WisDOT plot standards

The WisDOT Civil 3D plot style tables are CTB (color dependent plot style tables) in version 2018 and later.

The plot styles are used to define the output color (black, grayscale or color) of an object. When an object color is set as ByLayer the plot style color that corresponds with the layer color is used. The object properties, layers and/or civil styles define the lineweight and the linetype. Each plot table is used for creating a specific plot output.

wisdot_standard.ctb

This is the primary plot style table for standard plan sheet output. This plot style table is set to plot black & grayscale. To maintain layer color consistency from previous versions, each AutoCAD color from 1-255 in the plot style table is assigned to either plot as black, gray or white for masking. When the wisdot_standard.ctb plot style is assigned to a layout, the object color is plotted based on the (black, white or gray) color assigned to it in the plot style table. It is not plotted as the visual object color assigned in the layer or object settings. When this plot style table is used with the default plot style settings, a consistent plot output can be achieved from any workstation with the WisDOT standards installed.

wisdot_color.ctb

This plot style table is set to plot color by object and lineweight by object. Use this plot style table when there is a need for many color and/or lineweight overrides at the Civil 3D style, layer or object level. This plot style table can also be used to plot a drawing where a majority of objects need to be plotted in color. This plot style table allows you to override the standard color and lineweight settings instead of using wisdot_standard.ctb. Color and lineweight is determined by the civil object style, layer, or object property settings. When the wisdot_color.ctb plot style is assigned to a layout, the object color is plotted based on the visual color assigned to it in the layer or object.

Part 1: Plot style table

The plot style table file is referenced into the drawing that provides drawing object output settings. These settings are not associated to any output device. The WisDOT 2016 STB and 2018 CTB plot style tables are used to assign individual plots styles to a layer, civil style or a drawing object. The plots style tables are set per drawing layout and adapted into the WisDOT page setups.

In order to maintain layer color consistency from previous version each AutoCAD colors from 1-255 in the plot style table are assigned to either plot as black, gray or white, with the layer or style controlling all other settings.

Please refer to the Wisdot_standard_CTB.pdf located in: C:\Wisdot\Stnd\C3D2018\Appdata\Plotters\PlotStyles\WisDOT_Standard_CTB.pdf

This file can be accessed from each WisDOT ribbon on the Manage & Support panel Open WisDOT standard CTB pdf.

Part 2: Layers and civil styles

Since the plot style controls the black and gray shades, all other output including lineweight, linetype and even nonstandard colors can be set by the layer or style. This provides the flexibility to develop output settings that are part of the drawing.

Standard layer example

Standard style defined example

Part 3: Layer states #layer-state

The third-tier is the layer states. This is the real backbone of the entire system. A layer state is simply a snapshot of all the layer settings within the layer manager. The Layer States Manager is used to save the settings developed in the second tier. The layer states are saved within the drawing but can also be exported and imported into other drawings. WisDOT has included a few standard output layers states in each of the begin drawing templates; design, survey, plat, and construction-survey. WisDOT also provides the same layer states as files that can be imported into any drawing not started with the 2018 templates.

Access the WisDOT layer states palette from WisDOT Sheets > Plot Configuration > Layer States

Or from WisDOT Sheets > Plot Configuration > Unsaved Layer States > Manage Layer States...

Info: The image above shows the settings to use when managing the WisDOT Layer States. The color, linetype and lineweight properties should always be checked to be restored. The other layer properties might need to be unchecked when depending on what the previous layer state or user set within the layer manager.

Part 4: Page setups & sheet templates

WisDOT provides predefined page setups. A page setup is a saved setting that specifies the plot area, paper size, scale, and plot style to use which determine the appearance of a plotted or published output. These setups can be assigned to sheet layouts. WisDOT Civil 3D 2018 page setups have already been created for all of the standard WisDOT sheet sizes. All the page setups can also be imported from the Page Setups palette as needed and assigned to existing sheet layouts.

Access the WisDOT Page Setup palette from WisDOT Sheets > Plot Configuration > Page Setups

Notice all the settings, including the plots style that are set within a saved page setup.

To access the WisDOT tool to manage page setups, go to WisDOT Sheets > Plot Configuration > Multi-Page Setup.

The new wisdot_standard.ctb plot style table should be used with all drawings used in standard plan production. Each color plot style can be overridden at the layer or object level. When complete color output is desired, it may be easier to use the wisdot_color.ctb plot style table.

These two plot style tables are to be used in conjunction with a saved page setup and layer states that WisDOT has provided. Refer to the Page setup tool on the WisDOT Design and WisDOT Sheets palette.

For sheet plans production, WisDOT generally has had 3 standard output colors assigned to CAD objects; black, gray, and white. Within the gray there have been a few options such as dark, medium or light gray.

Black (Proposed)

In the WisDOT CTB configuration black is every color except for:

• colors ending with 1
• colors 21-29
• colors 243-255.

Gray (Existing)

In the WisDOT CTB configuration gray is:

• every color that ends with a 1
• colors 22-29

• and colors 243-255

These two groups of colors are used for county maps and to give the user additional gray shade options.

White (Masking)

The color 255 is reserved to use for masking.

Normal (Color)

In the WisDOT CTB configuration all layer properties except for color can be considered to be set to Normal.

Tip: To override the plot style color change the color to a TrueColor (RGB color). Example red = (255,0,0)