topic Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down in AutoCAD Forum

Linetype is backwards and upside down

coffeys13 — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:09:22 GMT

I'm having a problem with my limit of work linetype in Autocad 2016. I imported it from another drawing where it looks normal but when I bring it into another drawing the text "LOW" is backwards and upside down. I have tried reversing and mirroring the polyline and have done a couple hours of searching on the internet on how to fix it only to come up empty handed. Is there a way to change the text or is it something the do with the drawing itself?

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

imadHabash — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:19:47 GMT

Hi,

i suggest to use REVERSE command . >> Click <<

Regards,

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Cadologist — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:26:31 GMT

There are a couple things to check here:

First check the code for that specific linetype (via the LIN file) or the definition of the line type and see 'what text style' that the linetype is using. Example below shows that the text style 'STANDARD' is being used.

*HOT_WATER_SUPPLY,Hot water supply ---- HW ---- HW ---- HW ----
A,.5,-.2,["HW",STANDARD,S=.1,U=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.2

Next, in the drawing that the incorrect appearance of the linetype is occurring, under TEXT STYLES (enter STYLE on the command line), check to see what the STANDARD (in this example) is set to and if any effects are changing the orientation of the text.

Additionally as another troubleshooting option, ensure the linetype is completedly purged out of the effected drawing, then re-insert and see if that resolves the issue.

Report back once you have done this additional testing, good luck!!

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

kadmonkee — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:37:55 GMT

is that linetype part of your acad.lin file?

does importing it add it to the file automatically?

are both drawings reading the same support paths?

was the linetype created in an earlier version?

this link may explain some more options

Custom Linetypes

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

coffeys13 — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:51:15 GMT

Thank you so much, this worked haha. Was trying to fix this for hours

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Cadologist — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 16:08:28 GMT

Glad I could assist, text in linetypes can be a real pain to coordinate and is dependent on a variety of things. It could be related to the LIN code itself (how it affects text orientation), the assigned text style in the drawing (as I showed in the screenshot), etc. Other things that can be challenging is centering the text in the linetype 'gap', height of text, etc.

I spend some considerable time in the past setting up internal CAD standards LIN files where we commonly use text characters within the linetypes to differentiate different entities/lines (plotting greyscale on hardcopy so 'color coding' linetypes is not an option).

Glad you got it resolved, have a great day and thanks for the kudos!

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Kent1Cooper — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 18:31:02 GMT

If you ever run into this without the Style definition having "effects," another possibility is that the Polyline was drawn somehow "from below" in a UCS with its Z axis aimed downward. Paste this into the command line:

(cdr (assoc 210 (entget (car (entsel)))))

<Enter>, and then select the object. If what it returns is:

(0.0 0.0 -1.0)

that's the likely cause. If the 1.0 is not negative, something else is going on. [All three numbers will be different, and wackier-looking, if it's in a UCS with a Z axis that's not WCS-vertical in either direction.]

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

ddcNYWLL — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:30:16 GMT

The Z axis issue was my problem. I received a drawing from another company and could not figure out what the problem was. I looked at the LIN file, text style, rotation, and all that jazz. Everything was fine. I was getting discouraged until I read your comment @Kent1Cooper. Many kudos to you friend. I just had to redraw the PL and delete the old one.

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

gweaver2UQEX — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 20:46:17 GMT

The easiest way I found to to deal with the Z Axis issue is to convert the polyline to a 3D polyline, then change the Z Value to =1 then convert back to a 2d polyline. Fixed for me.

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

cwkbpa — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 02:26:18 GMT

@Cadologist, I'm trying your solution and it's not working for me. I'm using ACAD'22. I look in the .lin file and don't even see my linetype there. They Style is "STANDARD" and I've played around with the upside down and backwards options and it doesn't do anything. I tried the REVERSE command and it only changed the direction at which the line was drawn, but keeps the text in the linetype the same orientation. Any more suggestions?

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Kent1Cooper — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:18:40 GMT

@cwkbpa wrote:

.... I look in the .lin file and don't even see my linetype there. They Style is "STANDARD" and I've played around with the upside down and backwards options and it doesn't do anything. I tried the REVERSE command and it only changed the direction at which the line was drawn, but keeps the text in the linetype the same orientation. ....

If it's not in AutoCAD's own .lin file, look for another that contains it. You can have linetypes loaded from other .lin files, and a linetype file can even contain more than one linetype definition. My guess is that it's about the U= vs. R= text rotation element in the definition, and/or possibly the extrusion direction problem described in Message 7.

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

cwkbpa — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:23:12 GMT

@Kent1Cooper your are correct. I have the 1.0. Would it help if I do the FLATTEN command?

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Kent1Cooper — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 13:36:14 GMT

@cwkbpa wrote:

.... I have the 1.0. Would it help if I do the FLATTEN command?

If by that you mean the extrusion direction is the usual, and it's not drawn from underneath, then I suspect Flattening won't fix it, but try it. My guess is that we need to see the linetype definition. Maybe a small sample drawing exhibiting this behavior....

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Cadologist — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:00:55 GMT

@Kent1Cooper thank you for assisting in this thread!

@cwkbpa If you cannot share a sample drawing, you can try to export the linetype using the information (and download) in the Autodesk link below.

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/how-to-export-linetypes-from-a-drawing-in-autocad.html

Edit: unsure why the reply is 'tagged' to a different user (pressed the reply button on message 13?).

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Kent1Cooper — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:12:41 GMT

@Cadologist wrote:
....
Edit: unsure why the reply is 'tagged' to a different user (pressed the reply button on message 13?).

That's the author of Message 1, which is what happens when the "Reply to the topic..." slot below the last Message is used. If you really did use the REPLY button in my Message, then the website has gone wacky, but it didn't do the same for this one.

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

cwkbpa — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:12:10 GMT

@Cadologist @Kent1Cooper , Thank you both for your assistance. I did to the FLATTEN command and no change. Attached is a sample file with the line types I use as well as the .lin files in the support folder. I pointed to the Centerline that is giving me problems. It's upside down now because I did the DVIEW as I did in the original drawing. I've tried the remedies I've seen so far and got nothing.

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

pendean — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 16:03:04 GMT

@cwkbpa wrote:

...Attached is a sample file with the line types I use as well as the .lin files in the support folder.....

Are you looking for the text in your linetype to auto-rotate all by itself by chance? not a program feature. PLAN command needs to be set to CURRENT UCS is the usual fix for rotated UCS drafting.

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

Kent1Cooper — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:55:20 GMT

That linetype is not defined in either of those .lin files posted, so it's coming from somewhere else, but the not-being-in-un-spun-plan-view, as pointed out by @pendean, is the cause of your trouble.

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

cwkbpa — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 17:23:20 GMT

@Kent1Cooper @pendean , Thank you for the continued support. I can understand the UCS being the problem now. Thank you. But I still would think there would be a way to change it to right side up after the DVIEW rotate. No?

Re: Linetype is backwards and upside down

pendean — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 18:04:59 GMT

@cwkbpa DVIEW does not just rotate 180 degrees, so what would determine how the in-place text will autorotate but also "stay in place relative to the linework"?

EDIT: Setting PLAN to current UCS should work for your needs otherwise in general terms like in your sample's linetype if I understand your follow up correctly.