Crescent Solitaire Download For Ipad. Create custom AutoCAD linetypes quickly and easily using the Make. AutoCAD; Civil 3D; CAD. 9 thoughts on “ Custom Linetypes the Super Simple Way. Autodesk Civil 3D Styles. Built on the familiar AutoCAD® drawing environment, Civil 3D extends the tools. AUTODESK CIVIL 3D STYLES: A GUIDE TO THE FUNDAMENTALS 2.

So you want to make a custom linetype for AutoCAD? So you want to make a custom linetype for AutoCAD that contains text and/or symbols. Autodesk refers to these custom linetypes as “Complex Linetypes”. Should you use text or shapes for the complex parts of your new linetype?

Your first thought might be that you can only use text for text characters and only use shapes for symbols, but that is not exactly true. Certain fonts, for example the Wingdings truetype font that comes with Windows, contain all sorts of symbols. On the other hand a shape can be defined to look like text.

So how do you decide? Let’s look at text based complex linetypes first. When you create a text based complex linetype, the item you have to make a reference to is a Text Style, not a font. So far this sounds ideal, because every drawing has a Text Style named “Standard”, right? (Actually, the Text Style “Standard” can be renamed so you can’t count on this!). Even if you could depend on a particular Text Style to exist, you have no control over the font assigned to that text style.

If the font or the fixed text height of the Text Style being used by your linetype is modified, then your linetype is probably not going to show up as you designed it. Let’s look at shape based complex linetypes now. Suppose you make a shape file named “Custom.shx” and you define a shape inside of this file named “Box” and then finally, you create a complex linetype that references this shape named “Box”. You can be assured that the shape named “Box” inside the file “Custom.shx” will be used in your linetype. There is no Text Style for someone to change. Well, almost. If the shape file is not available then guess what?

Yes, the linetype will not be rendered correctly. If you are trying to load a shape based complex linetype and the shape file is not available, the linetype just will not load. You will get a dialog like this (you will get this same dialog if a required Text Style is missing too) If you open an existing drawing with a shape based complex linetype and the shape file is not available, then the drawing will load, but the linetype will simply have gaps where your shape should be.

To look at it another way, say someone gives you directions to their house. They might say: travel south on Interstate 59, then take exit 94 and go east on route 16 for 3 miles, and the address is 8400 Route 16. That is not much different that what AutoCAD is going to do when it tries to display a complex linetype. For a text based linetype, AutoCAD will follow the instructions of looking for the Text Style in the drawing and then loading the characters from the font assigned to that Text Style.

For shape based linetypes, it will look for the Shape File and then load the required shape(s) from that file. Below is a sample LIN file containing one text based complex linetype and one shape based complex linetype. Complex linetype definition samples So where are we?

If you use text in a complex linetype, the Text Style you use in the linetype defintion must exist in the drawing into which you try and load this linetype. And the properties of that Text Style must not be changed. If you are a single user, or a CAD Manager in an office environment, you can reasonably control standards such as ensuring that the Text Style exists in all drawings. But if you frequently share drawings with others, it’s not unheard of that someone might change the font or height of your referenced Text Style, destroying the design of your linetype. If you decide to avoid the pitfalls of text based complex linetypes by referencing a shape file, then you should be aware of the pitfalls of shape based complex linetypes. The chief issue is that your custom shape file must accompany the DWG file everywhere it goes.

If you send it out to a partner or client, you must send the shape (SHX) file. Not only that, you have to hope that the recipient knows what to do with the SHX file. Even if you use eTransmit and make a nice little package containing all your xrefs and shapes, etc. – there is still a chance the recipient of this will simple extract the DWG files and move on.

In summary, there is no right answer. It depends on your situation and how you share drawings with others. Both methods leave a lot to be desired.

Maybe one day Autodesk will rework linetypes (Hey, how about a graphical linetype builder tool inside of AutoCAD?!?) – and change the way linetypes are stored in the drawing so that drawing files with complex linetypes can be shared freely without having to send references, and so that the drawing author can be assured that his/her custom linetypes will appear just as they were defined.

1)If our survey shots are too close to gather, our line types do not come in correctly Is there a way to fix this? In the past, all we had to do is regenerate the drawing or do a polyline update and our line types would come in correctly no matter how close the survey shots where to one another. 2)Is there a way to flip a line type to read right side up if renerated upside down?? We have a line type for existing water which is a series of dashed lines wth a 'W' in between.

- - - - - - W - - - - - W - - - - - - W - - - - - Say between water line point 20 & 30 we want to flip the line 180 Deg's so as not to read upside down. We where able to do this in the past by breaking the line at these points and flip the line. Hi sswanson, Regardless of how they are displayed, when you add Figures to a surface model, the surveyed point levels are used to get the levels. Regards, Laurie Comerford sswanson@aceconsult.com wrote: >Just a follow up question.

>>By exploding the lines, and converting them from 3D to 2D linetypes works >and I can now regenerate & reverse them at will. >>However I noticed that when this is done the line assumes one elevation, but >the survey points that created the line still maintain there individual elevations.

>>Will this have an effect, when I create a surface model for existing ground?? >>If so should this be done only after your existing surface model is created?? I don't know. I only use this technique on things that aren't breaklines, like utility locates and fences.

Since those lines aren't breaklines, I don't have to worry about exploding them. If you've added the Survey Figure as a breakline, then exploding the figure might create an issue.

At least, I would expect it to create an issue, given the dynamic nature of Civil 3D. I would expect it to behave much the same as when you delete a breakline, although I haven't actually tested it. If exploding the Feature Line removes the breakline from the surface, then you might be able to work around that problem by enabling the 'Copy dependent objects' feature in the Surface Properties. This might let you keep the breakline in the surface, even when you explode the source Survey Figure. Then there's also third-party options, such as that extracts a 2D polyline from a Survey Figure or Feature Line, maintaining true arcs (if any), and without destroying the source object. It can even move the source Survey Figure to a different layer, leaving the flat 2D polyline in its place. -- Sinc http://www. Freesigner Symbian Belle Download there. quuxsoft.com.

I vote that Autodesk should hire dei-feif so we will have commands that actually work like surveyors need them too. Wrote in message news:6386538@discussion.autodesk.com.

I don't know. I only use this technique on things that aren't breaklines, like utility locates and fences. Since those lines aren't breaklines, I don't have to worry about exploding them. If you've added the Survey Figure as a breakline, then exploding the figure might create an issue.

At least, I would expect it to create an issue, given the dynamic nature of Civil 3D. I would expect it to behave much the same as when you delete a breakline, although I haven't actually tested it. If exploding the Feature Line removes the breakline from the surface, then you might be able to work around that problem by enabling the 'Copy dependent objects' feature in the Surface Properties. This might let you keep the breakline in the surface, even when you explode the source Survey Figure. Then there's also third-party options, such as this routine that extracts a 2D polyline from a Survey Figure or Feature Line, maintaining true arcs (if any), and without destroying the source object. It can even move the source Survey Figure to a different layer, leaving the flat 2D polyline in its place.

-- Sinc http://www.quuxsoft.com. Have to disagree with that one:) The reason sinc can create the tools that surveyors need is because he is not hampered by the corporate environment. He is a **practicing** surveyor in the real world. Sinc strikes me as the kind of person that would have 'it' fixed before the bureaucratic team assigned to find out what 'it' is can determine who brings the donuts to the next team meeting. I don't want him tainted by bureaucratic sales and accounting departments.

Don't you people read Dilbert?:) Gary E.