True Color in CAD

Note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions. You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)

• Intro/TOC
• Using Color in AutoCAD
• Coloring with Land F/X
• Site Color Wheels
• Demonstration of Using the Land F/X Coloring Systems

0:00 – 3:42: Intro/TOC

3:43 – 10:07: Using Color in AutoCAD

Users can assign color to any objects in AutoCAD.

AutoCAD has three different color modules for assigning color to objects (4:04):

• AutoCAD Color Index (Index Color)
• True Color
• Color Books

AutoCAD Color Index (Index Color) (4:25)

• Standard AutoCAD colors each identified with a number 1 through 255.
• In drafting, these help distinguish layers of geometry.
• When plotting using a CTB, you can control the final output for each color value.
• Typically plot in black and white.
• Used for translating color to lineweights and other object display settings.

True Color (6:35)

• Sincere representation of color.
• RGB values (intensities of red, green, and blue) can be entered manually.
• Allows you to choose any perceivable colors.

Color Books (7:22)

• Sets or palettes of colors.
• This includes color profiles for the color standards of Pantone colors, RAL Classic, and DIC Color Guide.
• Users can create custom Color Books, but in a roundabout sort of way.
• Custom Color Books require the online tool accessed through a Web browser.
• When finished with the custom Color Book, download the ACB (.acb) file and place it into the Support File Search Path.

When working with color in AutoCAD (9:49):

• Color ByLayer is recommended and should only not be used when absolutely necessary.
• Color management is up to you!

10:08 – 14:42: Coloring with Land F/X

Color in Land F/X (10:08):

• Integrated with AutoCAD color systems.
• Blocks from our block library are built with color layers for quick use.
• Area tools choose color from a group of options and this choice is saved into the project data.
• The data behind Land F/X objects make color management a breeze.

Land F/X color tools (11:22):

• Color Render (11:29)
• A tool for assigning color to plant symbols, and plant and RefNote areas.
• When Color Render is turned on, the system swaps black and white symbols and hatch patterns with the assigned colored alternatives.
• Allows for the quick transformation of a construction plan into a presentation plan.
• Concept and Zoning areas (12:53)
• These by design are intended to be placed with color.
• Color is chosen when the objects are initially set up.
• Site Color (13:25)
  • A tool for creating custom True Color palettes.
  • Allows for quick placement of solid and gradient hatches on specified layers.
  • Turns on color layers in generic blocks.

14:43 – 16:21: Site Color Wheels

• These wheels now translate to custom Color Books.
  No longer need to use Autodesk's Web tool to create Color Books.
• Color Books can be used to choose colors for items such as Concept Graphics.
• Eventually, this will allow you to customize Groundcover and Shrub Area colors.

16:22 – end: Demonstration of Using the Land F/X Coloring Systems

Creating a line with a color set to it (17:26)

Managing the layer color (17:52)

Saving a set of layer properties into a Layer State (19:25)

Breaking as plan into zones and assigning them with color manually using native AutoCAD tools (19:56)

Automating the same process using the Land F/X Zoning tool (21:41)

Using our Color Render tool (23:52)

Using our Site Color tool (26:59)

Working with the color wheels within our Site Color tool (29:14)

Adding a new color wheel and customizing color wheels (32:05)

Placing a color (34:55)

Editing an existing color or adding a new color (36:54)

Selecting a color for use with our Concept Graphics or Zoning tools (38:48)

Using colors with Work Areas (41:43)

Using the eyedropper tool within Site Color to add colors to a wheel (44:36)

Assigning color to specific layers (47:41)

How to adjust layer transparency (48:37)