Associating a plot style to a printer
I have one physical printer. One drawing will have the monochrome ctb file for it. The next drawing won't, or lists it missing. I can't be wandering all over the command structure looking for answers.
How do you "glue" a plot style to a printer? For that matter why is the thing missing from the print settings in the first place?
Yes, I am upset.
Comments
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I would advise you, and every other cad-user, to create and use your own templates. Setting up a template may take some time but will save many more hours (and a lot of frustration) in the long run. Also be sure to use your own template as the BASEFILE.
> How do you "glue" a plot style to a printer?
In the page setup you can specify a printer as well as a ctb file. This 'glues' the style to the printer for that layout.Note that is possible to import a layout from a template. So setting up a template with all your favourite paper sizes, and printer/ctb combinations, can be useful.
FYI: Printer and pen settings used to be stored in a single file. Separating those settings is in fact a great improvement.
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How do I get a missing ctb file into the print style selection for a print?
There are several printers that automatically load on launching CAD, but only two plot styles--now. There were four when I started this nightmare. I am not creating a new drawing just to get a plot style that might dissappear the next time I open the drawing or do a <print...>. CTB files do not import into an open drawing. The Bric. CTB and STB files are still in the main user folder.
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> the main user folder
Plotstyles are stored in a specific folder in the 'Roamable root folder':
*ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX*\PlotStyles\
The Roamable root folder is user and system dependent. To find your Roamable root folder search for ROAMABLEROOTPREFIX in the Settings dialog.
'Out of the box' the PlotStyles folder containes:
Create a Plot Style Table.lnk
default.ctb
default.stb
displaycolors.ctb
displaycolors-darkbg.ctb
monochrome.ctb
monochrome.stb
As you can see there are 2 STB files and 4 CTB files. But you can only choose a CTB file in CTB based drawing, and an STB file in an STB based drawing.
In a previous post you mentioned that you were confused by the difference between STB and CTB files. Could that still be the case? Could it be that CTB files are only 'missing' in your 'Named plot style' (STB based) drawings?0 -
Thank you, Roy. I spent a good portion of the weekend working on this issue:
Issue: One drawing file has monochrome (black only) print capabilities. Another drawing will not print black only. The problem grew and expanded to include--
CTB and STB files dropping out of <plot styles> or, the search path was changed to the <plot configuration> folder. I don't remember which happened-but there are two monochrome files in the Plot Configuaration folder now. STB and CTB must be siamese. They move together. And, no black-only plots. I was creating new PC3 files, and CTB files trying to "kick" start or reinsert any missing or corrupted code. I downloaded several template files and tried them.
When things started deteriorating, a print preview would be color, but print black; then the preview switched to black-line. Then everything went to color plots, even with a black-line preview.
Model space, paperspace; neither made any difference.
HP's drivers for Photosmart inkjets no longer include a black-and-white print setting. Grayscale selection only screens printing. I setup a Bricscad file in the printer's Quick settings and tried it, too. The printer's settings don't seem to make a difference to how the plots proceed.
The "Previous Plot" setting in <Print...> must be program dependent. The problem expanded to known "good" drawings--after I had print-tested them.
Eventually, I got all the files you mentioned back into "PlotStyles" folder. Last night, the program blinked after I checked all plot options (except PlotDoc--which won't work, yet) and it showed blackline preview and printed a blackline. I don't know what happened. All I did was print an "AutoCAD Standard Lineweights" sheet in default "print", because anything else I tried blew away the thickened lines.
I am getting rid of PDF995, not because it preceeded plot failure, but because it hasn't been updated in years and my license has been lost since 2007.
Now, about the non-functional plot stamp .....
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PDF995 still works very well for me, my last exe file is dated 2009. Not sure what if anything had changed. Perhaps it was when I registered.
I discovered just recently, as well as a Program folder path there is a Plot styles path and a Plotter configuration path.
Adding a Plot style path to the program path only seemed to lose my lisp functions. I was fiddling because I did not seem able to save a changed style.
All my personal styles appear in the plot dialogue with PC3 extensions. Sometimes they won't save after a change and I still don't know why.
There are multiple copies of everything in different directories. I just hope no one ever asks for a plot style file.
Plot styles were simple in Intellicad, complicated but still worked after changing to match Acad's system.
In Bcad V11 I can't get what I want first time every time, but the system is so confusing I can't repeat or trace it well enough to point a finger.
I do know the program mostly overrides the printer settings.
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@ John:
Copy-pasting this:
(vla-get-printerstylesheetpath (vla-get-files (vla-get-preferences (vlax-get-acad-object))))
Or this:
(vlax-dump-object (vla-get-files (vla-get-preferences (vlax-get-acad-object))))
On the command line will tell which path Bricscad uses to find ctb and stb files.
After a 'normal' install you would expect to find plot style tables in two locations:
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One set in you roamable root folder. these are used for actual plotting.
2.
One set in the subfolder UserDataCache in the main program folder. Bricscad uses this folder during the installation process to determine if there are any user customizations. You should not touch the files in this folder.0 -
Thanks Roy, I think the paths are ok because it mostly works.
Just sometimes a change to a Printer/plotter configuration (in the print dialogue box) either refuses to save with changed properties or reverts to "None (uses default)".
Also, a temporary Bcad override to PDF995's defaults will stick will it remains open, but the defaults return if its preview is closed during a series of prints.
I only comment in case these behaviours might possibly be connected with Bruce's grief.
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Thanks, John, Roy. I will keep the code on file in case ... so I have something else to throw the next time. John I think I am back to blackline plots.
PDF995 is not the best *free* program. The nags window and speed are too irritating, and I don't want to buy it again. It was a very good pdf converter for ACAD 2000i/04. Tiny files!
HP Photosmart inkjets don't seem to be the best for setting up inhouse CTB files. I'm thinking a laser jet will have completely different requirements. Then half-size vs. full-sized plots...
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Perhaps my files (<3Mb generally) aren't big enough to test the sytem, but I don't get real lags with any type of plot creation. The A1 HP designjet takes a short time to get started.
But I don't believe the plotter has a bearing on the time to set up Bcad's time to set up?
Also, if you are printing to your own plotter why do you use a PDF creator? I only use PDF's to email toothers.
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