Greying complex line types in Publish

[asonkin]

I am having issues with complex line types on grey layers appearing grey when published to a pdf.  Other lines on those layers go to grey but not complex line types.  These include line types with embedded text specifically for utilities.  Does anyone have experience with this issue.  I am running VW2022 on PC.  Attached file shows the issue.  The STRM line is on the same layer as the adjacent lies but does not show grey when published.  You can also see other utility lines in the sample printing dark.

 

Thanks

[Pat Stanford]

Are you using the Publish command?

 

When I Export a PDF or Print to PDF I see what you are saying that the styles lines are not greying.

 

When I Publish to PDF I do get Grey, but the default 69% grey still seems very dark. You may need to change it to something lower like 25% to get the effect you are looking for.

[asonkin]

18 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

Are you using the Publish command?

 

When I Export a PDF or Print to PDF I see what you are saying that the styles lines are not greying.

 

When I Publish to PDF I do get Grey, but the default 69% grey still seems very dark. You may need to change it to something lower like 25% to get the effect you are looking for.

Pat

 

I am using Publish and my grey percent is set at 30%.  Other objects on those layers go to grey but not the complex line types.  I tried setting the grey even lower at 10% but complex liens stay dark while the rest of the objects barely appear.  So, that part is working but not for complex lies.  Are there other settings that I am missing?

[Pat Stanford]

Nothing else that I am aware of. 

 

I actually tested my response to you.

 

Please try a simple file with two layers, one Gray and not active, one Visible and Active. Put samples of some of the complex line types you are having trouble with on each layer.

 

Publish to PDF with your 30% gray setting and see what you get.

 

If it works, then there is a problem with your other file. It it does not work, it may be a problem with your installation of VW. If it does not work, please post the simple test file  here so we can take a look.

[asonkin]

Its not working.  The circle and the CW line are on the same grey layer but only the circle publishes grey.  pdf and VWX files are attached.

 

Thanks

Sample.pdf Sample.vwx

[Pat Stanford]

You have Black and White choses for the output. That prevents the gray from working.

 

If you need both Black and White AND gray you will have to use other workarounds.  

 

If you are using Sheet Layers that could be using the Layer and Class Overrides in the viewports to set the objects to Black and White and then publish to PDF in color.

[asonkin]

I'll give it a shot.  The thing that is perplexing is why do other objects go to grey just fine but not complex line types.  The circle in the sample is on the same layer as the complex line and it greys with no issues.

[Pat Stanford]

I think the line is grey. But the text is not.  With Black and White Only, if the background is white, then all text, even that inside Complex Lines is drawn as black.

 

If this is an ability you really need, I suggest that you add it to the Wish List forum.

[asonkin]

I will but I assumed that it is a common enough thing to be a default part of the software.  I believe the earlier versions of VW did this by default but will check in the near future.  By the way, the line portion of the complex line does not grey in a pdf, but text that is free standing and is not part of a complex line does.  See example attached

Sample.vwx Sample.pdf

[asonkin]

I tried the overrides but I could not get them to make a difference so I came up with another workaround.  Since I like working in color, I set all of the layer colors to black and white.  This still allows the colors to show unless "Use layer colors" is checked in Document Preferences.  Then when Publishing, I publish in color and everything comes out perfect.  There are two small glitches, however.  First, simply changing layer colors to black and white with view ports already created does not change the view port colors to B/W when selecting "Use Layer Colors" in DP and so they print in color when published in color while the rest of the page prints in B/W.  So all view ports have to be created with layer colors already set to B/W and Use Layer Colors selected.  Second, when Use Layer Color is unchecked the drawing returns to colors, but the view port stays black and white.  One saving grace is that when editing the view port layers they do return to color.  There may be other issues with this approach that I have not run across yet.  What a pain, just letting everything to to grey on grey layers would be so much simpler.

[asonkin]

Found a couple of more glitches.  All layers for the entire drawing need to be created ahead of time.  Any layers added to the drawing keep their color in the view port while the layers that were created prior to view port creation stay B/W. One possible workaround is to create enough blank layers to satisfy any new layers needed in the future in case you want to duplicate the view port to use on other sheets.  I'll test that.  Also, Annotations stay in color with in the view port so if annotations are used they will need to be drawn in black and white. 

 

I am sure VW can write a fix into its code.