Multiple issues trying to print a B&W A3 to PDF file...

[alastair_leith]

I'm plotting using the monochrome plot style, this seems to the the simplest way to convert my layers to black lines. I'm not going to worry about line widths ATM, I just need some workshop drawings fast to check lines before I send to to vCarve CNC plotting software. 

Issues I'm having in no particular order of frustration:

• I've read through the introductory material, watched training videos and read the product documentation. Converting lines and layers by color and other ways are all referenced many times in the abstract, but never explicitly demonstrated in simple examples I can follow. (Massive fail AutoCAD!).
• When I plot using the monochrome plot style, most of my layers went to black in the PDF but some (say 3 or 4 of 15) stayed the colour they are in model space and paper space. Not clear to my why certain layers are in colour and how I fix it. None of the layers are assigned plot styles in the layers palette, the column is "greyed out and can't be edited in the palette directly.
  
  
• I can only get any kind of plot using "scale to fit". My model space is in millimetres and the objects I'm drawing for CNC are about 370 mm wide and 60 mm high, so I should be able to see them at 1:1 scale on a portrait A3 and fit them all in at 1:2 scale on a portrait or landscape A3 sheet of paper. When I set the viewport or printout to any scale at all including 1:1 and 1:2 I get completely unreasonable viewports and drawing sizes in relation to the paperspace (which are all set as A3 portrait/landscape in the file I'm using). This is very confusing to me. I've done the training series of tutorials on Adaptive objects and I'm not even trying to do anything that sophisticated, but the scaling is completely up the creek, and illogical to me.
• When I changed the DIMS layer from Cyan colour to something that was more legible in paper space against the white background (I choose a darker green/blue) the DIMS layer (my dimensioning) showed as black linework in paperspace. Was that random or what? Was it because I'd clicked on the "Apply to Layout" button in the Print… Dialogue Box? Why didn't all the other layers show as Black on white in paperspace after attempting to print? 

[alastair_leith]

I can't seem to edit the OP, here's an example of the layers not converting to B&W.

DWG and PDF Files attached.

Screenshot of 1:2 scale in paper space (the white rectangle in the middle is A3 paper size?!?!?)

[alastair_leith]

I did manage to plot to A3 at 1:2 scale. so why can't I do it in layout spaces without the drawing being massively oversized on the sheet?

How do I make all line-weights 0.25mm or similar? 

[alastair_leith]

I set all the layers to “0.25 mm” line weight for a hack way to force printout. This of course wont work with annotative scales in paper space layouts… I’m wondering how to assign properly by layer color such that it adapts to final plot scale / view scale in paper space… tricky is AutoCAD ways of doing.

[alastair_leith]

For future reference of other beginners, seems like colours with preassigned numbers 0-256 (or some limit) in AutoCAD are predefined in the Monochrome and Greyscale Plot Styles to convert to black while layers assigned RGB colours will need to be added to that Plot Style in order to convert to black in a Print to PDF/Plot (which since the retirement of pen plotters is almost exactly the same thing, i think).

I still think AutoCAD needs better documentation and training instruction around this issue, I’m wasting a lot of time going trial and error with commands I don’t understand the documentation and train resources available for.

[maxim_k]

Hi Alastair,

>>>>Converting lines and layers by color and other ways are all referenced many times in the abstract, but never explicitly demonstrated in simple examples I can follow.

I'm not sure you're absolutely right. I think that you can find a sufficient number of tutorials on how to use plot style tables in AutoCAD. Maybe most of them are about AutoCAD for Windows, but the basic concepts are the same.

>>>When I plot using the monochrome plot style, most of my layers went to black in the PDF but some (say 3 or 4 of 15) stayed the colour they are in model space and paper space. Not clear to my why certain layers are in color and how I fix it.

This is because Color dependent plot style you have in your drawing uses only ACI (AutoCAD Color Index) colors - 256 colors from 0 to 255. Layers (objects) with True colors and Color Book colors are always plotted in color.

If you open Plot Style Table Editor, you will see only 256 colors you can use (left side of the dialog).

The Layers you mentioned have True Color assigned to they color property, so they will always plot in color.

>>>I can only get any kind of plot using "scale to fit". My model space is in millimetres and the objects I'm drawing for CNC are about 370 mm wide and 60 mm high, so I should be able to see them at 1:1 scale on a portrait A3 and fit them all in at 1:2 scale on a portrait or landscape A3 sheet of paper.....

When you use Page Setup for the Layout, you always need to follow some simple steps:

1/ Select printer - for PDF output in most cases you select one of AutoCAD PDF "plotters"

2/ Select Paper Size you need

3/ Always select Layout for "What to Print" option. Otherwise you will have problems with viewport scaling

>>>>>When I changed the DIMS layer from Cyan colour to something that was more legible in paper space against the white background (I choose a darker green/blue) the DIMS layer (my dimensioning) showed as black linework in paperspace. Was that random or what?

This is because you assigned monochrome plot style and selected "Display plot styles" option in Page Setup window. 

>>>>Why didn't all the other layers show as Black on white in paperspace after attempting to print? 

Please see my note about ACI colors above.