Linetypes Will not Purge

[Mcdowall]

Hi,

So i have all these linetypes (see image) that i think originated in Microstation and have appeared on my computer when i binded a few DWGs derived from DGNs. (I can explain all that more if you think its warrented).

This is basicly what keeps happening.

- I open a brand new template, all line types are there (usual: dashed, phantom etc).

- I can work away happily, untill i copy something (a line, text, circle....) from a drawing that has these linetypes and BAM they all appear in the new drawing.

In this way, the linetypes have 'spread' into quite a few dwg's, and i cannot get rid of them once they are in the drawing and its saved.

A few other things....

- Other people in the office can open the drawings on their computers = NO weird Linetypes appear. Some open it and they do appear. (so if you open the dwg attached to this and find no linetypes, i dont know why!)

- The linetypes wont purge due to being in use etc

I would say the problem has originated from when I binded the xrefs, which is fine, but how to i fix it now?

The two main xrefs that appear to be referenced in the linetypes description are being used by other people in the workplace so i cant just delete them and start again.

Hopefully someone has as idea of what I can do/try to fix the problem!

[Charles_Shade]

DXFOUT and then DXFIN allowed the dozen or so anonymous blocks that were stuck in the drawing to be purged.

With that most of the Linetypes were purged as well.

If it is not an issue it may be worth creating a new Template using design center to insert Blocks and other boiler plate info to the new Template file.

Check after each to see if the additional Linetypes or other anomalies show up and if so Undo the last Insert Command and then go to the Block and clean it up. Know what is causing the issue.

[homer028]

Layer translator helped a ton, Had read several of these posts about corrupted linetypes and mine seemed to be from an DGN file that was throwing in several linetypes I couldnt have in my drawing. This was the quickest and most effective way of keeping the civil3d objects and fixing the problem.

THANKS for posting your suggestion!

Greg-

[trunyan]

We have had the same issue not being able to purge a linetype and we found that it came from Civil 3d. After several hours of research and trial and error, we found the solution. It was posted in this thread but it needed additional information. 

We typically use Autocad 

However to eliminate the linetypes and other issues we have to open Autocad Architecture

This will allow you to EXPORT to DXF (not the same as save as to DXF). This function along with purge and audit will eliminate the linetypes. Our files reduced in size from 5mg to 330kb and it eliminated all of the unwanted linetypes.

[rtaassociates]

I had found almost the exact same problem from what appeared to be an old drawing imported from an original Microstation file, (due to the layer names being numbers).

Purging everything did not work. However my drawing file did not have any blocks at all. I first selected all graphics and changed their linetype to bylayer, (making sure that all layers were using normal linetypes).

I then used the "save-as" option to save to a DXF file. Then closed the original and opened the DXF, ran purge all. I then saved it to a DWG format and all un-used linetypes were gone.

This fixed my issue...I am using ACAD 2012 primarily 2D, no special packages.

Bob

[Ajilal.Vijayan]

Have a look at the below post.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Civil-3D/Working-with-AutoCAD-Civil-3D-2013-Service-Pack-1/td-...

[bgingerich]

FIFY

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Civil-3D/Working-with-AutoCAD-Civil-3D-2013-Service-Pack-1/m-p...

[abustraan0230]

Just ran into this issue last week with a set of files. Both Line Types and Text Styles wouldn't purge. We're using AutoCAD 2012 and no LT versions in the office.

In looking at the naming of these elements it seems like they might have been attached to x-references that were bound and perhaps exploded.

One of the 200 linetypes is <ProjectNumber>_CD_PBASE$0${ Batten } Keep in mind that the <Project Number> is different than the one is actually being used.

If that is the case, then that would explain the unnamed blocks and the stranded elements. Perhaps Autodesk can provide a means within the purge command to purge unnamed blocks.

The "Save As 2010 DXF" seemed to work. Fortunately, there's only about 5 - 10 files involved, but still a pain.

[alangenfeld]

Hello !

WBLOCK method mentioned before didn't help, but your method with LAYTRANS works fine.

Thank You ! 

[DonBrown]

BatchInEditor by CAD MANAGER Tools works really well.  It takes care of this problem along with many other nice batch options for CAD files.

[Charles_Shade]

If that is a Lisp based program it will not run in AutoCAD LT

[matt.schuster]

I experienced similar problems to the ones posted throughout this thread. (Using LT2013)

The WBLOCK technique worked for me most of the time too, however, when it failed, the SAVEAS DXF worked for me. Note there is no longer an "Export to DXF" in LT2013.

I use COPYBASE quite a bit to copy objects from one DWG to another and that seems to pollute the target DWG the most. Making sure your blocks are completely clean prior to inserting them is a great first step.

Other additional thoughts include;

1. For those of you using ACAD variants (Civil, Arch, MEP, etc), I'm curious if any Object Enablers in "standard" ACAD may contribute to any drawing corruption. Or for that matter, cause inconsistencies between different users.

2. With regard to LINETYPE corruption/pollution; since custom linetypes (many Civil drafters use TEXT within their line types such as --GAS--, --OHE--, --UGF--, etc.) include the TEXT styles used in those custom linetypes may be contributing to the corruption.

Hope that helps.

[kempiniukas]

thank you so much, _dxfout and than clean linetypes helped me alot!! The size of the dwg, decreased from 15mb to 0.5mb. Increadible.

[cdavis7254]

I tried a number off the suggestions, the one that worked for me was the dxfout, then dxfin.  I tried to use the layer translator, but I can't seem to find it in 2012LT.  

[Charles_Shade]

LAYTRANS is not available in AutoCAD LT

[cdavis7254]

That was my first thought on Laytrans, but as the thread was in the LT forum, I had to comment.

[ccleong]

Hi,

I tried this method but those unused line-types still there.
Any solution to solve this?

Regards,

[matt.schuster]

ccleong,

Please be more specific with what you tried and the ACAD version you're using.

Try the following:

1. _DXFOUT and save the file.

2. Close the file.

3. Open the DXF you just saved.

4. Save as a DWG...now check for the linetypes. If that did NOT delete the linetypes continue on to step 5.

5. WBLOCK the entire drawing to a new file name.

6. Close the file you have open currently.

7. Open the new drawing you just wrote with WBLOCK.

8. Now check for the linetypes. If that did NOT work, please post the drawing and/or provide the additional details about your platform/version, etc. It may help to close all other drawings and perhaps even try all the above steps on a different machine if you have access to one.

[drjohn]

Is this related to the infamous DGN linetypes that won't purge? Check this out and see if it helps. It's an AutoDesk hot fix for the DGN lintype to purge them and not let it happen again ... according to the readme. http://knowledge.autodesk.com/search?search=dgn%20hotfix#?rows=10&sort=score

[ccleong]

Hi matt.

Thanks for the advise. It's working. However, is there any straight fwd method to clear those unwanted linetypes instead of DFX out then resave again.

My AutoCAD version is 2012.

Best Regards,

[matt.schuster]

"...is there any straight fwd method...?"

Not that I'm aware of. This issue is an old one and probably will continue to rear its head most likely due to all our existing drawings "polluted" with those linetypes. As DrJohn points out in message 38 above, it *may* be related to DGN files once imported/XREFd, or as I and others point out earlier in the post, copying objects from one file to another and/or importing blocks into new drawings. Paying close attention to when your new drawings get polluted with these linetypes will help you determine the root cause. Hope that helps.