custom linetypes for building sections

[claborde]

I'm using AutoCAD Architecture 2014 here, and had an idea while drawing building sections today - there are some complex linetypes out there, like the batt insulation linetype - are there linetypes for say 2x12's at 16" o.c. you could use to draw the rafters in a roof section? If it was a linetype, it would automatically center the rafters across a framing system. If this doesn't exist, does anyone have a good reference for creating custom linetypes?

I appreciate any input.

Best regards,

C

[Kent1Cooper]

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@claborde wrote:

... are there linetypes for say 2x12's at 16" o.c. you could use to draw the rafters in a roof section? If it was a linetype, it would automatically center the rafters across a framing system. If this doesn't exist, does anyone have a good reference for creating custom linetypes?

.... 

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You could certainly define a Shape that represents a 2x12, and a linetype using it that spaces them at 16".  You'd presumably want to do a linetype for 24" spacing, and one for 2x10's at 16", and one for 2x10's at 24", and one for 2x6's or 2x4's to use as the chords of open-web trusses, and....

But the resulting Line would also have some degree of continuous line portion at each end beyond the rafter sections, which you may not want.  That can be minimized by stretching until it almost disappears, but probably not eliminated altogether.  Doing the minimizing and resultant re-positioning of a Line used in that way may be more work than just using a Block, MINSERTed so that the spacing can't be altered accidentally, and centering that as appropriate -- an entire row of rafters would be one drawing entity.

Also, as a matter of drafting graphics, I always prefer to have the X's inside lumber sections be of a lighter lineweight than the perimeter rectangles, because they don't represent anything about the physical object itself, but are just a "code" for dimensional lumber in section.  That's easy with a Block.  Because you can't make parts of Shapes in different colors or on different Layers than other parts, it wouldn't be possible there, except perhaps by defining the Shape with a second perimeter rectangle slightly inboard of the actual-size one, to get it heavier when plotted.  That small increment of inward offset would require the "base" size of the Shape to be considerably larger, since you get only one-unit increments, so its use in a linetype would require a correspondingly smaller insertion scale factor.  And making such Shape definitions for each size of lumber would be hugely more complicated than making Blocks for the different sizes.

[claborde]

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know the MINSERT command. Thatt'l help.

C