Linetype Mystery

[daryl.riggins]

Hi Folks,

Our office has a mystery involving a linetype, specifically a treeline type. I've attached a screenshot of the issue. What you'll see there is a polyline that is displaying as dots that should be displaying as a series of half circles. The desired linetype is also in the screenshot, displaying correctly, which is coming from an xref drawing.

When working in the xref drawing, the linetype works as expected. No problems.

When working in the active drawing, the linetype appears as dots.

We have purged the problem linetype and then brought it back in with the same results.

We've also copied the linetype from the xref drawing into the current drawing. Same results.

In my research, I'm suspicious that the shapes that are used to create this linetype are somehow wacky or improperly defined in the current drawing. So, when AutoCAD attempts to display the half-circle shapes, they don't appear. I'm pretty fuzzy on how to verify this theory or correct the problem, if that is the issue.

Any insight or suggestions would be most welcome!

[daryl.riggins]

Good thoughts and suggestions by all. Thanks for taking the time to provide your ideas. I believe I have a major clue as to the problem, but need help deciphering exactly what it means.

When the dwg is opened on a network drive, the linetype is incorrect.

When the dwg is opened on my computer, the linetype is correct.

So, why the discrepancy? How do I determine the culprit and how do I resolve it?

Thanks,

[AllenJessup]

It sounds like there's a shape file that is on your computer that for some reason isn't found when you open form the network. Not sure about that. In the drawing you've posted I can make the lines look like dots or a continuous line by changing the linetype scale. But no Arcs.

Can you share the Linetype definition with us?

Allen

[jmayo-EE]

Do you have all of the 2011 service packs installed?

[daryl.riggins]

I believe I do, but unsure how to verify.

[daryl.riggins]

Allen,

My instincts tell me that your theory is right, but I'm unsure how to move forward. Linetype definitions are attached.

[AllenJessup · Accepted solution]

OK. Daryl

From what I can figure out.... Many of the linetypes in your file were probably creates by using New-Lin.lsp form http://www.turvill.com/t2/free_stuff . Or some version of it. Note the first line in your Linetype file:

; Exported from drawing Drawing3.dwg on 2014-09-26 by ExportLinetypes

Within that lisp are the instructions:

"Any complex LineTypes using Shape Definitions for which no\n source file (*.shp) could be found will contain a reference in\n curly braces { }; the user must supply the correct shape name\n" 

Your linetype:

*XTREELINE_R, Tree Line right side
A,0,-0.26,[{Shape #130},AECCLAND,S=0.13,R=180,X=0,Y=0],-0.24

The {Shape #130}  Leads me to believe that the linetype was created using that lisp to extract if from a drawing. Since it fits the pattern shown in the lisp file.

Try this modified linetype. I've altered it to pull the Tree shape from AECCLAND.SHP

*XTREELINE_R, Tree Line right side
A,0,-0.26,[TREE,AECCLAND,S=0.13,R=180,X=0,Y=0],-0.24

Also. The lintype in your posted drawing is *XTREELIN_R. Note the lack of an E before the underscore. I don't find that linetype in your file.

Allen

[daryl.riggins]

Allen,

You nailed the issue. Your line definition works in the problem drawing. So, this raises some questions for me:

1. When I need to create a new linetype, what's the best way to do it such that I don't have issues like this?
2. Can this issue be resolved by somehow putting the missing shape file into the proper place? If so, that seems the past of lease effort for existing drawings. And if so, how do I do that?

[AllenJessup]

---

@daryl.riggins wrote:

1. When I need to create a new linetype, what's the best way to do it such that I don't have issues like this?
2. Can this issue be resolved by somehow putting the missing shape file into the proper place? If so, that seems the past of lease effort for existing drawings. And if so, how do I do that?

---

1. When creating a new linetype I usually use the lazy method of copying an existing style and modifying it to my needs. In most cases you can find one close to what you want. There are also Make Shape and Make Linetype commands in Express Tools that can make things easier.
2. Yes. You can replace the shape file name. In many cases these are duplicates of the Aeccland.lin linetypes. Just copy and paste from that file to get good linetypes. Others use the ltypeshp.shp. There's only about 6 shapes in there. Open that file in notepad and I think you can figure it out. I didn't see any other shape files used in the one you posted. If there are. You'll have to search for the shape file being used and get the names from there.

Allen

[tcorey]

Allen, as Forest's drill sargeant said to him, "You're a dad gum genius, Gump!" Nice work.

[AllenJessup]

Thanks Tim. Google helped find out how the braces got in the linetypes.

Allen

[jmayo-EE]

Nice catch Allen. 🙂

[bryan]

If anyone is still having this problem in 2016+. Check your XREFOVERRIDE setting. When ours is set to 1 it has the side effect of displaying some of our linetype shapes as dots and some of our linetypes do not display at all.

[AllenJessup]

Thanks. Good one to know.