I need help tweaking this swale linetype

[JAM]

Swales have always been finicky to draw with the proper annotation and it seems to be a common inquiry of forum users to find a code string that creates one automatically. I got sick of waiting and searching so I developed a code string that draws/repeats the squiggly line and triangle arrow annotation for me to make things faster and easier. It works (kind of) but it draws a continuous line over the swale symbols almost like a strike-through in MS Word (see attached image). I wouldn't mind it so much if it was a standard centreline symbol but my preference is for the "line" type to just be the repeating symbol and not have a line at all.

swale.jpg

Here is the code I've come up with (it is scaled to draw properly in inches--for metric scale the ltscale to 0.03937):

*SWALE,Swale --> --> --> -->
A,0,10,[SWALESYMBOL,swalesymbol.shx,x=1,s=1],65

I've saved it into my acad.lin file along with my swalesymbol.shx file which is just the squiggle and the arrowhead. When I draw a line or polyline using the linetype though I still get the solid line. Perhaps someone can post a reply that takes my code and tweaks it?

[ReMark]

Could you post you swalesymbol.shx file? It might help to have it for troubleshooting purposes.

[ReMark]

Nevermind. I mocked one up myself using the MKSHAPE and MKLTYPE Express Tools commands. This is what my linetype definition file looks like. I do not get the continuous straight line between my symbols.

*SWALE,Swale -->-->-->-->
A,0,-.001851,[SWALESYM, SwaleSym,y=.00009,s=1],-.488335

[eldon]

*SWALE,Swale --> --> --> -->
A,0,10,[SWALESYMBOL,swalesymbol.shx,x=1,s=1],65

It draws a solid line because you have no "Pen up" instructions in your line type. Try putting a - (minus sign) in front of the 10 and the 65 numbers in your code.

I can't check it out myself, because I would need your shape to do so.

[ReMark]

I totally missed the minus signs. Thanks for pointing that out eldon.

[JAM]

Thanks guys. I was totally blundering through the code and don't have any reference for what any of the numbers do. Slowly through trial and error I got to where I was yesterday. Is there anywhere I can find what each input does to the line? It would definitely help in the future.

[ReMark]

Work with Linetypes - Part I by Ralph Grabowski - Lesson 15

http://www.upfrontezine.com/tailor/tailor15.htm

Part 2 - Lesson 16

http://www.upfrontezine.com/tailor/tailor16.htm

[JAM]

Very helpful. Cheers!

[Organic]

The 'AutoCad Bible' book also covers custom line types (and a lot of other things) nicely.