Being able to plot from color WYSIWYG to B&W & grayscale.

All,

At present, I have a Microstation plotting issue I am trying to resolve. Currently our organization is using v8i but in order for them to plot B&W plots, their screen display elements are all white and/or grey scale.

This is the basic plot routine we go through. WYSIWYG with a few color elements in the title block.

 What I’m wanting to do is incorporate a .plt file so I can control colors 1-245 as black output colors, 246-253 as shades of gray scale, 254 as white on color plots and leave 255 alone.

I think this code is “right on” but when I load the pen table, select True Color as shown, it plots in color. When I select Grayscale instead of True Color, I get too many grayscale elements. When I select Monochrome, I get B&W and the gray scaling in these strings won’t come out on forms of gray scale.

That’s why we’re presently resigned to black and white on the screen because we are not able to override it any other way.

You’re welcome to look at my .plt file:

#     N:\Norsworthy\RDEfullsize.tbl

 

BEGIN_GLOBAL

    VERSION = 890

    PLOTTING

    VIEWS = 1-8

    SYMBOLOGY = AsStored

    EXPLODE_SHARED_CELLS = 0

    EXPLODE_DIMENSIONS = 0

    EXPLODE_MULTILINES = 0

    EXPLODE_TAGS = 1

    MATCH_MULTIPLE_SECTIONS = 0

    PST_COMPATIBLE_MODE = 0

    SORT_EXPORTED_GRAPHICS = 0

END_GLOBAL

 

BEGIN NEW

;Pen Definition for Black

pen(1)=(0-245)/rgb=(0,0,0)

 

;Pen Definition for 10% screened lightest

pen(2)=(246)/rgb=(220,220,220)

 

;Pen Definition for 20% screened

pen(3)=(247)/rgb=(196,194,195)

 

;Pen Definition for 30% screened

pen(4)=(248)/rgb=(180,180,180)

 

;Pen Definition for 40% screened

pen(5)=(249)/rgb=(160,160,160)

 

;Pen Definition for 50% screened

pen(6)=(250)/rgb=(140,140,140)

 

;Pen Definition for 60% screened

pen(7)=(251)/rgb=(120,120,120)

 

;Pen Definition for 70% screened

pen(8)=(252)/rgb=(100,100,100)

 

;Pen Definition for 80% screened darkest

pen(9)=(253)/rgb=(80,80,80)

 

;Pen Definition for white on color plots black on mono plots

pen(10)=(254)/rgb=(255,255,255)

 

END

 

BEGIN_STRINGS

    "$FILEL$" = "_FILEL_"

    "$DATE$" = "_DATE_"

    "$TIME$" = "_TIME_"

END_STRINGS

 

BEGIN_WEIGHTMAP

      0 = 4 0.169

      1 = 4 0.375

      2 = 4 0.5

      3 = 4 0.625

      4 = 4 0.75

      5 = 4 0.875

      6 = 4 1

      7 = 4 1.125

      8 = 4 1.25

      9 = 4 1.375

     10 = 4 1.5

     11 = 4 1.625

     12 = 4 1.75

     13 = 4 1.875

     14 = 4 2

     15 = 4 2.125

     16 = 4 2.25

     17 = 4 2.375

     18 = 4 2.5

     19 = 4 2.625

     20 = 4 2.75

     21 = 4 2.875

     22 = 4 3

     23 = 4 3.125

     24 = 4 3.25

     25 = 4 3.375

     26 = 4 3.5

     27 = 4 3.625

     28 = 4 3.75

     29 = 4 3.875

     30 = 4 4

     31 = 4 4.125

END_WEIGHTMAP

 

The weightmaps come out fine. File name, date and time come out fine. But the pen definitions appear to be controlled by the driver’s selection of True Color, Grayscale or Monochrome. Can you recommend a work around solution.

Regards,

David