Linetype from DNG - looks like, acts like parametric block

[Michiel.Valcke]

I got a .dwg from a client that contained an imported .dgn file. In it there were several linetypes that look like and act like parametric blocks, and should probably be parametric blocks instead of lines with linetypes.

I was wondering:

1. Is there any way to construct such a linetype from scratch in AutoCAD (the interior shp is not too difficult, but having the radiator button at the end and the dial at the start seems to be impossible for me)

2. Is there something wrong with the DGN import functionality and should this actually be imported as a (dynamic) block? Has this always been the case? Should this change in the future?

3. Has anyone seen this behaviour before? (or maybe knows microstation a lot better, so can explain to me how/why this happens)

I have attached a .dwg with a sample, so enjoy playing with this.

[Michiel.Valcke]

I got a .dwg from a client that contained an imported .dgn file. In it there were several linetypes that look like and act like parametric blocks, and should probably be parametric blocks instead of lines with linetypes.

I was wondering:

1. Is there any way to construct such a linetype from scratch in AutoCAD (the interior shp is not too difficult, but having the radiator button at the end and the dial at the start seems to be impossible for me)

2. Is there something wrong with the DGN import functionality and should this actually be imported as a (dynamic) block? Has this always been the case? Should this change in the future?

3. Has anyone seen this behaviour before? (or maybe knows microstation a lot better, so can explain to me how/why this happens)

I have attached a .dwg with a sample, so enjoy playing with this.

[TheCADnoob]

Its interesting.

If this would be recreated as a AuoCAD line type, the problem definitely seems like the starting and termination of the line. 

For me this elements usefulness breaks down when creating an element that is not square with the scale. It leaves gaps and as such it only acts as a broad descriptive item. As such i question why the level of detail needs to be so high. 

If we need to know explicit measurements i don't think using this type of line type would suffice due to this introduction of error. I think a dynamic block would be the way to go with this one. That said i get the ease of just running lines.

dgn linstyles have three components and the options seem to be more robust like end caps and enumerations. 

Its neat, but to me it seems like just another way to solve a problem. Not sure if it would be the beast way of doing it though. 

[TheCADnoob]

Its interesting.

If this would be recreated as a AuoCAD line type, the problem definitely seems like the starting and termination of the line. 

For me this elements usefulness breaks down when creating an element that is not square with the scale. It leaves gaps and as such it only acts as a broad descriptive item. As such i question why the level of detail needs to be so high. 

If we need to know explicit measurements i don't think using this type of line type would suffice due to this introduction of error. I think a dynamic block would be the way to go with this one. That said i get the ease of just running lines.

dgn linstyles have three components and the options seem to be more robust like end caps and enumerations. 

Its neat, but to me it seems like just another way to solve a problem. Not sure if it would be the beast way of doing it though. 

[artc2]

>> 1. Is there any way to construct such a linetype from scratch in AutoCAD (the interior shp is not too
>> difficult, but having the radiator button at the end and the dial at the start seems to be impossible for
>> me)

No, it is not possible to create these types from scratch in AutoCAD. When a DGN linestyle is imported into AutoCAD as part of importing a DGN file, we read the DGN linestyle information and store it in special data structures in the drawing file. There are no APIs to read or write these data structures, so you can't create your own or modify existing.

>> 2. Is there something wrong with the DGN import functionality and should this actually be
>> imported as a (dynamic) block? Has this always been the case? Should this change in the future?

The DGN import functionality is doing what it was designed to do. It has been this way ever since we implemented support for DGN linestyles, and there is no plan to change it.

[artc2]

>> 1. Is there any way to construct such a linetype from scratch in AutoCAD (the interior shp is not too
>> difficult, but having the radiator button at the end and the dial at the start seems to be impossible for
>> me)

No, it is not possible to create these types from scratch in AutoCAD. When a DGN linestyle is imported into AutoCAD as part of importing a DGN file, we read the DGN linestyle information and store it in special data structures in the drawing file. There are no APIs to read or write these data structures, so you can't create your own or modify existing.

>> 2. Is there something wrong with the DGN import functionality and should this actually be
>> imported as a (dynamic) block? Has this always been the case? Should this change in the future?

The DGN import functionality is doing what it was designed to do. It has been this way ever since we implemented support for DGN linestyles, and there is no plan to change it.