Emulating an Autodesk STB file

I don’t know much about AutoCAD plot styles but it looks like the line types are not be changed, if that’s what “use object linetype” means.

However, if using IPLOT or MicroStation native printing:

cls_name can be used to test off a custom line style:

if (cls_name == '{ Diamond }') then

The style comparison keyword can be used to test off styles 0-7.

if (style == 7) then

By default, when plotting a DWG file, IPLOT determines if a plot style is associated with the current layout. If it is, it searches the MS_PENTABLE search path (by default, {workspace}\system\tables\pen folder) and then AutoCAD's Plot Styles folder. If it locates the plot style file, IPLOT uses it as the default MicroStation pen table.

Also, a .ctb or .stb can be attached and used as a MicroStation pen table.

Thanks Todd,

unfortunately, I dont think thats it.
The name highlighted in the image is effectly a "style" thats been developed.
Its not a line style, its basically a configuration name. That configuration includes properties like line style, and colour, and line thickness and (potentially) more.

So, I believe the short answer is that this AutoCAD "style" is not supported in the PEN file syntax. Which I had assumed might be the answer, but really just wanted to check and make sure I hadn't missed something.

I did know that InterPlot can be configured to use the STB as is... but I'm hoping to not follow that path. I was hoping to wrap it all up in the PEN file.

I appreciate the reply.
Michael

CTB represents an "indexed-color-based plot style table", where STB represents a "name-based plot style table". CTBs are easy to emulate in a design script using a switch (color) statement or a bunch of "if (color) then <output action> elseif (color) then <output action>" statements. Or (more accurately) defined in a MicroStation pen table using pen color maps. As long as indexed colors are used, the CTB is valid for any design.

STBs are different. They are similar to the old InterPlot feature tables, if you ever worked with those. An STB contains the same types of output actions as CTBs, but no input criteria. Each set of output actions (e.g. a plot style) in the STB has a name, and those names can be attached in AutoCAD to layers or entities. The decision of whether to use an STB or CTB has to be made when the DWG is created, and cannot be changed afterwards. Since STB-based DWGs have the plot style names embedded in them, they are much more closely tied to a particular STB file than a MicroStation DGN is to a design script or pen table.

The problem with emulating an STB in a design script is that there is (a) no way to define or view a plot style name on a level or element in MicroStation, and (b) no way to compare against a plot style name in the design script even if it was visible in MicroStation. MicroStation print resymbolization follows a different philosophy.

The closet simulation I can think of would be to use tag data on elements to represent plot style names, and use tag comparison criteria in the design script to match elements and assign the desired output actions. That would be very cumbersome to maintain, though.