plot style

[Berrys_Cooling_Drafter]

I am a beginner and I know I am asking a simple question that might look stupid  but its something I never understood I am searching for an answer for a long time it might be so simple that's why I can't find an answer 

what is the whole idea of plot style you draw something in model space for a reason why are you changing it when it comes to plot it if you want to change it change it in model space????

please explain in detail so I can understand the whole concept of making a plot style.

thank you looking forward to reading your response 

[Patchy]

If you use plot by color, you like to use red color because it feels comfortable to your eyes, if you send your drawing to someone else and they like green color then you send them your plot style so it prints correctly the line width and style, this is one reason.

There will be a lot more reasons

[Berrys_Cooling_Drafter]

so you will make a different plot style for every person that you send to

[Patchy]

so you will make a different plot style for every person that you send to ?

No, you send Your plot style, the .ctb you use to plot and the receiving party will use Yours to plot.

Nowaday you can go around by sending them .PDF

[Berrys_Cooling_Drafter]

did not understand please explain

[Anonymous]

BY USING PLOT STYLE YOU CAN GIVE DIFFERENT PLOTTING STYLES TO THE DRAWING WHICH CAN BE HELPFUL TO EXPLAIN THE CLIENT.

[neaton]

Check out the Autodesk University class "AutoCAD: Are You Plotting Yet" for a good discussion on plotting.

Plot styles preset how an element will print. This saves a lot of time as each individual element doesn't have to be set when it is created. We use .stb plot styles and set our drawing element's plot style to ByLayer and assign each layer a plot style so each element on that layer will always print the same. With two plot styles of Normal and 50% screen, we can print the same layers as either Normal or 50% screened in different viewports depending on what we want to focus on in that sheet.

Every company can have their own plot style because they are focusing on different areas of expertise: An architect wants the building to stand out while the civil firm wants the site work to stand out.  Since the two firms could be using each other's drawings for a complete set of site/civil plans the civil firm will send the plot style with their drawings so the Architect can print all the sheets correctly.

Nancy

[Berrys_Cooling_Drafter]

so what are layers used for if by plotting every one changes it? 

[neaton]

Layers are to keep your drawing organized. Even with a simple assembly, one viewport will have dimensions that another viewport won't have. With dimensions and text on a separate layer, it is easy to freeze that layer for printing. If it is all on one layer the dimensions and text would show in all viewports.

Nancy

[tboehler]

In a simple nut shell.

Plot styles control the way your drawing will look when printed.  Standard layers are use to organize your drawings, keep drawings easy to edit and read, and so much more.

Example - roads are on a layer that is red,  buildings on a layer that is yellow, utilities on a layer that is cyan, major topo on a layer that is 251, and minor topo on a layer that is 253, and the list goes on... 

When you print/plot each of those layers will have a style (or you might be using a ctb file that is color dependant) that controls how it will look on paper.  

The Plot Style will print the roads layer as a medium black line, builings as a bold black line, utilities as light black lines, and topo as gray lines with one darker for major topo.  

Try to have one plot style for all drawings.  It's your standard.

[Berrys_Cooling_Drafter]

when you create a layer you can choose the line wight to so why not just do it in layer properties rather than going through every layer before plotting?

[RobDraw]

There are a variety of ways to plot from AutoCAD. By color, by layer, by object or mix them up if you want. Styles are a way to store the settings for plotting. Some places need to plot according to client standards, others have an internal need for plotting with different settings. Styles are for storing the settings thus making them easy to access to ensure consistency. This is only a small but important part of a good standard.

[tboehler]

"rather than going through every layer before plotting?"  I'm not sure what this means.

I use a plot style table (ctb file).  I create a drawings using layers that have all my standards on them.  When I'm ready to plot I just type PLOT and hit return.  Everytime (excpet the time spent creating/editing my standard).

My drawings are way too busy to not have different layer colors set up.  If I had everything set to view as black/white/gray on my screen  - I'd have a very difficult time working.

[Berrys_Cooling_Drafter]

so what differences do you have in your plot style that you don't have on you layer properties?

[tboehler · Accepted solution]

My contour line layer colors:

Exisitng are grays.  Proposed contours are red and yellow.  My plot style table has the exisitng contours plot gray and the proposed plot bold and black.  that's one example.  

Rivers/channels, roads, wells, fence (chainlink, post, privacy), concrete walls, homes, buidings, utilities, features, notes, lables, many more.  When it comes down to it - I need to be able differentiate between all these items in my model.  Sometimes we might have 100 layers - or more.

There are two types of plot style tables: color-dependent (CTB files) and named (STB files).  I use a ctb file.

Google those two for a good explanation.  CAD users will always be divided on what they prefer.