Wall definition in elevation.

[yukonone]

On my layout sheets I am trying to lighten wall sections in elevation view to show definition between where they recess. I am using color off and it is hard to tell where a wall starts and stops.

[Alaskan_Son]

There are basically 3 ways you can send a color off vector view to layout...

 

1.  Send to layout as a Live View.  This will essentially look exactly like the vector view in your plan...black and white.  

 

2.  Send to layout as Plot Lines with Pattern Line Defaults CHECKED.  This will cause ALL pattern lines in that view to be controlled by the pattern line defaults color and line weight (you can change these settings by opening the layout box dbx).

 

3.  Send to layout as Plot Lines with Pattern Line Defaults UNCHECKED.  This will cause the pattern line display to be controlled by the individual material definitions.  

 

You'll probably want to go into Preferences and set Color Off is Grayscale to get full advantage of these settings.

 

Now, beyond those 3 options there are a couple more things you can do to create some illusion of depth...

 

1.  You can utilize a polyline mask with a semi transparent fill to mute the lines for any given area/depth plane.   This can be a little time-consuming but it's really not all that bad once you get used to it. It can really help to start with a CAD Detail From View so you have all the necessary snaps for tracing.  

 

2.  You can create and utilize copies of the various materials for use on different walls/roof planes and/or place items into different layers with varying color and line weight settings to achieve a similar effect.  

 

You'll really have to play with it to get a feel for what works best for you but hopefully that helps.

 

P.S.  You can also modify layout lines OR just use a CAD Detail From View and adjust the appropriate lines,  but I prefer one of the other methods I mentioned above that way your model and the related camera views all remain live.

[DianneDSC]

Another option to show depth is to have shadows on for your elevations. The sun angle can be adjusted to help highlight the areas best suited for each elevation.