Drawing Preferences

[AplantAdmin]

So I'm setting up a XM piping drawing and using the drawing preferences that set colour by LAYER, and layer by LINENUMBER.

Everytime I create a linenumber and draw with it, XM is assigning a colour to that layer, Looks like it is just takeing the colours and assigning them as they are numbered by autocads colour table. ie. First layer = red, second = yellow, third = green. In 2004, if you used colour by LAYER, then it made your pipe white and you had to go in and set your colours on your layers.

What file runs this?? I've looked at the color.ini and there is nothing in it for by LAYER. We use this for certain client who have certain standards.

thanks.

[grinch2000cs]

All i know is we use color by service and modify the color.ini file to contain the services needed with the color codes. I tried playing around with a test project and added [ByLayer] to the color.ini file with some layer names and colors but it didn't work just like you said.

[grinch2000cs]

I did find this in the help.

Component Color/Layer
Defines how PIPING assigns component layers and colors. The color assigned to a each option, except By Paint, is defined in the project or configuration's COLOR.INI file.

Color Settings
By Size, By Layer, By Spec, By LineNo, By Paint and By Service

In general, all of these functions work in the same manner. Each retrieves a value from the component Size, Spec, LineNo, Service, etc. and then calls the at_PipingSystem_getColorByValue function, which looks up the value for the specified group in COLOR.INI. If the value is not found, then the color is assigned based on the index of the value in the list (e.g., for ByLineNo, The first linenumber is assigned color 1, the second color 2, etc.).

ByPaint is a little different in that it first checks to see if the value of the component's PAINT field is a "color number" (>= 0 and <= 256). If so, then it sets the color to the number, otherwise it uses the function at_PipingSystem_getColorByValue to read the color from COLOR.INI.

Utility Functions

The color table is initialized by reading COLOR.INI and the values are stored in the ACAD dictionary. As new values are found they are added to the dictionary.

These functions view/reset the color table in the dictionaries.

(at_PipingSystemColorTable_display) ; displays color table in text window

(at_PipingSystemColorTable_reset) ; reads in CONFIG.INI and updates values. Values that are in the existing dictionary, but not in the INI remain.

[grinch2000cs]

This was in the new features list for XM

Piping and Isometrics
Default layer properties when color is by layer
Various components added to all modules.

AutoCAD blocks can be used for components

Supports/Topworks browser

Supports inserted to the correct orientation by default.

New line can be created (if user has permission) during a copy or update

Connectivity checker can now reattached supports/topworks

Add support for the COPY command and attachments (supports and topworks)


Might need to get a hold of Bentley and find which file this is contained so that you could modify it.

[AplantAdmin]

thanks Grinch.

[dave]

thanks Grinch.

He says as his avatar flips us the bird B)

[grinch2000cs]

LOL!! That's the best i could do at the time. I am still looking into it.

[AplantAdmin]

well i haven't got an answer from bentley on this issue yet, but i have a call coming form them today on other issues, i'll hit them up for it then.

you don't like my avatar. It's for all of those countries/ religons that don't like us western folk. I say we nuke em all :)

[grinch2000cs]

I like your avatar!

[AplantAdmin]

wish when a bomb dropped you could make the cloud do that. can you imagine what the enemy would think?

[dave]

not to get off topic here but If we dropped a bomb on everyone who didn't like us we would be the only country left =/

[AplantAdmin]

not to get off topic here but If we dropped a bomb on everyone who didn't like us we would be the only country left =/

and the problem with that is??? :D well dropping bombs is for the U.S. Us Canadians can't afford to do anything like that.

[WiZardOz]

I was only speaking to our Bentley rep about this problem this morning .. but didn't raise a Service Ticket because We have already written our own work around

Our preference is to set the color based on the Service .. but we want the drawing to be Color ByLayer .. not by Entity (this is always a problem when using the file down the track as an Xref)

It took a bit of customisation .. but we have it looking at the ByService section of the Color.ini and setting the Layer Color to suit and the components are created bylayer .. when we did that we also created a ByClass section in the color.ini that allows us to control some component colors independently of the Service ( eg. we like the valves to appear a different color to the line )

Now everything is created ByLayer which gives us better control over files when used as Xrefs

[rwebb]

WiZardOz
This is exactly what I was just looking into doing. Thought I would search first to see if anyone else had the same requirements. Anyone know which ebs files are used to create the layers and set colors?

[Packin31]

Rwebb,

For Piping or Structural?

[rwebb]

For Piping. Haven't looked at structural colors yet. That will come later.

[Aplant Monkey]

I am trying to set this up as well and want to know where I can Pre-populate the drop down list for the Service(s) in the user preferences section so that users don't have to type in the service that they are using thus eliminating the inevitable problem of someone typing it wrong, anyone know where to do this.

[grinch2000cs]

To add the services, if you are using XM you can do this with the relationship manager. If you are using 2004 you can do this with the project administrator. I'm currently at home, but I think it is in the database section. Hope this helps

[Aplant Monkey]

I got it yesterday. where you do this is actually in the Project Objects section under Service. if you click there you will see a "new" option. type in your selections there and voila they appear in the model under Service. I have then gone inot the color.ini file and allocated the sevices there with specific colors as well. I understand you guys have run into problems with this set up with respect to xref's but we have not seen this yet.

[bottleneck70]

I was only speaking to our Bentley rep about this problem this morning .. but didn't raise a Service Ticket because We have already written our own work around

Our preference is to set the color based on the Service .. but we want the drawing to be Color ByLayer .. not by Entity (this is always a problem when using the file down the track as an Xref)

It took a bit of customisation .. but we have it looking at the ByService section of the Color.ini and setting the Layer Color to suit and the components are created bylayer .. when we did that we also created a ByClass section in the color.ini that allows us to control some component colors independently of the Service ( eg. we like the valves to appear a different color to the line )

Now everything is created ByLayer which gives us better control over files when used as Xrefs

Are you willing to share your code?