Converting a Drawing from Color Plot Styles to Named Plot Styles

If you work in an office where drawings from other offices frequently cross your desk, you might eventually need to convert a drawing from a color plot style to named, or vice versa.

To convert a color plot-style drawing to a named plot-style drawing, you need to use the Convertctb and Convertpstyles commands. This conversion is a two-part process. In the first part, which is needed only the first time you perform the conversion, you convert a color plot-style table file into a named plot-style table file. You can then convert the drawing file.

1. Open the AutoCAD drawing you want to convert.

2. At the command prompt, enter Convertctb↲ to open the Select File dialog box, in which you can select a color plot-style table file; these files have the filename extension .ctb.

3. Select the color plot style you want to convert with the drawing, and then click Open to open the Create File dialog box. This dialog box allows you to provide a name for the converted file. For example, if you opened the Acad.ctb file in step 1, you might want to give the new file the name AcadConvert so you know that it is a converted .ctb file. AutoCAD automatically adds the .stb filename extension. Click Save. AutoCAD creates a new named plot-style table file.

Once a color plot-style table is converted, you can convert the drawing, as described next:

1. Open the file you want to convert, and enter Convertpstyles↲ at the command prompt. You'll see a warning message to make sure you've converted a .ctb file to an .stb file.

2. Click OK. The Select File dialog box opens.

3. Select the converted .stb file you created using the Convertctb command. The current drawing is converted to use a named plot-style table.

The process for converting a drawing that uses named plot styles to one that uses color plot styles is a bit simpler. You need only to use the Convertpstyles command. When you do, you'll see a warning message telling you that all the named plot styles will be removed from the drawing. Click OK to convert the drawing.