Tags Plotting without weight

Folks-

I have an interesting plotting problem.  I'm transitioning to V8i from V8 and have been creating print styles to match the plots from the old platform.  I thought I had it all sorted out, but I was wrong...

For a particular client, we plot by color, and the color defines the weight of a given line or piece of text (apologies to those who already understand this).  Color 3, for example, is used for "proposed" text, and has a weight defined to make it heavier than "existing" text.  The problem is that all items with color 3 have the correct weight except for tag text.  The tags appear to have an effective weight of 0, despite the text being set to color 3.  Now, in V8, I had no problem with this.  I'm sure there is a setting that I'm missing somewhere, but I can't seem to locate it.  Can anyone assist?  I can provide the *.pltcfg and *.tbl files for troubleshooting if that will help.

Thanks much,

Chris

  • I'm pretty sure that "Tag" and "Point String" were not included in the initial pen table element type list.  They were added more recently, apparently after you authored your pen table.  That's why they're showing up as excluded types when viewed in V8i.

    I can't explain off the top of my head why the pen table worked prior to V8i.  It may be that the addition of the Tag selectable element type broke this.  Or it could be due to changes in how tag elements are processed through the display pipeline.  If so, this is the first report of that problem that I've heard.  If you have a *lot* of pen tables that are affected, then it might be worth pursuing a fix through Bentley Support.  But my advice is switch to pen color/weight maps (which were introduced in 2004) whenever possible.

          
    .

  • Andrew-

    What you've described in terms of the pen table looking at element selections was right on.  To be honest, until now, I've always created/edited my pen tables in a text editor.  The attached dialog screenshot looks like an easier solution.  Note that "Tags" are deselected...  Nice that despite doing this for nearly 20 years, I'm still learning new tricks on a regular basis.

    It's strange that this problem didn't occur using V8.  It's the selfsame pen table I used plotting this particular client's drawings on that platform as well.  In any case, problem solved! 

    I will look into the "Map Pen Colors" method of defining width.  This looks like a cleaner route to the end result I'm looking for.  Much obliged for the advice.  Incidentally, and to close ends on every issue - the "Explode Tags" option was selected.

    Thanks very much for the assist,

    Chris

  • I suspect that your pen table has 255 individual element sections, each matching a particular element color index and assigning a particular print width.  This is a problematic workflow.  It doesn't work well with elements that display using multiple colors (i.e. dimensions, cell-based custom line styles, etc.).  And it doesn't work for special/custom element types that aren't included in the pen table's element type list.

    A better approach is to forgo the element section list for the "color to width" workflow in favor of the "Map Pen Colors" subdialog.  Define 255 pen color mappings (the Create button does this automatically) and specify the appropriate print widths for each (multi-selection editing is supported).  This technique is independent of element types; it will work for tag elements as well as lines, circles, dimensions, custom line styles, and anything else.  Pen maps do not support graphics with RGB or named colors, but neither does the element selection criteria.

    Alternately, the problem you're seeing with tags (using the element section / output action technique) might be solveable by turning on "Explode tags" under "Pen Table Options".

          
    .