Point Cloud Printing and CTB File NOT WORKING PROPERLY

[berdingd]

We use CTB files for plot styles.  Works great.  When insert a POINT CLOUD RCP file, the plotting is all messed up.

The point cloud looks great.  But the linework/text that relies on the CTB is off.  The objects are plotting by COLOR instead of by the CTB definitions.  See attached image.  

In addition...if I then remove the RCP file, the plotting is STILL messed up (objects print in "color").  Could REALLY use  some help on this one!!point cloud with objects in color

[ronjonp]

It sounds like your layers or objects color is RGB. CTB files don't honor these colors.

[berdingd]

CTB has always "honored" these colors.  Only difference is the point cloud.  The point cloud is want to print "true color" and that seems to batch apply to the linework/objects, regardless of the CTB file telling them to plot otherwise....

Except white.  Color white always prints black.

[ronjonp]

Is your point cloud supposed to plot in gray scale with your CTB? You mentioned that some were printing in color and I've seen that behavior with true color objects on my gray scale CTB.

[berdingd]

Point cloud plots in whatever color style you apply on the screen.  It is unaffected by the plot styles....

[ronjonp]

@berdingd OK .. I guess I'm misunderstanding the problem you're having. 🤔

[berdingd]

No worries, maybe I'm not explaining..  I'm trying to plot a PDF that shows the colorized point cloud, AND my linework/text as well.  When I try to do this, it wants to plots everything in true-color (not sure if that's a legit term).  Basically everything is printing how it's shown on the screen.  Like a NONE plot-style.

[berdingd]

The IMAGE i posted (and again below) is a screen shot of the PDF that is plotted from CAD...........this is how the PDF looks!

[ronjonp]

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@berdingd wrote:

...

The point cloud looks great.  But the linework/text that relies on the CTB is off.  The objects are plotting by COLOR instead of by the CTB definitions.  See attached image.  

...

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 Sorry not sure I can help you. My initial response was tailored around this statement. I don't work with point clouds.

[pendean]

CTB plot style tables only address ACI colors 1-255, they have never addressed "truecolors" like RGB or HSL colors in AutoCAD. Judging only by the image you keep reposting, those indeed look to be well outside of the ACI colors 1-255 to me and we all suspect that is your issue based on this image.

If you wish to dispute it you'll need to figure out how to share that DWG/pointcloud file here with everyone.

STB plot style tables do address all colors, including "truecolors", but they need to be assigned to objects or layers (your preference), here is a quick overview on how they work https://www.landfx.com/docs/cad-basics/plotting/item/2096-stb.html#:~:text=Apply%20the%20necessary%2....

HTH

[dgorsman]

Are you plotting with one of the shaded (non-wireframe) visual styles? 

[berdingd]

@pendean I don't follow.... When I insert an image (JPG) it plots it's colors without regard to what the CTB file says.  Similar thing should apply when inserting a point cloud RCP file.

And I assume that other folks are plotting point clouds as part of their deliverable.  I'd be willing to bet that the same issues are present using STB plot styles.  

For anyone willing to take the time, I have uploaded the point cloud, DWG, and CTB file.

POINT CLOUD & DWG/CTB DOWNLOAD 

[berdingd]

@dgorsman Yes, plotting with shaded.  Tried all the others with no luck.

[berdingd]

There has to be an answer to this....frustrating..  Any ideas for how to contact further support?

[ronjonp]

Wish I could help but unfortunately I know almost nothing about point clouds in CAD. The behavior I'm seeing is typical of color jpg's when plotting using a CTB so I don't see the issue ... do you have another project that prints as expected and can you share a screen capture of what you're expecting to see?

[Anonymous]

Hey just wanted to say I also have been having the same exact issue and this thread is the only thing I have found thus far specifically pertaining to it. Whenever I import a Pointcloud plotstyles seem to not apply whatsoever to the linework I create. I know this was a year ago and its an absolute shot in the dark to see if you'll actually read this and reply, but do you know/remember what you did to ever solve the issue? 

[berdingd]

Ha! Glad to have you on board!
I spoke to support back then and they had no solution. They are aware of the problem and suggested that it may be fixed in further releases. But for now (well, as of last year), no solution exists.
I suggest pushing it on them a bit and seeing if you can catch their ear. Seems like a relatively simple fix.

[dgorsman]

@Anonymous 

@berdingd 

The modern point cloud display in AutoCAD is based on using the shaded display styles, rather than the more traditional 2D wireframe visual style.  The shaded display styles, as I was getting to in the earlier post (which I lost track of and didn't follow up) always plot in full-color and don't respect plot styles.  So it's hard to mix and match the two.

From what I remember, you have to get a little clever to get both color-based plot style results together with a loaded point cloud.  Try setting up overlapping viewports in paper space, with one for the point cloud (freeze the layers in that viewport with the AutoCAD content) set as one of the shaded display styles, and one for the AutoCAD content set for 2D wireframe (freeze the point cloud in that viewport) and Legacy Hidden printing style if needed.  You might need to flatten/move the AutoCAD content to paper space to pull this off.

Another slightly more onerous method is to print the drawing once with only the point cloud (not the title block or other content), then reference the PDF or image into the drawing with display order under the AutoCAD content.