Urgent-plot style revisions....

[Uparwaleki]

Hello!
Please help with with these questions: Thanks in advance.
1. Regarding Plot Styles: My company needs to revise the existing plot styles and I have been given a standard specification to follow. BUT... this specification is divided into Arch, Mech and Electrical, each specifying different pen weights, pen number and color settings. How do I deal with this??. I mean how do I specify different pen weights for Arch, Mech and Electrical when we use only one plot style when plotting.?
To be more specific--- In Arch plot style, color RED is pen number 1 and pen weight is .018mm. But in Electrical, same color RED is pen number 1 but pen weight is .4316mm.
2. The specifications provided do not say anything on SCREENING or dithering etc. How do I find solution to this?.
3. When I open the plot style (Double-click from C://program file..), I see two options AutoCAD 200i and 2004 since I have both of them installed on my machine and use both of them. Lets say I change the plot style of AutoCAD 2000i, HOW can I import the same settings for AutoCAD 2004? or do I need to revise the AutoCAD 2004 style separately?

Any feed back would be appreciated. Its urgent so if someone can help soooon.
Thanks

[Eddie]

1. Regarding Plot Styles: My company needs to revise the existing plot styles and I have been given a standard specification to follow. BUT... this specification is divided into Arch, Mech and Electrical, each specifying different pen weights, pen number and color settings. How do I deal with this??. I mean how do I specify different pen weights for Arch, Mech and Electrical when we use only one plot style when plotting.?
To be more specific--- In Arch plot style, color RED is pen number 1 and pen weight is .018mm. But in Electrical, same color RED is pen number 1 but pen weight is .4316mm.
If you're plotting "BYCOLOR" (which looks like you are) then you'll have to go for seperate style...If you're plotting 'BYLAYER" then you can have one plotstyle for the lot...but this depends on whether you are using CTB or STB plot style.
2. The specifications provided do not say anything on SCREENING or dithering etc. How do I find solution to this?.
From the AutoCAD help files.
Enable Dithering
Enables dithering. A plotter uses dithering to approximate colors with dot patterns, giving the impression of plotting more colors than available in the AutoCAD Color Index (ACI). If the plotter does not support dithering, the dithering setting is ignored.
Dithering is usually turned off in order to avoid false line typing that results from dithering of thin vectors. Turning off dithering also makes dim colors more visible. When you turn off dithering, AutoCAD maps colors to the nearest color, resulting in a smaller range of colors when plotting. Dithering is available whether you use the object's color or assign a plot style color
Screening
Specifies a color intensity setting that determines the amount of ink AutoCAD places on the paper while plotting. The valid range is 0 through 100. Selecting 0 reduces the color to white. Selecting 100 displays the color at its full intensity. In order for screening to work, the Enable Dithering option must be selected

3. When I open the plot style (Double-click from C://program file..), I see two options AutoCAD 200i and 2004 since I have both of them installed on my machine and use both of them. Lets say I change the plot style of AutoCAD 2000i, HOW can I import the same settings for AutoCAD 2004? or do I need to revise the AutoCAD 2004 style separately?
No you should be able to use the plotstyle from Acad2000i in Acad2004, but you're probably better off creating a new set as Acad2004 has different features...use the "Add-A-PlotStyle Table Wizard" for this, as it will enable to base the new style on an existing one (Acad200i one)

Hope all this helps

[Uparwaleki]

Thanks very much,
I am using BY LAYER plotting and using .ctb file.
Rewinding back: For dithering and screening, did U mean that I should ignore/ disable dithering factor and let the screening be 100% or did U mean that if plotting by color, I should visualize the plotting effects and screen the plot style colors accordingly.?
Sorry if I am making it very complicated. My question is that if the screening etc etc factors are not listed in a template/specifications of a company, how to make sure that so and so color/layer should be screened 50%, 75% or 100%.????. Would using a .stb plot style make life easier?
Thanks again!!

[Eddie]

OK..Dithering is more for when plotting drawings with images/solid hatching...it gives a more even print on these types of prints...so for general plotting leave dithering OFF

Screening is used to lighten the shade of a color for plotting,
but note...50% of black still equals black !!

So you'll need to determine these for your company...

Using STB plotstyle will need the same amount of setup, but give you mofr control because you assign a style entry per layer.
STB plotstyle are only available if the drawing was created using the setting in the options..plotting tab...otherwise you can convert a drawing to using either CTB or STb by typing convertpstyles