Custom Acb.english

How to create custom Color Books ? •

ACB file format

Autodesk uses XML file format for defining ACB color book files - basically, this is a positive step ... But all ACB color book files shipped by AutoCAD/LT use the so-called RGB8Encrypt encoding for RGB values - in order to "hide" copyright-protected PANTONE/RAL color definitions ... see TrueColor dialog inside AutoCAD. For this reason, it is impossible to create/edit your own color book files based on shipped samples. But beside this encrypted ACB format, there is also an uncrypted ACB format available ... not really documented by Autodesk, but quite simple too. Instead of using RGB8Encrypt/redEncrypt/greenEncrypt/blueEncrypt XML keywords, this open ACB file format uses RGB8/red/green/blue keywords, which allows using normal RGB values. For example see below.

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Using Autodesk ACB-Editor

Autodesk offers a free "Autodesk Color Book Editor" to create your own color books download under http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=3276137&linkID=2475161 This tool is designed as HTML/XML application and requires MS Internet Explorer using default security settings, and uses JavaScript, VisualBasic-Script and ActiveX components. And of course, it is only available in English language - as usual !

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Using HTML-/XML-/ASCII editors

Alternatively, there is no problem at all to use any suitable HTML/XML editor or even any pure ASCII editors (like Notepad.exe - do not use Wordpad.exe oder Word.exe !) to create/edit ACB color books . Syntax of color definitions is quite simple and self-explaining. ColorBook example using RGB8Encrypt format (encrypted) : <pageColor> EPY UOH QFV XXX 100 GGR PMH UGH XXX 101 ZMW TRE

AMI XXX 102 MYI AQL NQO XXX 103 WLT UOF DHM XXX 104 LXG UJF IMN

ColorBook example using RGB8 format (not encrypted) : ACB Template <pageColor> 100 100 100 Test 100,100,100 100 100 100 Test 102,102,102 100 102 102 Test 104,104,104 100 104 104 Test 106,106,106 100 106 106 Test 108,108,108 100 108 108 Test 110,110,110 100 110 110

As to see, the difference between both formats are the different XML keywords only : RGB8Encrypt => RGB8 redEncrypt => red greenEncrypt => green blueEncrypt => blue The open RGB8 format uses normal RGB values. The provided sample color book "ACB-Template.acb" can be used as a template file.