Colour palettes in Autodesk AutoCAD/M-Color (2D)

The CAD-bolide is, on the one hand, equipped with materials for the 3D-mode and, on the other, with M-Color palettes for use in 2D (coloured layer, interior, lines etc.).

 

Versions	AutoCADR14 and up, M-Color 5.x
File format	pal (M-Color colour palettes)
Colour systems	all
Optimizations	Standard RGB Trinitron RGB Offsetdruck gestrichene Papiere Offsetdruck ungestrichene Papiere Zeitungsdruck
Application for	Colouring of 3D objects, rendering
Ergonomics	***

 

Many AutoCAD users have been waiting for this: Now the colours are available as Layercolours for the 2D Modus . You can draw, plan and sketch, without going the detour over the rendering or over the DXF Export of the plans.

The solution bases on the AutoCAD-additional application mColor of Motive Systems.

Destination Directory

M-Color

M-Color\Custom\[name of the colour system]

Please note: In addition to AUTOCAD the plug-in program M-Color, which enables the use of any given colour in AutoCAD 2D-mode, must be installed. Further information can be found at www.motivesys.com.

In this program variant the RGB palettes (sRGB, Trinitron) were defined in CMYK. To achieve this the neutral colour part was substituted by 100% Black (100% GCR).

Using colour palettes in AutoCAD/M-Color 2D

1. After the installation the colours are available in AutoCAD/M-Color:
2. Open a new file and select a “Paper format” from the M-Color menu.
3. Select the menu command “Format/Layer" and apply the layer.
4. With the command “M-Color 5.1/Preview and plotting” you can assign colours to your layer.
5. By using "edit/layer colours (cfg)" you can now assign colours to the individual layers.
6. Select the layer to be colourised and “fill colour" then access the palette and select the desired colour.
7. The colour display of the picture is updated when the according option („update picture automatically“) is turned on.
8. You can now design with the selected colour system!

 

The module M-COLOR delivers the RAL colours (RAL CLASSIC, RAL DESIGN und RAL EFFECT) as layer colours in AutoCAD. The RAL-palettes were manufactured for every output optimisation, so that an optimal print quality can be expected.

We create a drawing in the 2D module. The RAL-layer are indicated and are used to colourise the objects.
Please note the additional menu entry "M-Color 5.1".

 

We create a drawing in the 2D module. The RAL-layer are indicated and are used to colourise the objects.
Please note the additional menu entry "M-Color 5.1".

 

About M-Color

M-Color is a successful AutoCAD-Add-on application that enables the use of all kinds of colours in AutoCAD. The user can define and save colours on their own. The colours are available as layer colours, fill colours, lines and so on. In order to attain a version that is faithful to the colours M-Color replaces the AutoCAD print- and colour functions with its own modules. MOTIVE SYSTEMS from Finnland is the producer of M-Color.

You can obtain further information and a free demo here.

 

FINALLY: Total colour functionality in AutoCADs ADT as of version 2004

In the current Auto-CAD versions the colours were integrated into the colour selection. The colour palettes are no longer needed.

In addition to the customary ACI-file from the previous versions a register "colour books" is being offered.

An element is being coloured with dove blue: we click on "RAL CLASSIC" and select from the list "RAL 5014".

Of course the 1625 RAL DESIGN colours can also be used for colour design. The miniature colour display on the right next to the list allows for quick navigation. The RAL-colours in AutoCad were prepared in the sRGB-optimisation. This offers the best possible compromise of the different printers, plotters, and monitors – and yet one still cannot expect an exact colour on all of the output devices. This is where our RAL C1 DIGITAL 4.0 software comes back into play.