topic Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book in Modeling

Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 22:40:17 GMT

I have never seen why we would want different pens & colors in our PlotMaker layout books than in our ArchiCAD projects. Here is a simple tip to get your ArchiCAD Pens into PlotMaker.

As always, if you'd like a copy of this in PDF format, please contact me privately with your email address. It is only 765Kb so shouldn't be a problem for most users.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 22:41:13 GMT

...

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 22:42:33 GMT

...

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 22:43:33 GMT

...

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 22:44:09 GMT

...

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 22:44:59 GMT

...

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Oct 2004 19:33:36 GMT

When Ploting on a Black-ink only plotter, are you choosing "all colors to black? If so are White fills a problem?

Jay

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 04:22:25 GMT

When Ploting on a Black-ink only plotter, are you choosing "all colors to black? If so are White fills a problem?

Never I always plot to color - because even then you should get grayscale. And I have never personally had trouble with white fills. That is not to say it is not feasible.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Pete — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 14:08:20 GMT

Isn't the generally accepted practice to use colored pens (1-10) in AC so you can easily recognize element types, line weights, etc... Then mapping those pens to black in PM?

Is there a better way to organize pens?

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 14:33:00 GMT

IMHO, that is the best solution. Not only is it simple, but it is flexible and allows us to make maximum use of PlotMaker. We can map the first ten pens to black and the rest can be used to plot all the colors of the spectrum, including greyscale. Plot in color and only those unmapped pens will plot in color, if they are used at all. On a B&W plotter they will greyscale. Some people believe that it is best to assign one row of colors to certain element(s), all with different pen weights. This way they can use the colors to identify what is what on screen. That's what I use layers for, even if I do have to click on the element to see that, it's rarely a problem for me.

I know this is a sensitive topic that has been discussed here many times before and I am not out to preach that my method is the best, but it has worked for me for years and I find it very flexible!

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 20:47:35 GMT

Here is a related pen weight question that has always troubled me:

I spend time wrestling with how to set up my pen colors and weights, always refining the system. Yet, when placing Graphisoft's library parts in my drawings, I frequently find myself resetting several pen weights, often requiring a trip deep to the bottom of some heavily-parametered objects.

Is there a logic to Graphisoft's use of pens in the default settings of library parts?

After...I don't know 8 years of using this program, I would think I would have caught on to such a thing, but you never know. It would be a lovely thing to have most (all!!!) library parts look nice "out-of-the-box," assuming this didn't mean trying to adapt to an incoherent pen weight system (or non-system(.

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:14:31 GMT

This is a good method of transferring pen colors.

I have a separate PMK file for each pen settings I use, such as electrical, framing, floor, etc.

I want my lines to have specific weights depending on what is being printed. For instance, in framing, my framing members, and all exterior and interior bearing walls are dark, but my non-bearing walls are considerable lighter. It makes it extremely easy to determine what is bearing and what isn't.

But with any method, there are problems.

For instance, I have my line weights set so that at 1/4" scale I get a specific look as mentioned above.

But, I occasionaly have to print at 3/16" scale. Does anyone know of a fast method of changing pens from 1/4" to 3/16" scale or do I have to select each pen and manually change it.

Thanks,

Grant

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 01:55:01 GMT

Can you also import different line types and fill types into plotmaker from Archicad?

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Link — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 04:55:27 GMT

This is a good method of transferring pen colors.

I have a separate PMK file for each pen settings I use, such as electrical, framing, floor, etc.

I want my lines to have specific weights depending on what is being printed. For instance, in framing, my framing members, and all exterior and interior bearing walls are dark, but my non-bearing walls are considerable lighter. It makes it extremely easy to determine what is bearing and what isn't.

But with any method, there are problems.

For instance, I have my line weights set so that at 1/4" scale I get a specific look as mentioned above.

But, I occasionaly have to print at 3/16" scale. Does anyone know of a fast method of changing pens from 1/4" to 3/16" scale or do I have to select each pen and manually change it.

It seems that you have either answered your own question, or you change the scale globally when you plot to 3/16". A drawing that is placed on a sheet may have any pen mapping you want (as long as you're not using uniform pens & colors). Otherwise you can scale the pen weights with the globally (re)scaled plot file, by editing your registry as described here: http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/archiguide/ScalePenWeightinPM.html

Can you also import different line types and fill types into plotmaker from Archicad?

Not using this method Millard, but I am sure there are multiple workarounds for this. One way is to import a PMK that contains the linetypes & fills into your layout book, open it, and copy & paste the elements onto a sheet.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 16:15:08 GMT

Link, thanks for the reply. The INTL Version and US version are slightly different.

Anyone using the US version know where to find how to change the scale pen weights in the registry.

I tried using the directions that Link provided but no fiile for Scale Pen Weights. Perhaps called something different or in a different location.

Thanks,

Grant

Re: Tip: Import AC Pens into PM Layout Book

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 19:14:01 GMT

NOELDESIGNS wrote:
Anyone using the US version know where to find how to change the scale pen weights in the registry.

I can confirm that the sub-key "Plot" does not appear in the registry for the US version. Rather than hack and create the sub-keys that Greg mentions in his ArchiGuide article, perhaps he can post a comment here and revise thsi ArchiGuide tip.

Karl