Creating a CTB in AutoCAD is a straightforward process that allows you to control the plot styles of your drawings. Whether you want to create custom colors or adjust lineweights, a CTB file can help you achieve the desired output. In this tutorial, we will walk through the steps of creating a CTB file in AutoCAD.
Step 1: Launch AutoCAD and open the drawing that you want to create a CTB for.
Step 2: Go to the “Plot” tab in the ribbon menu and click on the “Plot Style Manager” button. Alternatively, you can type “PLOTSTYLEMANAGER” in the command line and hit Enter.
Step 3: In the Plot Style Manager dialog box, click on the “Add” button to create a new plot style.
Step 4: Enter a name for your new plot style and click on “OK”. This name will be used to identify your CTB file.
Color Assignments
Creating color assignments is an essential part of defining plot styles in AutoCAD. You can assign specific colors to different lineweights or use grayscale options for black-and-white printing. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 5: In the Plot Style Table Editor dialog box, select the “Color” tab.
Step 6: Click on any color cell to modify its appearance. You can choose one of the pre-defined colors or create custom ones by clicking on “Color…” button.
Step 7: Once you have selected a color, assign it to a lineweight by clicking on its corresponding cell in the “Lineweight” column.
Step 8: Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for all the colors and lineweights you want to define in your CTB file.
Lineweight Assignments
In AutoCAD, you can assign lineweights to different objects based on their properties or layers. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 9: In the Plot Style Table Editor dialog box, select the “Lineweight” tab.
Step 10: Click on any lineweight cell to modify its appearance. You can choose one of the pre-defined lineweights or create custom ones by clicking on “Lineweight…” button.
Step 11: Assign the desired lineweight to a plot style by clicking on its corresponding cell in the “Plot Style” column.
Step 12: Repeat Steps 10 and 11 for all the lineweights you want to define in your CTB file.
Saving the CTB File
After defining color and lineweight assignments, it’s time to save your CTB file. Here’s what you need to do:
Step 13: In the Plot Style Table Editor dialog box, click on the “Save As” button.
Step 14: Choose a location where you want to save your CTB file and enter a name for it.
Step 15: Click on “Save” to save your CTB file.
Congratulations! You have successfully created a CTB file in AutoCAD. Now you can apply this plot style to your drawings for consistent printing results.
Tip: To use your newly created CTB file, go to the “Plot” tab in the ribbon menu, select “Plot Style Table (Pen Assignments)” from the “Plot Style” dropdown list, and choose your CTB file from the list.
Remember, creating a custom CTB file gives you control over the plot styles in your AutoCAD drawings. Experiment with different colors and lineweights to achieve the desired visual representation of your designs.