PM dwg export - any way to get a ctb vs. stb output?

[Anonymous]

Hi.

I have spent some time with the various PM and dxf converter output options for pens, colors, etc. and have so far failed to generate a dwg file with a ctb setup vs. the stb that PM generates (nobody I know that is using AutoCAD ever uses stb unless they are graphic artists - and most graphic artists don't use AutoCAD - everyone else is familiar with pen number = color = pen weight). Given the vagaries of colors and mapping between the default pens in AC and AutoCAD (particularly starting in AutoCAD 2004) I can see why Graphisoft made the choice to set the resultant output DWG files to STB but it is a royal pain for my consultants to have to enter each DWG file and type the command line CONVERTPSTYLES in AutoCAD to convert the files back from STB to CTB in AutoCAD.
Any help apprciated.

Jerome

[Achille Pavlidis]

has anybody found a solution to this????

[Anonymous]

Actually I found it after I posted this with the help of my Graphisoft dealer.
There are 2 options:

a) in the Plotmaker program go to menu FILE/PUBLISHER/PUBLISH/ select a DWG format for your plots and the OPTIONS button becomes active - hit the OPTIONS button - the dwg/dxf converter option comes up - create a new one (you can't modify the default) and go to ATTRIBUTES/PEN AND COLORS/METHODS and select under 'match archicad pens to autocad colors by' "Using Pen-to-Color Conversion table"

b) select a template dwg with the pen maps set to CTB.

Sorry for not posting a follow up...
Jerome

[Andy Thomson]

Thanks for following up, we have been having similar questions floating around the office, I had always thought the first of your pen table conversions needed to be set up pen by pen...(and the xml file saved and reused)

A

[Anonymous]

You don't need the pen by pen conversion for either of the methods I listed. I didn't set one up and it still works.

Jerome

[Andy Thomson]

Right - i tried it, perfect. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

jerome_s wrote:
There are 2 options:

However both these two methods don't actually generate a CTB file, all they assure is that the DWG file is setup to accept CTBs. what I have always needed is to give the consultants a CTB file that corresponds to Plotmaker's pen weight assignment. (similar to the way AC or PM generates a Shx file) any way to do that?

[Andy Thomson]

Probably not. I haven't bothered to set up a CTB for them, it is enough that we get good font conversion, paperspace, and hairline settings with this export xml for plotmaker.

[Anonymous]

CTBs are only generated by AutoCAD - I just make sure my pen colors and weights are compatible between ArchiCAD and AutoCAD and edit a blank CTB file in AutoCAD and save it for use with the converted ArchiCAD files.