deepens the mystery, doesn't it?  (And who doesn't love a great mystery?)

Another possibility is that there just happens to be another, uncorrupted copy of the "conedison.ctb" file in one of the search path folders.  (I suppose you could test this by temporarily removing the original or renamed CTB file altogether.)

Otherwise, without more info on the inner workings of your custom "_PRINT" command, I am at a loss to explain how changing the file name (to apparently anything other than "conedison") resolves the error.