Issues with rolling out new LIN and SHP/SHX files

[micmac]

Over the years I have created many custom line and shape definitions but have finally come to an error in my ways and was hoping someone could help me find a way out.

I have always defined these in the default cad files: ACAD.LIN and LTYPESHP.SHP. I have a customized support path on a network share. We are currently using Map 5 and Land Desktop 3.

Our company has grown quite a bit and we are sharing more of our electronic files with outside firms. Now, the obvious problem is when I have to send along our line & shape files and they are using the default cad names (bad me).

I have already gone through the process of creating newly named line & shape files and have verified they work on their own off of the network. The issue is that I want to set the ACAD.LIN and LTYPESHP.shx/shp back to their original vanilla cad state. The problem is I can't figure out how to deploy this without conflict to our prior plans and frustrating the cad users.

If you were to open an older drawing some of us would know enough to reload the line from a new file, but I don't have that much faith in all of our cad users.

I just tested this: if cad doesn't find a complex line in file "a" (from which it was originally loaded), it will not look to file "b" to see if the definition exists. This obviously means that the line is "hard coded" to look at that specific file, and not a path as I was hoping.

From what *I* can figure out, my only solution would be to keep these definitions in both the new *and* old files. Our templates would be updated with lines loaded from the new file, but old definitions would still exist in acad.lin for old drawings.

So, in conclusion is there a way to make the cad system globally jump to these new files if it can't find it in ACAD.LIN ? or do I have to double-up the definitions?

Thanks for your input,
Micky

p.s. hopefully I have explained everything correctly. I have been a long time lurker, first time poster.

[Anonymous]

First things first:

I would start the change over to the new file
types/names for the old files as soon as possible.  Delays in this area
will only cause you more and more trouble.  I would assign of the newbies
to do it.  It gives them valuable experience without the threat of damaging
production drawings, you get the files fixed, and to boot it won't cost a small
fortune.

Secondly, I would try to use the "Projects"
folders.  Assign one for the new projects, and one for the old until you
get the old updated.

Thirdly, to automatically set which shx and lin
files to use would require some tricky customizations involving reactors. Unless
of course someone pulled this off another way, which I haven't figure out
yet.

Sorry to rain on the parade.

Cheers,

CMF

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"micmac" <
href="mailto:micmac21@yahoo.com">micmac21@yahoo.com> wrote in message

href="news:f14eb96.-1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb">news:f14eb96.-1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...

Over
the years I have created many custom line and shape definitions but have
finally come to an error in my ways and was hoping someone could help me find
a way out.

I have always defined these in the default cad files: ACAD.LIN and
LTYPESHP.SHP. I have a customized support path on a network share. We are
currently using Map 5 and Land Desktop 3.

Our company has grown quite a bit and we are sharing more of our electronic
files with outside firms. Now, the obvious problem is when I have to send
along our line & shape files and they are using the default cad names (bad
me).

I have already gone through the process of creating newly named line &
shape files and have verified they work on their own off of the network. The
issue is that I want to set the ACAD.LIN and LTYPESHP.shx/shp back to their
original vanilla cad state. The problem is I can't figure out how to deploy
this without conflict to our prior plans and frustrating the cad users.

If you were to open an older drawing some of us would know enough to reload
the line from a new file, but I don't have that much faith in all of our cad
users.

I just tested this: if cad doesn't find a complex line in file "a" (from
which it was originally loaded), it will not look to file "b" to see if the
definition exists. This obviously means that the line is "hard coded" to look
at that specific file, and not a path as I was hoping.

From what *I* can figure out, my only solution would be to keep these
definitions in both the new *and* old files. Our templates would be updated
with lines loaded from the new file, but old definitions would still exist in
acad.lin for old drawings.

So, in conclusion is there a way to make the cad system globally jump to
these new files if it can't find it in ACAD.LIN ? or do I have to double-up
the definitions?

Thanks for your input,
Micky

p.s. hopefully I have explained everything correctly. I have been a long
time lurker, first time poster.

[Anonymous]

re: linetypes..this
was discussed not too long ago. 

I recall that
size=2>linetype info gets embedded into each .dwg file, so you won't need to
provide the acad.lin separately.

[Anonymous]

The .lin file won't be a problem. AutoCAD only
looks at that file when you load linetypes. If you have all of your linetype
defined in a template file, then you will just need to tell your users which
file your custom linetypes are in if they need to reload them.

The shape file is a different story. Since the
shape file name is coded in the linetype as it is stored in the drawing, it will
only look for that shape file to find the shape definition. You would have to
reload the linetypes from the new linetype file that has the new shape file name
set for those linetypes.

Tom

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"micmac" <
href="mailto:micmac21@yahoo.com">micmac21@yahoo.com> wrote in message

href="news:f14eb96.-1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb">news:f14eb96.-1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...

Over
the years I have created many custom line and shape definitions but have
finally come to an error in my ways and was hoping someone could help me find
a way out.

I have always defined these in the default cad files: ACAD.LIN and
LTYPESHP.SHP. I have a customized support path on a network share. We are
currently using Map 5 and Land Desktop 3.

Our company has grown quite a bit and we are sharing more of our electronic
files with outside firms. Now, the obvious problem is when I have to send
along our line & shape files and they are using the default cad names (bad
me).

I have already gone through the process of creating newly named line &
shape files and have verified they work on their own off of the network. The
issue is that I want to set the ACAD.LIN and LTYPESHP.shx/shp back to their
original vanilla cad state. The problem is I can't figure out how to deploy
this without conflict to our prior plans and frustrating the cad users.

If you were to open an older drawing some of us would know enough to reload
the line from a new file, but I don't have that much faith in all of our cad
users.

I just tested this: if cad doesn't find a complex line in file "a" (from
which it was originally loaded), it will not look to file "b" to see if the
definition exists. This obviously means that the line is "hard coded" to look
at that specific file, and not a path as I was hoping.

From what *I* can figure out, my only solution would be to keep these
definitions in both the new *and* old files. Our templates would be updated
with lines loaded from the new file, but old definitions would still exist in
acad.lin for old drawings.

So, in conclusion is there a way to make the cad system globally jump to
these new files if it can't find it in ACAD.LIN ? or do I have to double-up
the definitions?

Thanks for your input,
Micky

p.s. hopefully I have explained everything correctly. I have been a long
time lurker, first time poster.

[Anonymous]

His problem, As I read it, was the ACAD.lin file
has been modified... (Hidden line used to explain by example)

Thus... the original Hidden line is not what it
was, and the special new lines are OK.

When being forwarded to a colleague for
collaboration, Their hidden lines change--- without such re-definition
desired!

Being embedded in the drawing would work IF you
don't require Your drawing to be cut/pasted / inserted into
another.

What I did was add a "."(period) to MY
definitions.

*Duct.Demo,Demolition
Duct-----x-----------x-----------x-----------x-----------x------

To load... from ANY *.lin file...

;; this line is embedded in menu:

(setq lt_info (list '"Duct.Flex" "flexible duct"
"anotherlinetypefile.lin" ))

(setq  ltp  (CAR 
lt_info)

size=2>          ltfilename
 (caddr lt_info)    )

(if (= nil (tblsearch "ltype"
ltp))   

    (command "._linetype" "load" ltp
ltfilename "")

)

As for shape files---  I have no problems with
those - (I use text shapes Wherever possible)

>> I recall that
size=2>linetype info gets embedded into each .dwg file, so you won't need to
provide the acad.lin separately.

[Anonymous]

Would it be possible to add a line to your startup lisp to rename any old
custom linetypes to a new name (your new standard) and then reload that
linetype, which would in turn point to the new shape files? Your big issue
would be that if the ltypeshp file no longer contains the custom shapes, you
will get an error every time you open the drawing. It gets even uglier when
xrefs are involved.