In AutoCAD, a plot style table is used to control the appearance of objects during the plotting or printing process. It is an important tool that ensures consistency in the way drawings are displayed on paper or in digital format. By defining and applying plot styles, you can customize various aspects such as line weights, colors, and linetypes to achieve the desired output.
Understanding Plot Styles
Plot styles in AutoCAD are defined using a table called a plot style table (.ctb). This table contains a list of plot styles, each with its own set of properties. The plot styles are applied to objects based on their color or the layer they are assigned to.
There are two types of plot style tables in AutoCAD:
- Color-dependent (CTB): In this type, the plot styles are defined based on colors. Each color maps to a specific combination of line weight, linetype, and other properties.
When plotting or printing, AutoCAD uses these mappings to determine how each object should appear.
- Named (STB): In this type, the plot styles are defined independently of colors. Instead of mapping colors directly, objects are assigned to specific named plot styles which have predefined properties. This allows for more flexibility as you can easily change the appearance of objects without modifying their color assignments.
Working with Plot Styles
To create or modify plot style tables in AutoCAD, you can use the “Plot Style Manager” dialog box. Here’s how:
- Accessing Plot Style Manager: You can open the “Plot Style Manager” dialog box by typing “PLOTSTYLE” in the command line or by navigating to “Output” > “Plot Style Manager” in the application menu.
- Creating a New Plot Style Table: To create a new plot style table, click on the “New” button in the dialog box. Give it a name and choose whether it should be color-dependent (CTB) or named (STB).
- Modifying Plot Style Properties: Once you have a plot style table, you can modify its properties by selecting a plot style from the list and clicking on the “Properties” button.
Here, you can adjust line weights, linetypes, colors, and other settings to match your requirements.
- Assigning Plot Styles to Objects: To assign plot styles to objects, you can either change their color or assign them to specific layers with predefined plot styles. This allows you to control the appearance of individual objects or groups of objects.
- Using Plot Styles for Plotting/Printing: When you are ready to plot or print your drawing, make sure to select the desired plot style table in the “Plot” dialog box. AutoCAD will then use the specified plot styles to generate the output based on your defined settings.
Benefits of Using Plot Styles
The use of plot styles in AutoCAD offers several advantages:
- Consistency: By defining consistent plot styles across all drawings, you can ensure that your designs are presented uniformly.
- Ease of Editing: With named plot styles (STB), you can easily modify the appearance of objects without changing their color assignments.
- Flexibility: By tweaking plot style properties, such as line weights or linetypes, you can adapt the output to different requirements or standards.
- Efficiency: Plot styles allow you to automate the plotting process by saving and reusing predefined settings.
In conclusion
A plot style table in AutoCAD is a powerful tool that controls the appearance of objects during plotting or printing. By defining and applying plot styles, you can achieve consistent and visually appealing outputs.
Whether you choose color-dependent (CTB) or named (STB) plot styles, it is important to understand their properties and how to use them effectively. With practice and experimentation, you can enhance your drawings by leveraging the capabilities of plot style tables.