TIP: Editing AutoCAD Linetypes

R.M. asks:

I'm creating existing utility 'complex lines' in AutoCAD. Is there a way to increase the dash/dot specifications from 2 to 12, to say 2 to 50? Instead of:
- - - s - - - s - - - s - - - s - - -
I would like to be able to create:
- - - - - - - - - - - -s - - - - - - - - - - s - - - - - - - - - - s - - - - - - - - -

ralphg replies:

You need to edit the acad.lin file. Dashes are represented by positive number; gaps by negative numbers. For example, change this:
A,.5,-.2,["HW",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.2
To this:
A,.5,-.2,.5,-.2,.5,-.2,.5,-.2,["S",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.2

R.M. responds:

I'm sending an example line type that works when I have less than 12 dash/dot specifications; however, it desn't open when I increase the dash/dot string past 12 specifications. I'm not sure if it is even possible to have more than 12 dash/dots in a string command.

ralphg replies:

Your sample was 98 characters long. AutoCAD limits the length of the line to 80 characters -- a holdover from the limits of DOS-based computers in the 1980s.

Comments

[Peggy]

I would like to know how to create a continuous line with a single "space dash space" in the middle, no matter how long the line is. Is this possible?

[Tom]

Im using AutoCAD lt 2005. I would like to create a complex linetype that looks like a continous plant border/ cloud shape. Is it possible to create this?
It would look like a continuous series of semicircles. Could you please help me out?