Color to Lineweight

[Doug Park]

I'm finding this thread very entertaining. It is very hard for me to keep a straight face when people talk about color meaning line weight when we have something called line weight that even draws the correct width on screen.

While I can see the value of using color to indicate line weight or other things, that is very possible to do in Chief so I don't see where we can do a better job.

We might be able to do a little more to support importing ACAD files, but I don't see any features that we could add that would enhance the ability to do this in Chief today.

Gordon,

I don't understand how we could be more accurate with line weights. If you turn on line weights and set the scale in page setup to the scale you want to print at the line weights are accurately displayed to within 1 pixel to what they would print. No one does a better job than that.

[Madriver]

I'm finding this thread very entertaining. It is very hard for me to keep a straight face when people talk about color meaning line weight when we have something called line weight that even draws the correct width on screen.

While I can see the value of using color to indicate line weight or other things, that is very possible to do in Chief so I don't see where we can do a better job.

We might be able to do a little more to support importing ACAD files, but I don't see any features that we could add that would enhance the ability to do this in Chief today.

Gordon,

I don't understand how we could be more accurate with line weights. If you turn on line weights and set the scale in page setup to the scale you want to print at the line weights are accurately displayed to within 1 pixel to what they would print. No one does a better job than that.

it is amusing that you don't see the possilbilties beyond LW being LW. First of all, Color to LW is only useful if you have a seperate plot table. Example (and again this really only is pertanent to 2D drafting), say I have a CORECTLY layered drawing but want to plot it as a backround file so that new work will show up as a bolder portion of the drawing. I can highlight the entire portion of the drawing I want to show as backround, change the color (to a light weight line) but not lose any of the lines and layers attributes other than LW. If at a later time I wish the backround to return to its default LW it's a simple editing of that lines color back to default. I lose nothing within the drawings layering, attributes, or properties. This can be done by changing the LW, but, while I am working with this drawing, all new line work is in color (i.e new work) while the backround shows up as say a light grey line (i.e exist. wall, etc.), a backround if you will. So while you may not think color to LW is useful, others, I would venture to say a lot of us that work in a remodeling cituation where we like to show new work as bolder plot, and have that image on screen, it is very useful.

Bob

[Dan Park]

it is amusing that you don't see the possilbilties beyond LW being LW. First of all, Color to LW is only useful if you have a seperate plot table. Example (and again this really only is pertanent to 2D drafting), say I have a CORECTLY layered drawing but want to plot it as a backround file so that new work will show up as a bolder portion of the drawing. I can highlight the entire portion of the drawing I want to show as backround, change the color (to a light weight line) but not lose any of the lines and layers attributes other than LW. If at a later time I wish the backround to return to its default LW it's a simple editing of that lines color back to default. I lose nothing within the drawings layering, attributes, or properties. This can be done by changing the LW, but, while I am working with this drawing, all new line work is in color (i.e new work) while the backround shows up as say a light grey line (i.e exist. wall, etc.), a backround if you will. So while you may not think color to LW is useful, others, I would venture to say a lot of us that work in a remodeling cituation where we like to show new work as bolder plot, and have that image on screen, it is very useful.

Bob

I think I understand what you are saying here but is it not just as easy to change the line weight itself using the same method? Select all the items, change the line weight, chage the color if desired and you have the same solution. Or am I missing something here?

[Berdinkerdickle]

I think I understand what you are saying here but is it not just as easy to change the line weight itself using the same method? Select all the items, change the line weight, change the color if desired and you have the same solution. Or am I missing something here?

You are not missing anything.
We have more ways than 1 to accomplish different results.


Side note:
Here's an interesting comment about Revit:

http://discussion.autodesk.com/threa...hreadID=531836

Particularly:
"-Are there still layers, linewieghts, and plot styles?"

"No Layers. There are line weights, but they are far more intelligent than
in ADT because the lineweights can change thickness depending on the scale
of a view. No Plot Styles, as Revit uses Windows Printers and everything is
plotted as is is drawn....want a thick line? Use a thick line, not "use
color green"."

So in a nutshell, as with using autocad's named plotstyles = what you see is what you get. And if you send the file to someone else, what they see is what they get.

In autocad if you override a layer by changing only it's color, you are making the drawing PlotStyle Dependent, the person you send the file to will either have to use your plotstyle or go and do some more overrides.
Not very multi-user, file sharing friendly.

However, if you override a layer by line weight everyone will get the same results. Again, what they see is what they get. A line is thick because it is Thick - A line is Thin because it is Thin. You can override colors, line weight, or even line type and not effect the actual layer properties. So if you want your Thick lines to be yellow, or red or green, it doesn't matter Thick is Thick.

[lbuttery]

Dan:

I would think the only are that CA might pay attention to colors = lineweights would be for the import of Autocad files.

Once colors are imported and converted to Chief's method of doing lineweights the colors should no longer be relevant for line weights.

Lew

[Berdinkerdickle]

Now this was some good reading:

It lays out the differences -pro's and cons

I didn't notice any biases either.

I'm stepping out of this topic from here on.
It's been a Colorful Conversation.

[Madriver]

I think I understand what you are saying here but is it not just as easy to change the line weight itself using the same method? Select all the items, change the line weight, chage the color if desired and you have the same solution. Or am I missing something here?

Yes...but if you read my previous post...the reason I don't change lineweight is that (using a black backround) the backround drawing (i.e existing plan or elevation of a house is in light grey). All new work comes up on screen as color and is defined as new work. It's visual on the screen for both plan and elevation. Again, more of a 2D thing, but in ACAD it was invariable that nubies would layer plans correctly but elevations were layered any old way. The thought was just to get LW for output sakes not caring about how an elevation or section was layered just as long as it plotted correctly. So by having a color to LW option you can maintain layering while still producing correctly layered drawings, have existing conditions show up as lighter backround and new work pop on the screen with color. This won't work with a white bacrkound and black line color unless you turn on (show LWT). Now you could have another seperate 150 layers dedicated to existing conditions (and I do have many) but if you don't want seperate layers for existing conditions, then you can simply change the color to meet your plotting needs.

In Chief I have set up existing wall types as a light grey fill, but take everything that goes into a set of existing condition plans. Do you really want a seperate existing condition layer for every nut and bolt? Maybe, but if you don't you change the color to reflect a light line or backround and again, it is also visable on screen to reflect it as something that is existing or whatever you need. It's a flexability in layering and plotting that is useful. The real advantage is that you never change a layers atributes, and if you need to change back, isolate the layer and return it to it's default color.

BTW, any one else want to tell me how ACAD works or what it can or can't do? I'm not comparing ACAD to anything, I'm asking questions, and looking for ways to adapt my ingrained processes so that Chief is a viable drafting tool for me and my clients. Chief users see things one way and ACAD users see it another, both can work together. I'm not trying to re-invent your wheel, I'm trying to impart another perspective. Some of it may be good, some of it may seem silly, but I'm here to learn with an open mind.

I am a Chief nubie, I am learning every day. I have issues with how some things work in Chief, but with time and experience I'll find out it works, but really, when it comes to how ACAD does something, I don't know anything else, Chief may be the greatest platform in the world, but the more options I have, the more editing capability, the more flexability to do something in more than one fashion is something any CAD user appreciates.

Bob