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#68064 by BEMArchitect
Mon Jan 18, 2016 8:52 pm
Thanks to joshhuggins, David Giesselman and RogerD for answers to my previous questions! Now I have another one. I am using the trial version of DC18 and want it to function as much like my great version DC10.05. DC10.05 has 15 designated colors in the pen table, and 16 - 255 are not assigned a particular color, but colors/weghts/pen numbers can be assigned, which I have done for some of the pens. DC18 pen table numbers stop the numbers @ #240 and after that repeats the same 15 color names for pens 241-255 that are already listed for pens 1-15. I want to change the names of those last 15 "color" named pens to numbers; like the pen table in DC10.05. How do I do that?
If I can't, won't those last 15 pens, with the same color names as the first 15 pens, print the same as the first 15?
#68065 by MtnArch
Mon Jan 18, 2016 10:02 pm
Hi Brady -

I just opened up my V18 with my usual pen table and after #240 I have 241, 242, etc., and not the named colors like you're describing. Have you tried copying over your V10 pen table(s), or selected them from your V10 directory to see if that makes any difference?

In terms of how the last 15 print, it will depend on what pens you have assigned for those colors. I believe that they default to pen 7 straight out of the box.
#68066 by BEMArchitect
Tue Jan 19, 2016 7:03 am
Thanks for the response Alan. I didn't know you could "copy over" from DC10 to DC18 or select DC10 pen table from DC18. Of course, I'll probably crash the program when I attempt to do that, but I'll give it a shot. As I mentioned in my first post to the Forum, I'm not well versed in "tweaking" this thing. DC10 has worked so well for me for years, without my having to tweak it, that anything I attempt to do to DC18 is going to be more than a challenge to me.
I did go back and look at the pen table in DC18 (DCADWIN.DPF) just to see if I had been hallucinating, but I was right; my pen numbers stop at Color_240 and then pick up with the same 15 colors, not numbers, as listed at the beginning of the pen table.
#68067 by MtnArch
Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:20 am
Interesting ... I just looked at my Dcadwin.dpf file and it only has the numbers. Go figure ...

Although I'm sure you'd do this anyway, but always save a copy of any file you modify BEFORE you modify it, just in case your nimble fingers go klutzy like mine! There are very few things that I've tweaked throughout the years but what I have modified has worked well for me.
#68069 by Roger D
Tue Jan 19, 2016 9:02 am
As MtnArch wrote, always make a backup copy of any support file before you modify it. Also, look at the file setup, what it looks like in notepad for example, and make sure the new and old setups are the same.

FYI - Sometime back, you could set a color to pen=0 and it would plot the screen color. At one point DataCad added Pen=0 to be a non printing pen, but changed and made pen=16 to plot the screen color.
#68081 by BEMArchitect
Fri Jan 22, 2016 12:23 pm
Thanks to MtnArch and Roger D for your advice! I do have another "uninformed" question. MtnArch you mentioned the dcadwin.dpf file.....where is that, I can't seem to find it? Again, at this point I am using the Trial Version of DC18. I'm wondering if I would even be able to modify anything using the trial version.

Actually, I just found the file, but what would I pick to display the pen numbers/color assignments?

Thanks in advance for the time all of you are giving to help this old guy move forward at a snails pace!
#68093 by BEMArchitect
Fri Jan 22, 2016 5:59 pm
I'm telling you computer gurus that your dealing with a computer "Gomer Pyle" when it comes to meddling with the inner workings of DC10 or DC18. So, your suggestions have encouraged me to take another baby step; I figured out how to take a screen shot. Here are screen shots of the DC10 and DC18 pen tables. Notice how the Dc10 pen table numbers go all the way to pen#255, but the DC18 pen table stops at pen#240 and then duplicates the first 15 pen colors instead of continuing with the numbers.
I want those last 15 pens in the DC18 pen table to be named by numbers: color_241 to color_255. How can I change those names?
Attachments
DC10PenTable.JPG
DC10PenTable.JPG (87.01 KiB) Viewed 13040 times
DC18PenTable.JPG
#68094 by joshhuggins
Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:25 pm
The names come from the Color Palette (Tools menu, Color Palette). Just click on a color box, and you can change it's name below. Remember to use the Save As Button to update your current palette or create to save as new Palette. Whatever Color Palette is active in the drop down is the Color Palette you are currently using.
#68096 by Roger D
Fri Jan 22, 2016 7:59 pm
I would copy the file from v10 to v18
C:\DataCad 16\Support Files\Color Palettes\Default.rgb and see if that helps.
Rename default.rbg to default-dcad.rbg so you will maintain a copy of that file.
#68147 by BEMArchitect
Tue Feb 02, 2016 9:12 pm
The "old dog" has still not been able to remedy the issue I previously had a question about; even after emailing DataCad Support. They were not ale to help me at all. This was their response:
"The issue you are bringing up has more to do with the color palette
than the pen table. The default color palette in DataCAD 18 is
different than the default palette in DataCAD 10. You can bring over
your color palette(s) from DataCAD 10, and use them in DataCAD 18.

You should take a look at the attached file Before_You_Begin.pdf,
which covers many of the issues you're likely to encounter."

So, the DC10 palette is DEFAULT.RGB and if I change the name to 10DEFAULT.RGB (because the DC18 color palette already has a DEFAULT.RGB file), and I copy to DC18\Support Files\Color Palettes then I should have my DC10 color palette. But, how do I choose that color palette to use?
When I am in a DC18 drawing and I select Tools>Color Palette a color palette box comes up and it is titled "Color Palette>Drawing Palette". How do I would I select my DC10 color palette?

And I apologize for belaboring this issue, and thank all of you that are attempting to help me. I find it a lot easier to design a building than to just get this DC18 pen setting issue to match my DC10 pen settings.
#68148 by MtnArch
Wed Feb 03, 2016 2:00 am
OO ... OO, Teacher ... I know!!!

When you open V18 (and your drawing ... duh!), go to 'Tools/Color Palettes' and - even though you don't see anything, click the down triangle just to the left of 'SaveAs' and this will bring up all of the palettes that are within your path that you've set (in Preferences) or have saved in the DC18 'Support Files/Color Palettes' sub directory. Pick your '10DEFAULT.RGB' file and you're good to go!

Thanks, Brady, for helping me feel smart on this one! ;-)

Ask again ... I love raising my hand before Josh does!!!
#68162 by BEMArchitect
Thu Feb 04, 2016 10:40 am
Alan T. Hendry..........you the MAN! Your FINE recommendation worked; I have my DC10 color palette! Since it appears that you and Josh Huggins had a little friendly completion going, I think this made you the winner; at least for this round of dumb questions from me! You even solved my problem after I had appealed to the DataCad Support team; who didn't help me at all.

Thanks to all of you, including Roger D., who recommended that I copy my DC10 color palette to DC18. However, being the unlearned person that I am, I needed more step-by-step help.

I will give Alan and Josh more opportunity for competition in the coming days as I move into the use of DC18. So, be prepared with your answers and patience!

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