Linetype Editor

Edit Linetype

In the Linetype Manager you can edit the selected line type or create a new one using the built-inLinetype Editor:

Parameters:

Buttons

To edit a line type:

1.    Select a line type in the Linetype Manager.

2.    Click the  Edit linetype button to start the built-in Linetype Editor. There is a description of the selected line type in the Dashes field:

3.    Select an element and enter its new value in the Length field of the Geometry section.

4.    To display a new value, press ENTER or just click.

5.    To add a new element, click the  Add dash button. A new element is added to the end of the list and a zero value is assigned to it by default.

6.    Specify a new value for an added element in the Length field of the Geometry section. To display a new value press ENTER.

7.    Click OK to close the Edit Linetype dialog box.

8.    Click OK to close the Linetype Manger dialog box.

To add text to a description of a line type:

1.    In the Type field select the Text option:

2.    In the Style field of the Text section, select a text style from the drop-down list. In the Text field enter symbols, specify parameters in the Geometry section:

3.    Click OK to close the Edit Linetype dialog box.

4.    Click OK to close the Linetype Manger dialog box.

To add a shape to a description of a line type:

1.    In the Type field select the Shape option:

2.    Select a shape name from the drop-down list in the Name field and a shape file in the File field of the Shape section. Specify required parameters in the Geometry section:

3.    Click OK to close the Edit Linetype dialog box.

4.    Click OK to close the Linetype Manger dialog box.

Creation of a New Linetype

A new line type is created on the base of an existing one:

1.    In the Linetype Manager select a line type.

2.    Click the  New linetype button. The new row has a default name – Linetype1 appears.

3.    Click Linetype1 and enter a new name.

4.    In the Description field enter information about the line type.

5.    Click the  Edit linetype button.

6.    Change the parameters in the Edit Linetype dialog box.

7.    Click OK to close the Edit Linetype dialog box.

8.    Click OK to close the Linetype Manager dialog box.

Brief Description of the Procedure for Creating Custom Linetypes

You can view and, if necessary, edit the content of GOST 2.303-68.lin file in any text editor that saves data in ASCII format:

;;

;; linetypes by GOST 2.303-68

;; 

*GOST2.303 3,Solid wavy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A,0.001,[WAVE,GOST 2.303-68.shx],-26

*GOST2.303 4,Dashed __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

A,5,-2,0

*GOST2.303 5,Dash-dot thin ____ _ ____ _ ____ _ ____ _

A,20,-1.5,1,-1.5

*GOST2.303 6,Dash-dot theckened ___ _ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _ ___ _ ___

A,8,-1.5,1,-1.5

*GOST2.303 8,Solid thin kinks ---'\---'\---'\---'\---'\---

A,40,[BREAK,GOST 2.303-68.shx],-8

*GOST2.303 9,Dash-dot with two dots __..__..__..__..__..__..__..__.._

A,20,-1.5,1,-1.5,1,-1.5

Lines that start with a semicolon (;) character are comments.

Description of a linetype consists of 2 lines: the first line contains the linetype name and a short description, the second line specifies the linetype outline.

*GOST2.303 5,Dash-dot thin ____ _ ____ _ ____ _ ____ _

A,20,-1.5,1,-1.5

An asterisk is placed before the linetype name. The name should be unique.

*GOST2.303 5

The linetype name is separated from a short description by a comma.

*GOST2.303 5,Dash-dot thin ____ _ ____ _ ____ _ ____ _

A brief description consists of a text part explaining the purpose of the linetype (for example, the explanation Dash-dot can be changed to the following: To draw center lines). The description often includes a sequence of text characters (dashes, spaces, dots, etc.) that visually resembles this line. The description can be up to 47 characters long. The description is optional and can be omitted. If there is no description, no comma is placed after the linetype name.

The second line containing the linetype description begins with the character A, which defines the type of alignment.

Further, separated by commas (without spaces), write the linetype elements that specify the line style.

A,20,-1.5,1,-1.5

As elements of the linetype outline, the following can be used:

·         zero – specifies a dot construction;

·         positive decimal numbers – specify the construction of dashes (a number value determines the dash length in drawing units);

·         negative decimal numbers – specify the construction of spaces (a number value determines the space length in drawing units);

·         text objects;

·         embedded shapes stored in form files.

Linetypes described by dashes, dots and spaces are called simple. The complex linetypes include the ones described by text objects and embedded shapes. Linetypes that include text objects and embedded shapes are used in utility network signs, in topographic symbols, and so on.

In the GOST 2.303-68.lin file the linestypes *GOST2.303 4, *GOST2.303 5, *GOST2.303 6 and *GOST2.303 9 are simple, the linetypes *GOST2.303 3 and *GOST2.303 8 are complex, because their descriptions use the embedded shapes WAVE and BREAK.

Alignment type A determines the condition according to which lines should begin and end with dashes, i.e. the value that determines the length of the first segment of the line should be greater than or equal to zero.

In order to better understand what alignment is and how it works, consider an example of drawing a line segment from point 1 to point 2 using Dash-Dot linetype. The program will construct a segment in such a way that it starts at point 1 and ends at point 2 with dashes. If necessary, the first and last dashes can be lengthened to meet the alignment condition. For a short segment, if it does not contain even one link long_dash-space-short_dash-space, the program will draw one dash (continuous line).

The linetype description line should not exceed 80 characters.

For each linetype it is possible to define no more than 12 elements.

In the linetype description, it is enough to specify one repeating fragment (link). For example, for the Dash-dot linetype such fragment is the link long_dash-space-short_dash-space.

The format for determining a simple linetype is:

A,Length1,Length2,Length2,…

Text objects are generally described in a complex linetype definition in the following format:

[”Text”,Style,Scale,Rotation_angle,Offset_X,Offset_Y]

The format for writing the embedded shape in the definition of a complex linetype:

[Name,File]

or

[Name,File,Scale,Rotation_angle,Absolute_rotation,Offset_X,Offset_Y]

Parameters:

Linetypes examples:

1.    Definition of a simple linetype Dash-dot thin:

*GOST2.303 5,Dash-dot thin ____ _ ____ _ ____ _ ____ _

A,20,-1.5,1,-1.5

specifies the construction of a line that starts with a dash of 20 drawing units length followed by a space of 1.5 drawing units, then a dash of 1 drawing unit is built, then again a space of 1.5 units. This fragment (link) is repeated throughout the segment, ending at the end point with a dash of 20 drawing units:

2.    Definition of a complex linetype Funny, containing text symbols 8 and ):

*Funny,Example of a custom linetype

A,10,-10,0.001,["8)",Standard,S=5,R=-90,X=-3,Y=3],-10

3.    Definition of a complex linetype Arrow1 containing text symbols < and >:

*Arrow1,Single arrow

A,0.001,["<",Standard,S=5,Y=-2.5],25,[">",Standard,S=5,X=-2.5,Y=-2.5],-20

4.    Definition of a complex linetype Arrow2 containing text symbols < and >:

*Arrow2,Double arrow

A,0.001,["<",Standard,S=5,Y=-2.5],0,["<",Standard,S=5,X=3,Y=-2.5],25,

[">",Standard,S=5,X=-2.5,Y=-2.5],0,[">",Standard,S=5,X=-5.5,Y=-2.5],-20

5.    Definition of a complex linetype GOST2.303 8 containing the embedded shape BREACK:

*GOST2.303 8,Continuous jogged line ---'\---'\---'\---'\---'\---

A,40,[BREAK,GOST 2.303-68.shx],-8

6.    Definition of a complex linetype A1 containing an embedded shape LEG_SIGN1:

*A1,Example of a custom linetype

A,10,-20,0,[LEG_SIGN1,CS_Gost2304.shx,S=5,R=180,X=-5.5,Y=2.5]

7.    Definition of a complex linetype Dashed 14-4 containing embedded shapes ARROWFILL, CIRCLEFILL_IN and CIRCLEFILL_OUT:

*Dashed 14-4,Dashed line. under linear object  <|---O---|>

A,0.01,0,[ARROWFILL,styles.shx,S=0.1,R=180,X=0.7],7,0,[CIRCLEFILL_IN,styles.shx,

S=0.1],0,[CIRCLEFILL_OUT,styles.shx,S=0.1],7,0,[ARROWFILL,styles.shx,S=0.1,X=-0.7],-4