Difficulty plotting 3D model in paperspace in black & white - only plots color

[Anonymous]

I’m having a difficult time plotting a model in paperspace in black & white.  Currently it will only plot color.

I’ve got a viewport set up in paper space.  The visual style is set to 2d wireframe, and the shade plot option in properties is set to Hidden.  I’ve set the plot style to monochrome.  When I plot to a pdf or a printer, it comes out in color.  Does anyone have any idea what I may be missing?  I’ve tried many many combinations of the visual styles and shade plot options and I can’t get anything to come out in monochrome.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous

I am sorry you are having problems getting this to print without color. I created a simple model and I am able to get this to work. So, if you could attach your file I will see if there is something unique that might be causing this behavior.

Note, If you are using color assignments other than the 255 Index colors then they will print in color.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[dgorsman]

Shade plot as "Hidden" or "Legacy Hidden"?

Also, what colors are being used (whether layer or object) - ACI or TrueColor?  The latter will always print color regardless of CTB/STB.  And speaking of which - CTB or STB?

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

I am checking back to see if my post or @dgorsman's helped you with your problem.
Please add a post with how you decide to proceed and your results so other Community members may benefit.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post or posts fully solved your issue or answered your question.

[Anonymous]

John,

Apologies as I've been away until today.  Unfortunately I'm unable to share the model, and I understand that it'll be difficult to identify the problem with out it--sorry about that.

Some notes to consider:

- Yes, I'm using index colors only.

- I'm using a custom CTB plot style with all colors set to black.  I've also used the stock monochrome.ctb file as well with the same result.

- I've tried every combination imaginable with the viewport's visual style and the the "shade plot" option under properties.

- I'm using the Autocad Plant 3D 2016 package with no customization--straight "out the box".

The goal is to plot a drawing with the piping in the "hidden" style, in black and white.

I will try to create a drawing later on if i have downtime to attach.  In the meantime, I've resorted to literally changing all of the colors to index color 255.  And no, I'd prefer to not do this in the future.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

Have you tried different visualization styles to see how they might affect your plot?  Is it possible to send me the model privately? If so I can send you a location to upload or email to.

[Anonymous]

I've tried all of the visual styles.  I can get it black & white with "2d wireframe" and the shade plot set to "As Displayed", but once I change either one to "Hidden" or "3D Hidden", the plot colorizes again.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous, This is normal behavior and is printing as designed. A work around is to use legacy hidden.

An alternative is to use other means to hide the hidden lines. Here is an article that discusses this process. Viewbase might me another option for you.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[dgorsman]

Yep - legacy hidden is the normal way to generate linework drawings from viewports.

Personally I wouldn't recommend the Viewbase method as the style controls draw all the "object" lines on a single layer rather than the layer the object is on.  There should be one or two requests submitted for that change, although without an IdeaStation/road map it's hard to say where they are priority-wise.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

All,

After several phone conversations, I've finally found the solution thanks to an old pal.

"Display Silhouette" or DISPSILH should be set to the value of "1" and Legacy Hidden should be the "Shade Plot" setting.  The viewport "Visual Style" can be set to 2d wireframe or Hidden.

Thanks for the effort everyone.

[mms33333]

Excellent.

[jmcbride]

AutoCAD is a pile of trash when it comes to annotating or plotting 3D objects.  Especially Point Clouds.  It really does boggle my mind how it has been so troublesome for so long.  Alas, we are the last idiots stuck to a "paper space" that doesn't work from a "model space" that's just as bad.... that's been Autocad's track record for the last 25 years though, so I'm done holding my breath!

@jmcbride - this post has been edited due to Community Rules & Etiquette violation.