Polyline global width what type of variable is it?

[Anonymous]

Folks,

I hope this isn't too left field but I'm trying everything to work out this problem.

I'm using FME to write AuoCAD drawings from a Mapinfo source.

I'm converting polylines and the requirment is to set the width of the polylines. FME supports start_width and end_width properties.

Indeed when the polylines are viewed in AutoCAD the lines have the values start_width and end_width set (0.25) in this case. However the polylines have variable display. Some polylines appear fine, others, particularly with more than one segment have width in the first segment but nothing for the remainder.

Inspecting the objects the value "Global width" is null. Unfortunately FME doesn't offer "global_autocad_width" as a settable value. However reading around it appears this value is more of an environment value for the drawing rather than a layer or object specific value.

I'm aware PLINEWID will set this variable but it seems I'd need to touch each polyline to set this value (or get some ALISP to do it)

Could someone clarify my understanding of the Global Width variable and if anyone has any bright ideas about potentially fixing this issue I'd appreciate it.

[cadffm · Accepted solution]

In Acad the variable is a default value for new polylines, so the user not have to set the start/end width for every segment of each new polyline.

Your program (i don know that) set only the start/end width for the first segment.

[cwr-pae · Accepted solution]

PLINEWID is a system variable to control the default width of new polylines. The start width and end width are specific to each segment of a polyline, If start is 5 and end is 0 you will get a tapering segment. the global width is a single width assigned to all segments of a polyline. Since you are creating the line though a program that doesn't fully support polyline width, you probably need to change them in Acad.

If you need to set all of your plines to a single width in autocad open the properties window, type qselect, change object type to 'polyline', set operator to 'select all', set how to apply to 'include', then click ok. In the properties window under geometry, change the global width to 0.25 and you're done.

If you need some at one width and some at other widths you will need some difference to search by, such as layer, color, line type style, elevation. etc.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Sebastian. Your description explains what I'm seeing.