23/3/2019 User's Guide: National CAD Standard Compliance

National CAD Standard Compliance

The National CAD Standard version 3.1 is a
consensus standard compiled from three existing
standards and guidelines by NIBS (The National
Institute of Building Sciences). These consist of
the AIA Layer Guidelines version 3.0, the CSI
Uniform Drawing System (UDS) and the Tri-
Services Plotting Guidelines. The National CAD
Standard v. 3.1 is supported where possible in
AutoCAD Architecture through the use of pre-
configured Layer Standards, Layer Key Styles,
plot style tables and annotation tools. While it is
not required that custom content be compliant,
when creating new content for use in the United
States you should take this support into account.
The Imperial templates provided with AutoCAD
Architecture are pre-configured to load the AIA
Version 3 Layer Key Style by default. This is
based on the AIA Version 3 Layer Standard,
which is in turn compliant with the AIA Layer
Guidelines version 3.0.
The AIA v3 Layer Key Style includes line weights
and linetypes that are in accordance with the
Uniform Drawing System, and the colors that it
specifies are compliant with the Tri-Services
plotting guidelines. Additionally, the drawing
default display representations for all objects in
the template files have been configured to
adhere to the Tri-Services Guidelines and
Uniform Drawing System recommendations by
assigning appropriate colors, linetypes, line
weights and plot styles to all display components.
There are twelve templates that are provided with
the AutoCAD Architecture sold in the United
States, and each one is pre-configured to use a
specific plot style table:

Default
Template
Plot
File Description
Style
Name
Table
AEC Model Used for model AIA
(Imperial drawings with Standard.ctb
Ctb).dwt imperial
(architectural)
units and set up
for color-based
plotting.
AEC Model Used for model AEC
(Imperial drawings with Standard.stb
Stb).dwt imperial
(architectural)
units and set up
for named plot
styles.
AEC Sheet Used for plot AIA
(Imperial sheet drawings Standard.ctb
Ctb).dwt with imperial
(architectural)
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units and set up
for color-based
plotting.
AEC Sheet Used for plot AEC
(Imperial sheet drawings Standard.stb
Stb).dwt with imperial
(architectural)
units and set up
for named plot
styles.
AEC Model Used for model AIA
(Metric drawings with Standard.ctb
Ctb).dwt metric (decimal)
units and set up
for color-based
plotting.
AEC Model Used for model AEC
(Metric drawings with Standard.stb
Stb).dwt metric (decimal)
units and set up
for named plot
styles
AEC Sheet Used for plot AIA
(Metric sheet drawings Standard.ctb
Ctb).dwt with metric
(decimal) units
and set up for
color-based
plotting.
AEC Sheet Used for plot AEC
(Metric sheet drawings Standard.stb
Stb).dwt with metric
(decimal) units
and set up for
named plot styles.
Structural Used for structural AIA
(Imperial model drawings Standard.ctb
Ctb).dwt with imperial
(architectural)
units and set up
for color-based
plotting.
Structural Used for structural AEC
(Imperial model drawings Standard.stb
Stb).dwt with imperial
(architectural)
units and set up
for color-based
plotting.
Structural Used for structural AIA
(Metric model drawings Standard.ctb
Ctb).dwt with metric
(decimal) units
and set up for
color-based
plotting.
Structural Used for structural AEC
(Metric model drawings Standard.stb
Stb).dwt with metric
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(decimal) units
and set up for
named plot styles.

Note By default the software is configured to

use the AEC Model (Imperial Stb).dwt for
model drawings and the AEC Sheet (Imperial
Stb).dwt for plot sheet drawings.
In addition to the default plot style tables
assigned to the imperial and metric templates,
there are several additional optional tables
provided. Many of these are for use with older
legacy templates and drawing files:

Plot Style Table Description

AEC Standard.stb Default plot style for
templates using
named plot styles. This
table uses generic
names for plot styles
and passes line weight
control to the layer and
object properties. All
objects plot black.
AIA Standard.ctb Default plot style for
templates set up for
color-based plotting.
This table maps each
color to an explicit line
weight according to
the Tri-Services
guidelines.
AIA Standard Color.ctb Optional plot style for
templates using color-
based plotting. All
colors are mapped to
explicit line weights
according to the Tri-
Services guidelines.
Colors are controlled
by the objects and
layers.
AEC Standard Optional plot style for
Color.stb templates using
named plot styles. This
table uses the same
names for plot styles
as the AEC
Standard.stb plot style
table, but objects will
plot according to their
AutoCAD color.
AIA Standard.stb Legacy plot style for
older templates using
named plot styles. This
table includes plot
styles named
according to line
weight definitions
specified in the
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Uniform Drawing
System.
AIA LWT by Object.ctb Legacy plot style for
older templates using
color-based plotting.
All colors are mapped
to black and line
weight control is by
layer and object
properties.
AIA LWT by Object.stb Legacy plot style for
older templates using
named plot styles. All
line weight control is
by layer and object
properties.
AIA Standard Color.stb Legacy plot style for
older templates using
named plot styles. Plot
styles assign line
weight explicitly.
Colors are controlled
by objects and layers.
AIA Color LWT by Legacy plot style for
Object.ctb older templates using
color-based plotting.
Color and line weight
control is by layer and
object properties.
AIA Color LWT by Legacy plot style for
Object.stb older templates using
named plot styles. All
plot styles assign color
and line weight
according to object
and layer
assignments.

Legacy named plot style tables have seemingly

redundant plot style names that correspond to
UDS line weight names. Many of these tables
use the same plot settings for multiple plot styles.
This was done to allow for consistency in naming
when switching between plot styles. With the
newer AEC Standard.stb plot style tables, this
complex plot style naming has been abandoned
in favor of a much more simplified system. Both
the AEC Standard.stb and the AEC Standard
Color.stb plot style tables use the same plot style
names, however the former will plot all objects
black while the latter will plot all objects
according to their AutoCAD color. Aside from
color vs. monochrome, the plot styles determine
saturation:
Normal: Default plot style. Because this plot
style is not editable, it is typically not used in
the AutoCAD Architecture layer key styles or
display settings.
Full Saturation: Objects assigned this plot
style will plot either 100 percent black or 100

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percent color, depending upon which plot
style table is used.
50 Percent: Objects assigned this plot style
will plot with a 50 percent screen.
25 Percent: Objects assigned this plot style
will plot with a 25 percent screen.
Invisible Ink: This is a unique plot style.
Regardless of whether the AEC
Standard.stbor AEC Standard Color.stb plot
style table is being used, objects on this plot
style will plot cyan, to simulate the effect of a
blue lead pencil from manual drafting days,
which will not typically come through when
reproduced on a monochrome copy
machine or standard blueline machine.

The Uniform Drawing System also specifies

formatting for symbology and annotation. This is
supported in AutoCAD Architecture through the
content provided in the Documentation Tool
Catalogs and in the drawing templates
themselves.

Note For more information on NIBS or to

purchase a copy of the National CAD Standard
documentation you can visit their web site
at http://www.nibs.org/

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