AUGH!!! A recent merger has caused some issues. One of the firms are using Bentley products (MicroStation and ProejctWise (PW)). Their workflow plots pdf's automatically from PW and they use one CTB to plot both AutoCAD and MicroStation files. Since AutoCAD can plot using either Pen colors or layer pen weights the CTB only allows for the use of pen widths assigned to the layers. This is obviously causing some problems since LandFX preferences controls layer pen widths by color.
I believe that in the end this may be a good think as it will force standards among offices using PW (I'm a proponent for standards). Unfortunately it's going to be painful getting there. I think that we will need to create a master DWT that can be used by both offices using LandFX and those not (so sad).
Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can produce a DWT or a LAS that includes the assigned pen widths by layer that includes all of the layers that are in a preference set as well as any other layers that LandFX creates on the fly?
Also, if I'm looking at this from the wrong direction, please feel free to adjust my perspective. Sarcasm is okay too.
I believe that in the end this may be a good think as it will force standards among offices using PW (I'm a proponent for standards). Unfortunately it's going to be painful getting there. I think that we will need to create a master DWT that can be used by both offices using LandFX and those not (so sad).
Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can produce a DWT or a LAS that includes the assigned pen widths by layer that includes all of the layers that are in a preference set as well as any other layers that LandFX creates on the fly?
Also, if I'm looking at this from the wrong direction, please feel free to adjust my perspective. Sarcasm is okay too.
It's absolutely the wrong direction.
Let's break this down -- they want to create a DWT file that has all layers you might ever possibly use. Users are then restricted from ever possibly creating a new layer. Controls have to be put in place to prevent users from accidentally purging out critical layers. And what is then the process for "approving" a new layer? How would that possible be transmitted to all current drawings?
OR, they could simply create a new CTB file.
To hammer home the point regarding layers, NCS allows a user to create additional layers as long as they match the standards. So a user is working on a plan, and there is an X-XXXX-XXXX layer, and that user decides that it would be very beneficial to create additional layers of X-XXXX-XXXX-0000 and X-XXXX-XXXX-1111. That is perfectly within the NCS guidelines, and should not present any issues to any appropriate workflow. But on the output side, if they require all layers to be hard-mapped to a lineweight, now suddenly they need to notify the CAD Manager, and central IT, and get these new layers approved, and so on.
(Note, that this is exactly what Land F/X does when using a layer suffix with Work Areas. This is an incredibly powerful feature, and should be allowed at all cost. Likewise, our ever-growing content and detail libraries, will add additional layers as necessary. So to attempt to account for every possible Land F/X layer is both technically impossible and very limiting.)
But let's fully dissect this issue, which is still confusing me -- CTBs allow one thing and one thing only, that is assigning a plot output to a *COLOR*, not to a layer name. So the first thing is to boil down exactly what the heck they are doing, because their request makes no sense.
I have to assume you have already sent them your CTB file? And I'm guessing they said they can't plot your files with that CTB file, because they can only use one CTB file for all output? So instead of simply fixing a broken plot system to allow to choose from among multiple CTB files, their solution is to create a vast network of complexity, and require high-level IT talent every time someone needs to create a new layer?
I think you are going to have to create a new Land F/X Preference Set, which has their preferred colors. And I am guessing you will also need to create the revised CTB file yourself, that will account for their current needs, as well as the additional colors that you require.
--J
Let's break this down -- they want to create a DWT file that has all layers you might ever possibly use. Users are then restricted from ever possibly creating a new layer. Controls have to be put in place to prevent users from accidentally purging out critical layers. And what is then the process for "approving" a new layer? How would that possible be transmitted to all current drawings?
OR, they could simply create a new CTB file.
To hammer home the point regarding layers, NCS allows a user to create additional layers as long as they match the standards. So a user is working on a plan, and there is an X-XXXX-XXXX layer, and that user decides that it would be very beneficial to create additional layers of X-XXXX-XXXX-0000 and X-XXXX-XXXX-1111. That is perfectly within the NCS guidelines, and should not present any issues to any appropriate workflow. But on the output side, if they require all layers to be hard-mapped to a lineweight, now suddenly they need to notify the CAD Manager, and central IT, and get these new layers approved, and so on.
(Note, that this is exactly what Land F/X does when using a layer suffix with Work Areas. This is an incredibly powerful feature, and should be allowed at all cost. Likewise, our ever-growing content and detail libraries, will add additional layers as necessary. So to attempt to account for every possible Land F/X layer is both technically impossible and very limiting.)
But let's fully dissect this issue, which is still confusing me -- CTBs allow one thing and one thing only, that is assigning a plot output to a *COLOR*, not to a layer name. So the first thing is to boil down exactly what the heck they are doing, because their request makes no sense.
I have to assume you have already sent them your CTB file? And I'm guessing they said they can't plot your files with that CTB file, because they can only use one CTB file for all output? So instead of simply fixing a broken plot system to allow to choose from among multiple CTB files, their solution is to create a vast network of complexity, and require high-level IT talent every time someone needs to create a new layer?
I think you are going to have to create a new Land F/X Preference Set, which has their preferred colors. And I am guessing you will also need to create the revised CTB file yourself, that will account for their current needs, as well as the additional colors that you require.
--J
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