Autocad Layer Colors Vs. Chief

[GRSmsdb555]

Hello all I’m a long time AutoCAD user new to Chief and I’m struggling with layer colors.

 

In aCAD I have many layer colors which are incredibly helpful in defining various items on my screen, just like Chief. These aCAD layer colors are then filtered through a custom .ctb file (plot style) which is color dependent and allows me to assign various shades of grey as well as line thickness and transparency for plotting while my line work still appears in color on my screen.

 

Output sheets here often include pictures and or renderings (usually from sketchup) along with aCAD viewports. Plotting those sheets means selecting the color settings required for color pictures and or renderings in my plotter dialog box.  With Color plotting settings selected the  aCAD line work will still show in greyscale exactly as intended.

 

Here is the problem…

In Chief (as far as I can tell) the layer colors displayed on my monitor are the same ones that will print on my sheet when I select the color print settings required to show color pictures and or renderings along with Chief line work on the same sheet. This only leaves me with the option of setting my layer colors in Chief to black and greyscale shades. This is OK except things can to get confusing on screen working with this method.

 

Anyone else have this issue? Is there a work around?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Nicinus]

Interesting dilemma, I can't remember ever printing a drawing in color so I've never thought about it regardless of using Chief or Autocad. As far as I know there is no plotstyle in Chief the way you have in Autocad or Archicad.

[Dermot]

Line weights and line styles are completely independent from colors in Chief.

 

You could always create different layer sets so that you see the colors you want while editing and print with different colors for the final docs.

 

You can also control how the "color off" works in your preferences.  You can have images and pictures still show in color and/or have colors use grayscale instead of black and white.

[Joe_Carrick]

This is a carryover from the days when colored pens could be plotted on vellum or mylar to provide different line weights when printed on a ozalid printer.  Those days are long gone.

 

With Chief you have the options of using either "Color" or  "Gray Scale" for printing.  Most of us print to a PDF and then have that printed on a large scale ink-jet or laser printer.

[WendyatArtform]

I'm assuming you're using a very old version of autocad, as I think they left that behind as the preferred method a long time ago, if they even still use it at all.

 

The workaround would be to edit your layer colors to have them align with your line weights.  Color won't govern line weight, but you will see things the way you are used to.

 

The other "workaround", which really isn't a workaround, just the way it's designed, is to turn on Show Line Weights.  Then you'll see your line weights wysiwyg