Grips

[derek31a]

Almost too embarrassed to ask - I've lost my grips, so that when I click on a line I get one grip box at the end of the line. When I click on the box it will only move the line, not stretch.

How do I re-instate grips so I get a box at each end of the line and a handle in the middle so that I can stretch, not move the line.......

I told you it was embarrassing!!

[pendean]

What's a "box" in AutoCAD Object Types? The only "box" in AutoCAD is a 3D single object.

If you mean a RECTANG or closed PLINE object, it sounds like you already have grips on but your object is no longer a PLINE but something else like a GROUP or a BLOCK or something else. Start LIST, select this object, and see what that tells you about your object.

[derek31a]

I suspect the drawing has corrupted - attached is a small portion of the drawing. Lines are just that, not plines or splines.

Click on any line and a grip appears on only one end. Click on the grip and the line moves instead of stretching......

[hwalker · Accepted solution]

Just had a look at it and found the solution.

Make the start Z and end Z on everything 0.

[derek31a]

Thanks HW.

This occurred when I tried to flatten everything earlier today. That means I'll have to go over every line (and there are 1000's) and manually reset Z to zero.

Aren't there just times when you hate LT.....

[pendean]

What method did you try and use to flatten? LT has limited options and most 'solutions' posted around here require tweaking.

Start PROPERTIES command, select everything, then srot through the object types and set each's Z setting when offered to zero. Shouldn't take you more than 2-3minutes max per file.

[derek31a]

Thanks Dean - don't know why I didn't think of selecting all and removing selection sets. You've saved me an awful lot of work - again.

As for the macro - it's the one that has been posted in the past -

^C^C_move;_all;;0,0,0;0,0,1e99;_move;_p;;0,0,0;0,0,-1e99;

I used it on previous versions of LT, but can't seem to get it to on LT2012!

[hwalker]

Yeah I did try using the Flatten Macro to start with and nothing happened.

[pendean]

The problem with the macro is it will only move entire objects. a line with one end at a Z elevation different from another end is not affected and in fact may create a bigger problem since both ends can be placed at different Z than zero.

The macro is a last resort I'm-desperate fix, it's not full AutoCAD'a FLATTEN which does so much more than move things around in a Z plane. Don't use the macro every day on all of your files.

[hwalker]

But that's the weird thing Dean

Both the start and end Z in the drawing he posted are listed as 2.0000E+99

[pendean]

That's the flaw with the macro: you need to write a new macro to fix this often created problem as well.

[derek31a]

That would be soooooo nice - any takers?

If I could write macros I'd be straight there, but I can't.....it's like black magic to me!! Respect to those who can.