I converted over to aec standard.stb (included with ACA v 7 I think) and would never go back to. Now, I could just not see the benefits and I am always open to new ideas. It seems like AutoDesk is complicating something that has always worked. You could even still use color to help to quickly identify objects, but why do it twice. Now, you can do all of the same things with the STB. We do have some overlap of colors Colors which have the same line weight assigned and that is to differentiate the type of object and thus the layer it is assigned. Like you mentioned there are only a small number of line weights and shading needed, so we only use a small number of colors. I do not need to list their layer or line weight.Īs far as the 255 colors to manage, I do not see this as any king of negative, unless you really try to use that many. Still, when I look at a drawing I can see if things are correct by the colors I see. Now you could say that none of this matters so long as the elements are layered correctly, and that may be ok for certain drawings. I think this is the most important reason for using this system over the STB method. If it added something to my process I would have adopted it when it came out, but I have never found a good use.Īdditionally, you mention the advantage to a CTB is the ease of identifying color as being a set line weight. I have always lived by one important rule, do not do it just because AutoCAD can. My feeling is that the STB method has not gained acceptance because it does not really add anything new or better to what you could always do with the color system all users have used for so many years.
Exchanging files can be done with DWF Underlay or PDF – no adjustments needed on pen weights.Exchanging PDF files for updates so CTB or STB does not matter.When you send out the border and sheets the plot table goes along. E-transmit sends all of the stuff needed.You can swap either CTB or STB easily to create a different plot look.
You would be moving toward simplification of plotting options. SketchUp and Revit do not use pen weights.Since you really only use about 5 or 6 different line weights and a couple of screening values, you won’t have to manage 255 color settings of a CTB file.Ability to plot layers that use the same colors with different line weights, screening values, colors etc.When using STB you don’t have to remember what color equals what weight.Users will not have to guess or refer to a chart to see what color number to use. STB has a shorter list of options when picking pen weights.Most CAD users “eyes” can quickly define thickness by color.You are most likely have already got this down pat.If you are trying to choose which one to use there are some good things and bad things about each. But it has not taken over the AutoCAD world by storm. STB is newer but has been around for a while. Most users may not even know that they use it – but they do. Do you use STB or CTB? CTB has been around since day one of AutoCAD.