DOT HATCH PROBLEM

[CHRI5000]

:evil: AHHH !!!!

Can anyone help after spending days on the Autodesk website i am still none the wiser.

We have upgraded recently to Autocad 2005Lt and have noted that when we use the dot hatch to denote and area. When it is plotted instead of getting a nice dot shaded area of hatch we get a pattern come out over the dot hatch. This pattern is not random as the same thing happens on similar drawings, We have ruled out the plotter and the drivers as we have tried several in the office and the same thing happens, so must be a software issue with 2005 anybody got a suggestion why this is happening???

[architech]

Could it be that your CTB file has the "dirther" enabled?
8)

[Exxit]

ok,

2nd attempt, can You post a *.dwg or screenshot...?
Did You try other hatches? :?

Lothar

[CHRI5000]

Tried the differ but had no effect so have attached a plotter winzip file containing the test.dwg, dca.ctb file and three jpeg showing what happens when we plot dot hatch using no ctb, monochrome ctb and dca ctb. As you can see on the small hatch scales we get the reccuring biger dot problem. I am sure the designjet 800 is able to print hairline so should be able to deal with 0.00 lines. We have tried other hatches and it seems to be only the dot hatch that causes this problem. Any suggestions!!!! All help appreciated.

[VERYCIVILDRAFTER]

:oops: I also have dot plotting inadequacy and dysfunction. :oops:

I’ve been too embarrassed to ask because I can usually figure plotting problems out, but in 2005 I’m having a problem with dot hatch patterns and dot line types not plotting to their desired line weight when the print company prints them from a DXF. The lines and patterns just default to teeny tiny little almost invisible dots.

[csiarch]

Hey, folks. Think architech was on the right track. With "dithering" enabled in your ctb file, the plotter is forced to break up image information it receives into a series of dots, kinda like a screened image but not really.

Dithering is used in color plotting to produce different tonal qualities (light, medium and almost dark) variations of basic object colors. Ever wonder how a light red color is plotted from 3 or 4 basic ink sources? Dithering is what "makes it so" (John Luc Picard).

It's quite possible that with dithering enabled, dot hatch patterns would take on a printed quality of a plotter on LSD, something similar to moire patterns.

[VERYCIVILDRAFTER]

Well the dither doesn't seem to matter on my slow but trusty in house plotter. I went ahead and changed all my CTB's to NO dither, but I'll have to see what happens at the print shop next week. I kind of wonder if this is a limitation to DXF files???

CHRI5000 sorry to hi-jack your thread with my issues. I'll be quiet now. :wink:

[CHRI5000]

NO problems VERYCIVILDRAFTER just glad we not the only ones with this problem.

I have tried the differ and this hasn't made any difference. I switched all the pens to no dither on our DCA.ctb file the monochrome.ctb file autocad comes with and this didn't make a blind bit of difference we still got the same effect.

It seems 2005 just can't handle the smaller lineweights !!!!

[architech]

hey guy...
try this CTB .... let me know if it works....

Later guy.
:mrgreen:

[CHRI5000]

ARCHITECH,

Tried the modified DCA.ctb had no effect on the dot hatch problem still getting the larger dot pattern as previously described.

What next ????

:roll:

[Eddie]

What parameters have you got set in the plot dialog ?
Are you plotting from pspacs/mspace ?
Are you performing a hide during the plot (either in the vport or in mspace) ?

[CHRI5000]

Eddie,

Plot parameters as follows; designjet 800/ deskjet 5650 both on network using IP addresses. Using DCA.ctb shade plot as displayed, quality normal have tried best etc, Doesn't matter what paper size we print to or scale same problem occurs. plot with plot style ticked.

Have tried plotting from mspace and pspace get the same results.

No hide on.

Any theories ???

[Eddie]

:?: And this is happening on every machine or just from one ?

[CHRI5000]

Yes happening on all machines we all have autocad lt 2005 and use the same dca.ctb file.

We have tried plotting to several printers with the same effect these being and Hp laserjet 6p, Hp deskjet 5650 and 990 and the Hp designjet 800.

Hence why we have ruled out the printers as the problem but rather a software issue in autocad.

[Eddie]

I am curious....would the issue occur if you were to replace the hatch file (.pat) with the one from LT2004 :? :?:

[csiarch]

Shot In the dark but you might consider redefining your ctb file -just in case it got corrupted somehow. :D

The suggestion about trying an outside (LT 2004) dot pattern is also worth considering. The fact that all your machines produce the same results points to a common element causing the problem. Flaky ctb or dot.pat could be the gremlin. Change one at a time and check after each one. 8)

If needed, could go back all the way to R12 .PAT file and send it along if that would help.

:lol:

[CHRI5000]

Where can i get my hands on a copy of the hatch file to see if this works.
We clean installed on all new machines autocad 2005 lt.

On the old machines we had 2000 would this be worth a try.

[Eddie]

Yeah give that file go....but don't delete the original...rename it

[csiarch]

Eddie! You remembered! Attaboy! :D

[Eddie]

8) WOOHOO....I'm finally remebering lol

[csiarch]

:lol: Now that the memory is restored, let's focus on typos.......

:roll: Just one damn thing after another, isn't it?

BTW: Did the Dot Hatch problem get resolved yet?

[CHRI5000]

Searched for the pat file but could not find it anywhere. Could somebody point me in the right direction.

[csiarch]

Try this one from R14.

[CHRI5000]

Tried the hatch .pat file didn't work still got the same problem seems to occur on pen lineweight sizes below 0.9 only anyhting above the weird dot pattern doesn't occur but as we previously used these on aclt 2000 you would think they would work on the newer version.

Any other ideas ???

[csiarch]

Chris5K: It would seem that the problem that the problem is not with the .PAT file according to your last post.

I think your assumption about .PAT files being pretty much the same throughout all versions is probably correct.

If you've redefined your ctb file;

If, within the ctb file, you've disabled dithering and set the color for the layer the hatch is being plotted from to "black";

If your printer driver has been upgraded to the current one for the operating system AND the version of AutoCad you are using;

I'm out of ideas; can any of you other viewers help?

Seems like your printer is freaking out on line weights below .9 (mm, I assume?). Can you try same plot on another printer? Make a .plt file and send it out to be plotted?

Someone maybe can help; unfortunately I can't. :cry:

Sorry.