Linetypes question

[dragon23]

I am creating my own linetypes and have a couple questions. first off I'm using AutoCAD LandDesktop 2008 and am a Civil Designer. i deal with site plans (all utilities) and i need a linetype for the different utilities. i need an existing linetype that has wording inside that is obliqued at 22 degrees. looks kinda like this -------E--------E---------- is this possible.

next question is i have a problem with linetypes messing up when a change scales. it works fine in 1"=20' but when i change to 1"=30' or 1"=40' the letters will be really small and off center.

does anyone know a fix for any of these? thanx in advance

[dumfatnhappy]

here is a LT from way back (hard time remembering how to create) Your scale issue sounds like your LTscale isn't changing with the dwg.
to get the oblique you need to define the style (in this case standard) that way. the blue line is just the descriptive btw.
do you know how to create linetypes?

*HOT_WATER_SUPPLY,Hot water supply ---- HW ---- HW ---- HW --
A,.5,-.2,["HW",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.2

[dragon23]

so you have to set up the linestyle to be the oblique text. makes since i'll give it a try. thanx

[dumfatnhappy]

you need to define the text style you are going to use in your linetype (I suggest a style name that will not use elsewhere). edit the acad.lin file

umm.....

I think :-O

[happyunited]

i can post you several different linetypes for services but you will have to amend them to get the angle - how you do that? ill leave that to someone else.

ill post them tomorrow

[lpseifert]

Because of issues with styles, obliquing etc. I made a bunch of linetypes using shapes instead of text. Included in the zip file is the .shx that is needed with the .lin file.

[dragon23]

i wanted to use real text and not shape files. thanx though. is there a way to use and inch sign in the line. when you make a line it's like this. bold being the text that will be in the line...

*WATERLINE-EX,EXISTING WATER ----W----W----W----W----W----W----
A,2,-.2,["W",STANDARD,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.05

but if i want to use 6" Wit will look like this and won't work.

*WATERLINE-EX,EXISTING WATER ----W----W----W----W----W----W----
A,2,-.2,["6" W",L40-2,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.05

reason it wont work is because the " means the end of what the text is so the system sees it as just putting the 6 in the line and the space W" messes it up.

[lpseifert]

How about using 2 apostrophes instead of the inch, might not have the correct spacing though... or in [inch] instead.
I used shapes because some of the times, when using text, the linetypes with non-obliqued text would become obliqued after drawing a line that had the oblique text. Hopefully Adesk has fixed that problem.

[dragon23]

changing the oblique in the text style doesn't work. it doesn't change the text inside the line.

[lpseifert]

Try using 2 different fonts, maybe romans for existing, simplex for proposed.

[dumfatnhappy]

you are correct sir. I did get it to work by using the italic.shx font which is pre-formatted italic if that helps.
me<----seriously blowing the dust off my antiquated cad skills (whew!)

[CarlB]

The font should have updated - but only after you purge the linetype then reload the linetype.

[dumfatnhappy]

The font should have updated - but only after you purge the linetype then reload the linetype.


so you are saying that obliqueing the style will work in the linetype?

[dragon23]

so there is no way to do it unless u set it to italics. then it will be slanted but not at 22 degrees. :(

[CarlB]

so you are saying that obliqueing the style will work in the linetype?

Yes. Just tried it.

[dragon23]

walk me through the steps please cause i cant get it to work.

[CarlB]

Well if you already have a drawing with your desired linetype, you'll have to change layer linetypes to not use that linetype, otherwise change linetypes of lines, so you can then purge the linetype, then reload ithe linetype. (asuming you have already changes the text style the way you want it).

Or in a new drawing, change the text style being used in the custom linetype to have obliquing you want, then load the linetype.

[dragon23]

Well if you already have a drawing with your desired linetype, you'll have to change layer linetypes to not use that linetype, otherwise change linetypes of lines, so you can then purge the linetype, then reload ithe linetype. (asuming you have already changes the text style the way you want it).

Or in a new drawing, change the text style being used in the custom linetype to have obliquing you want, then load the linetype.

sorry no luck. i started a new drawing created the test style that i'm using in the line with an oblique of 22 degrees and the text was simplex then loaded the line. it gave me non obliqued text in the line...

[Alan Cullen]

You could always do it the other way, lateral thinking:

*WATERLINE-EX,EXISTING WATER ----W----W----W----W----W----W----
A,2,-.2,["W 6 inch",L40-2,S=.1,R=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.05

[Alan Cullen]

Sorry everyone, I didn't realise there were more posts after that one. :(

[Alan Cullen]

It would appear that selecting a font name (that is a sloping font) for the style name, will work. I just tried it with italic, no problems.

But when I applied a 22 deg oblique angle to a font/style, nothing happened. The text in the linetype was still vertical. And that was after deleting and purging and all that stuff.

[NBC]

from the AutoCAD helpfile:

The format for adding text characters in a linetype description is as follows:
["text",textstylename,scale,rotation,xoffset,yoffset]

There appears to be no true way of adding an oblique angle to text within linetypes other than using a text style that has italics

[Alan Cullen]

I have to agree with you, Blue.

[eldon]

If you change the oblique angle in the text style, and draw a line, the text in the linestyle will not update until you have put a letter of that textstyle in the drawing (I use DTEXT). Then a regen will update the letter in the linestyle. :D

In the screen shot, one of the lines is a block to show the difference.

[dragon23]

well i tried everything that has been stater above and it's still not working. i guess i'll just settle for an italic textstyle. thanx for all you guys help.

[dumfatnhappy]

well i tried everything that has been stater above and it's still not working. i guess i'll just settle for an italic textstyle. thanx for all you guys help.

well personally, I can't tell the diff between italic and 22 degrees, to the naked eye it seems awfully close. Why hell bent on 22 dragon? I mean, whose going to get off a horse to look that close?:|

[dragon23]

yeah that's what i was thinkin. thanx.