topic Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB in AutoCAD Forum

Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 23:19:36 GMT

Working on an existing CTB project to STB.

Thought it will be easy to Google or find here.

I have a project currently in CTB ( my office ), but need to change it to STB from our client's office's standards. Don't know why I cannot find info on this. I've typed different formats already. All am finding is how to convert CTB to STB.

The drawing got started in CTB and have gone far enough now. I keep finding how to convert the project from CTB to STB. My need is on how to relate the CTB line weights. Would I need to convert the whole project settings or, live as CTB but use the CONVERTSTYLE only?

Cheers

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

paullimapa — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 02:01:42 GMT

Did you follow these steps in the proper sequence to go from ctb to stb?

The next question after performing this conversion is does your stb meet the clients stb standards?
If not then you’ll have to go through another set of perhaps manual conversion by first understanding the clients stb settings so you’ll know how to convert your stb settings to match.

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 06:41:50 GMT

Yes, I did the sequence to go from ctb to stb; both CONVERTPSTYLE & CONVERTCTB.
For this, CONVERTCTB, what exactly was I supposed to convert?

I already have the client's STB template file.
The next step is what I need to do. I do NOT have knowledge of how the processes work.
Cheers.

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

TomBeauford — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 06:54:56 GMT

We have an engineer in our office who uses his personal CTB file he'd used for years before coming here. I wrote code to drawing between his CTB and the STB from Florida Dept of Transportation that has only 6 styles including 3 grayscales, Black, Color and a 5% color which we use a lot for solid hatching with colors like red or blue light enough to allow you to see all objects and linework below it. Lineweights and linetypes are generally controlled by layer so they can easily be modified with layer states except objects like gridlines for profiles that are set in templates.

Keeping Plot Styles simple so all your users understand them and good templates improves office Workflow.

https://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?172519-CTB-vs-STB&p=1338333&viewfull=1#post1338333

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 07:12:53 GMT

The link you inserted, kinda chats about CTB and STB. I think I know the jist in what they are.

In my office, we ALL exclusively use CTB.

GOAL #1

We have a client that uses STB and is strict on getting files from us in STB (in their office's STB standard). I need to convert just the current project we have with them; we are in the 35% phase. I am the CAD person with others working on the same project. I will have to make sure the project meet the client's STB standard.

GOAL #2

In the future which would be soon, we'll have another project from them. In this case, I need to be ready to start their projects in the STB format, from the get go.

So, what I am looking for, are instructions on how to do this. Any links would be well appreciated.

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

cadffm — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 09:16:19 GMT

Hi,

there are two commands

one to convert a ctb to stb files

one to concert your ctb-dwg to stb-dwg (save and re-open the file after)

nothing else

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-convert-AutoCAD-drawing-from-CTB-to-STB-plot-style.html

I will have to make sure the project meet the client's STB standard"

So, after convert ctb-dwg to stb-dwg,

you have to set Object-plotstyles or Layer-plotstyles to what you need (or your customer want).

Learn about this plotstyletable, start editing his .stb (or was "stb-depending" the only rule, but you are not forces a given .stb file??)

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

cadffm — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 09:06:45 GMT

For new projects: Ask for customer det template

or use the acad - named plot style .dwt

for these files.

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:17:38 GMT

As I mentioned earlier, the client gave me their CTB template.

I am still not set on how to do this; please excuse my slowness in understanding the process.

I am expressing myself the best as I can in English.

You mentioned to edit the client's STB. Wouldn't that alter their STB (the one they gave us)?

I thought I would have to edit my CTB that I converted to STB, to match their lineweights?

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:18:07 GMT

As mentioned earlier, I have the client's STB template file.

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:28:49 GMT

I am attaching what I currently use in the office ( CTB ) and the client's STB table.

Color 4 is our office general design lineweight.

Thank you all for your time in helping me.

Well appreciated!

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:39:14 GMT

@cadffm wrote

you have to set Object-plotstyles or Layer-plotstyles to what you need (or your customer want).

This is where I get confused on how to relate my lineweight to my client's.

When designing, do I still have my lineweights in mind or have the converted Object Color (Black & Screening) in mind?

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

cadffm — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:43:13 GMT

Hi,

"You mentioned to edit the client's STB"

I mentioned it, but not to edit this file (your customer like to force you to use this file, not your own version).

What I mean: Use the plotstyletable editor, open this stb, to see&learn about the plotstyles!

You have to learn about the plotstyles in this plotstyletable, otherwise you don't know how to use them for your needs, or?

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 10:54:24 GMT

Let me play around with the Plotstyle Table Editor.

I will report back on my progress as soon as possible.

Thanks

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

cadffm — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 11:04:01 GMT

I am guessing to know your problem:

You are searching a simple way to to what you need to do manually.

It's easy to convert ctb to stb

it's easy to convert ctb-dwg to stb-dwg (and using the before created/converted .stb file)

But the is no feature to convert a dwg to use another stb file,

this is what you have to do manually (perhaps you will find some tools to make the work faster)

If you used a ctb to change properties for prints, one sample

IF your ctb plotted other lineweight than used in the dwg:

What you have NOW is, an object what refers to the "style123" in your fromctbconverted.stb

What you NEED:

You need to set the plotstyle for this object (or layer) to the customer plotstyletable, to a plotstyle what match your needs.

And if there is no plotstyle to match your needs, you have to set the properties as direct object-properties and plotstyle Normal)

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

cadffm — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 11:10:57 GMT

I checked your picture now.

Take a look, there is NO Lweight setting (in no plotstyle),

so YOU HAVE TO SET ALL LWEIGHTS TO YOUR LAYERS (or objects) directly!

I don't know the structure of your drawings (are you using object-colors, or 100% "ByLayer" as object color?

If 100% color bylayer, it's easy - set your lweights to the layers.

Re: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 11:15:22 GMT

Yes. all our office are 100% color by layer, with the exception of about six colors.

Betreff: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

cadffm — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 11:30:26 GMT

Perfect,

1. Set lweights to your layers.

2. Set All layer- and object plotstyles to "color" (or "normal", if allowed), done.

Hey, i guess it would be helpful if you convert the dwg by using the acad.ctb, not your usual ctb.

Offtopic

May I ask why you using ctb files without a reason to use them?

Betreff: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 11:44:57 GMT

@cadffm wrote:
May I ask why you using ctb files without a reason to use them?

My office is CTB all the way. We just have a client that insist we use STB for their project.

I have been using CTB for all my drafting years.

Betreff: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

paullimapa — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 20:11:31 GMT

Your screenshot shows this as your office ctb line weight standard:

Questions:

1. Do you only have line weights defined for the following:

Color 2 - Fine, Color 4 - General Design & Color 6 - Heaviest

2. If you also have line weights defined for Color 1, 3 & 5, how are they different than Color 2, 4 & 6?

3. Is Color 4 a line weight in between Color 2 & Color 6?

4. So you don't use any other Colors for line weights as your office standard?

Betreff: Need To Change One Project From CTB to STB

omorah — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 18:25:52 GMT

In the previous image, I was showing that the higher the number the thicker the lineweight. I think am confusing myself withthe screening in CTB with the screening in STB.

Here's the color I use for a project; just need to relate (correspond) them to the STB screen.

That is, what color (CTB) should be in STB.