Help needed understanding line types in the layers manager vs. plot styles?

[ehaskin5]

I am a landscape architecture student gearing up to do some contract work and I am attempting to set up my AutoCad drawing standards. I am working on creating my Layers Template and creating a new Plot Style. I want to make sure that I'm doing this correctly and if anyone could comment, send video tutorials or explain that would be so helpful. When I go to create a new layers I can set the color, line type, line weight. When I am setting up my Plot Style I am using color to specify the line weight and type, which correlates back to my layers. Why should or shouldn't I change the line weight and line type in my layer properties? Why should I or shouldn't I change my line type in my plot styles? I have more option for line types in my layer properties then when I try to select in my plot style manager.

[ВeekeeCZ]

You will use a plot style if for some reason you want the drawing on the paper to look different than on the screen. 

And what could be a reason?
- your screen has a black/dark background, white paper. Therefore, you prefer lighter colors on the screen, darker on paper.
- you want to have solid areas on the screen rich colores, pale on paper.
- you want to have medium-thick lines on the screen, very strong on paper
- you want to have xref in colors on the screen, on (some) drawings the xref will be gray.
- You can also use VPplotstyle if you want some elements to look different on different drawings.
Etc.

So... if you're not sure why to use it, you probably don't need it. So leave them Normal (= bylayer setting) for now and you'll adjust that later in the future when you find the use for them

[pendean]

Contract work means you adopt your paying customer's standards and needs/requirements, you rarely get to do your own thing like that. Make sure you ask before you get jammed up having to redo it all on your dime.

Also... hopefully you are not using your EDU licensed software for this contact work: your files are tagged by the software, your recipient will get ticked-off, and Autodesk will fine both of you for licensing violations.

Good luck with your endeavors.