print/dont print layer between viewports

[dwayne]

Using AutoCAD 2016 - is there any way to set a layer to not print while still being shown in a viewport? The layer cannot be a 'defpoint' style, as it still needs to print in other viewports.  Only ideas I have is to create multiple viewports over the top of eachother, with one viewport being set to non-print somehow? Or setting a certain colour to non-printable in the plot style, however cant figure that out either

[pendean]

go inside your viewport, start LAYER command, go to the far right of the pop-up and look at the columns labelled VP: you can control each viewport's layers in so many ways.

[dwayne]

yes i know you can change many things like colour, freeze, lineweight, transparency 🙂 But can i change the plot value between viewports.

For example, I have a site plan viewport with a floor plan viewport over the top to plot locations of the plumbing wastes. During this i need to see the walls of the floor plan so i can set my sink wastes 120mm off the wall. Can i change those walls to not print in this viewport - they still need to print in my floor plan layout so I cant make it a non-print layer. 

changing to a different colour wont change if it prints.

changing transparency wont change if it prints.

changing lineweights wont change if it prints.

if i freeze it it wont print, but then i cant see it either which means i need to do all the work then VP freeze it, then unfreeze and VP freeze every time there is a change and more work to do on the plan. = annoying

all these options simply change how it LOOKS in the print - the best i get is a faint line, but still a line 😉

[pendean]

Sorry, my bad, I assumed you were using STB plot styles: you must be using the older screen-color-based CTB plot styles.

STBs do not rely on screen color and allow you, in a single viewport but not others, to assign a STYLE to a layer. That style, in your STB file, can be set to print to color 255 (or RGB 250,250,250) which is basically "no ink". Just make linemerge is on for your PC3 file or you draworder fix it so your walls are on the bottom of the other objects.

See screenshots: the orange rectangle was set to a plot style that is set to not plot.

[dwayne]

ah ok thanks.  this would probably have to change the whole way we print - we are using ctb plot styles - so I will look into the validility first.

Cheers!