SCALING ISSUES WITH CUSTOM CREATED LINETYPES USING MKLTYPE...

[Anonymous]

I was trying to create a custom linetype using MKLTYPE, but seem to be having issues with the scaling.  All the videos or tutorials I have found so far don't really seem to discuss how the linetype should be scaled during creation depending on how large/small the viewport you are trying to display the linetype in. 

For example, if I am creating a linetype that is to be displayed in a viewport with a scale of 1"=500', and draw my custom linetype to an overall length of 1 unit in model space how will the linetype be displayed.  So, far each time I try to do this I can't get my linetype to display correctly without having to adjust the scale in properties to usually a really small value like 0.01 just to get the graphics in the linetype to display correctly as opposed to just a solid line.

Not sure if this is the correct question to ask but here it goes... When creating a custom linetype does the length of your linetype have to be adjusted in accordance with the scale of the viewport you are going to display it in?  Thanks in advance for any insight/help. 

[J.FOCHT · Accepted solution]

Hello @Anonymous,

This Autodesk Knowledge Network article may be helpful. It goes through some nicely detailed instructions on making custom linetypes and also some of the settings.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-create-Complex-linetypes.html

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jon there seems to be a few helpful points in the attached article, but I was looking to stay away from using coding to generate a complex linetype.  Perhaps my issue is with the height of the text style I am using, I guess I'll give that a look set it to zero (0) as the article suggest and see what effect it has.. I'll keep you posted, thanks again. 

[J.FOCHT]

You are very welcome! If you want to stay away from coding then you can do just as you mentioned. Make your linetype and set the height to 0. That should hopefully help you out.

[AllenJessup · Accepted solution]

It can depend on if you have PSLTSCALE on or off in the viewport. These 2 linetypes were created using MKLTYPE. The one on the bottom was created at what looked right at a 1" = 20' scale in Modelspace. The upper one was created from the same objects after being scaled to 1/20th (0.05) of their original size. They are displayed in a viewport with the scale set to 1"=20' and PSLTSCALE set to 1.

This is what they look like with PSLTSCALE set to 0.

They're the same lines but the PSLTSCALE changes how they look.

[tcorey]

Check your PSLTSCALE setting. It should be 1. 

Check your LTSCALE setting. It should be 1.

When you change the zoom scale within a viewport, your custom linetype will re-scale accordingly and can scale properly inside viewports that have different zoom scale. When you build the linetype, build in 1:1 scale. This will become a plotted inch because of psltscale being turned on.

Optionally, you could set PSLTSCALE to 0 and control the linetype scaling solely via LTSCALE. This will disallow the linetype from scaling based on viewport zoom scale.

[cwr-pae]

In addition to what the others have said;

The basic scaling of a line type is 1:1. A line length set to 1 in the line type definition will be 1 unit long in the drawing. A line length of -1 will be a 1 unit line gap. So a line definition of 1,-1 would generate a line with 1 unit long segments and 1 unit long gaps. In addition the 1st and last line segments are halved (0.5 long segment), I suspect this is just to throw us curve balls. 😉 The same line at any scaling will have lines and gaps to the scale (ie: at 1:20 the lines will be 20 units with 20 unit gaps). Plotted the lines would be as the 1:1. Text follows the same rules.

If you set msltscale to 1, then the drawing scale setting will control line type generation in model space as psltscale does in paper space.