CTB not plotting thickness

[Hidden_Brain]

1. C3D 2024 seems to plot thickness per the ctb file ONLY when "plot object lineweights" is checked on. If it is checked off C3D completely ignores the ctb settings.

   "Plot using plot styles" is checked ON, "Scale linweights" is checked OFF.

   I have tried it on several drawings, existing and new, using several pen tables including OOTB acad.ctb, as well as different PDF plotters (dwg to pdf pc3, adobe and bluebeam).

   I'm stumped, have never seen this happen before. Am I losing my mind? 

[AllenJessup]

How are you controlling the lineweights through the CTB? Through color or through object lineweight?

[ChicagoLooper]

@Hidden_Brain 

<<C3D 2024 seems to plot thickness per the ctb file ONLY when "plot object lineweights" is checked on. If it is checked off C3D completely ignores the ctb settings.>>

Lines are thick when it's checked ON.

Ignored when it's checked OFF.

Sounds correct.

The ctb is doing its job when it's ON. And not paying attention to the ctb when it's check OFF. 

[Hidden_Brain]

Each color has a lineweight assigned that it should plot to, but it doesnt!

if i set the plines in the drawing to 0.00mm lineweight and assign the max lineweight (2.11mm) in the ctb file to that plines color, it will NOT plot thickness with "plot object lineweights" OFF. will plot the ctb thickness (2.11mm) if that setting is ON.

Now if i assign the same 2.11mm thickess to those plines in layer manager, set ctb to plot as 0.00mm and plot with "plot object lineweights" as ON, it will plot 0.00mm per the ctb.

Plot with plot styles is checked ON for all scenarios. No scaling lineweights.

I always thought this setting is to plot the objects based on the lweight assigned to them via layer manager, checking it on and plot with plot styles off overrides the ctb. It seems to be just acting as a toggle for the ctb.

Do I misunderstand how this works?

*Edit - C3D 2024.2 Update.

[ChicagoLooper]

@Hidden_Brain wrote

<<I always thought this setting is to plot the objects based on the lweight assigned to them via layer manager, checking it on overrides the ctb. It seems to be just acting as a toggle for the ctb.>>

The OOTB default lineweight in a ctb file is 'Use object lineweight.' The Use Object Lineweight is a numerical value and that value is the lineweight displayed in the Layer Props Mgr. If Layer Props displays Default as the lineweight, then it will use 0.25 b/c that's the OOTB default line thickness.

If you manually enter a lineweight in the ctb file, you are overriding the Layer Props lineweight so your lines will plot to the thickness you entered in ctb, not the Layer Props Mgr. And the lineweight you entered in ctb will apply to all layers using that exact color. Many users don't override the ctb lineweight, meaning they allow the ctb to Use object lineweight b/c they want their lineweight to be managed by Layer Props Mgr, not by the ctb. 

IOW, it's competition between the Layer Props Mgr and the ctb. If you leave the ctb as Use object lineweight, then Layer Props Mgr thickness wins. If you enter a new value in ctb file then the ctb thickness wins. So......what value do you want to win?

Regrading the Plot Objects Lineweight box in the plot dialog window. It's behaves like a toggle. It works like this:

Unchecked: All lines will be the same, skinny. Or skinny like default LW.

Checked: Some lines will be skinny and some lines will be fat. It depends on which lineweight wins the competition.

[Hidden_Brain]

I want the ctb to win. Often times I'm am grading and I temporarily assign thick line weights to several contours so that it's easy to see in a busy drawing. Same thing when I'm laying out a site. 

I do not want to plot object line weights because of such cases, I want the ctb to be the final control. I have my ctb set up with desired line weights (image above), and my page setup has "plot using plot styles" checked. 

[ChicagoLooper]

@Hidden_Brain 

If you want some contours to plot thicker, select the contours, then with the contours still selected, manually change their color in the Properties Palette to Green. Your ctb image indicates Green will plot thick. If your contours  aren't thick enough, manually change it again, but this time change to Cyan. Cyan in your ctb is even thicker compared to Green.  

To return the contours back to their original lineweight, manually change the COLOR in the Properties Palette to 'ByLayer.'

Since you want the ctb to win, then make sure the Properties Palette displays Color=>ByLayer when you select an individual object. In theory, you may give all Layers the Default lineweight since it won't matter what lineweight you assign to a layer, the ctb’s lineweight always overrules, it wins, correct? Hence no need to waste time giving any layer a lineweight in the Layer Manager. 

Your job is to manage the colors. The ctb is now managing your lineweight.

And always check this box (Plot w/plot styles). As far as your plot job is concerned, your ctb's pen assignments don't exist if you un-check that box.

[chriscowgill7373]

I would agree with @ChicagoLooper 's assessment.  the box being checked means the CTB file is what governs the lineweight plotting, if you need to do something different, you either assign a different color, OR, you can assign a true color, and then the object lineweight will govern (and the object will plot in color).

The image of your CTB file is a little confusing, because you talk about setting lineweights to mm but your ctb is displayed in Inches.

Just to clarify your response to Allen, are you saying that when the box is checked, the objects are still ignoring what the CTB is set to?  Is it possible to share the file and the ctb file so that testing can be done with your file?  I have heard of this occurring in the past, but I cant remember off the top of my head what was done to resolve it.