Edit Linetype

[nextvkin]

Hi,
I made a linetype in a previous project, and I want to edit it, but I can't find the linetype in my acadiso.lin file. Any ideas please , Thanks.

[BeKirra]

You have to load the linetype file (acadiso.lin) and ensure your custom linetype is in the file before changing the line type.

[nextvkin]

That's how I did it, but when I open the file acadiso.lin in my support folder (& yes it's in my search path) the line that I made is not to be found, but it's in the drawing. So where can I find it to edit it?

[BeKirra]

That's how I did it, but when I open the file acadiso.lin in my support folder (& yes it's in my search path) the line that I made is not to be found, but it's in the drawing. So where can I find it to edit it?
In that case it would be either:
1) You have saved your custom linetype with another lin file, or
2) You have 2 lin files with the same name of acadiso.lin in different folders.

[ccowgill]

maybe it saved it in acad.lin?

[Tom Beauford]

If you make the linetype current you can output the defition to the command line using the lisp here (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=83961#31). Copy it to your lin file and edit it there.

[nextvkin]

I did look at acad.lin, Chris, but it wasn't there either.
Thanks, Tom, I'll give that a shot.
I just did - it's great!
But I'm still curious, why was the line in the drawing but was nowhere to be foud in any acadiso/acad.lin file? I did a search of all the folders in my file path. Not to worry, problem solved. Thanks again, Tom.

[cadtag]

....But I'm still curious, why was the line in the drawing but was nowhere to be foud in any acadiso/acad.lin file? I did a search of all the folders in my file path. Not to worry, problem solved. Thanks again, Tom.

That's because once the linetype is defined in a drawing file, the definition is stored in the drawing's tables. The .lin file is ony needed the first time the linetype is loaded.

That's why you can use ADC to drag linetypes from drawings on the server into the active drawing.

[nextvkin]

Hi Cadtag, thanks for the explanation, but excuse my ignorance, what's ADC?

[ccowgill]

AutoCAD Design Center, type it in on the command line within AutoCAD. It opens a palette.

[nextvkin]

Thanks for that! :Oops:

[irneb]

This is a niggly point where I keep on having to explain to guys here that the reason they loose their custom stuff is due to them modifying acad's OWN files.

In nearly all cases after an upgrade you've lost all your custom ACAD*.LIN (but more prevalent ACAD*.PAT) stuff. Even in some cases due to an update these "might" disappear (which would be worse since then you won't have a backup at all!)

So I explain: "Make a file (or files) of your OWN and place your custom linetypes / hatches in there. Preferably place these in a folder of your own making as well." That way all you need to do after an upgrade is point acad to your file, instead of having to copy an old acad.LIN/PAT over the new ones (which would delete any new LineTypes / HatchPatterns which ADesk's added to the upgrade). Or opening them and copy-pasting in Notepad.

It "sounds" like more work, but in the end you'll see that having a LIN/PAT file for each of your custom stuff works a lot simpler, faster and more easily modifyable than fiddling with a file which may loose any of your edits.

[Tom Beauford]

"Make a file (or files) of your OWN and place your custom linetypes / hatches in there. Preferably place these in a folder of your own making as well." That way all you need to do after an upgrade is point acad to your file, instead of having to copy an old acad.LIN/PAT over the new ones (which would delete any new LineTypes / HatchPatterns which ADesk's added to the upgrade). Or opening them and copy-pasting in Notepad.

It "sounds" like more work, but in the end you'll see that having a LIN/PAT file for each of your custom stuff works a lot simpler, faster and more easily modifyable than fiddling with a file which may loose any of your edits.
I've always followed the recomendation in the Acad.lin file, copying custom lintypes to the "User Defined Linetypes section". How do you "point acad to your file" and do you copy the new acad.lin file into it to it?

Since shape and pattern files autoload as needed I agree no need to modify the default ones.

[irneb]

There's 2 "environment" variables: ANSILineType and ISOLineType which you can change if you really want to (it's saved in registry per ACad installation). I simply load the Linetypes by browsing to my own file (I don't change these settings) - you only need to do this once for a new DWG anyway. And you can quite easily have a macro load the relevant linetype(s) in one click.

Linetypes aren't that problematic, since their definitions do get saved inside the DWG. There's even some lisp around which can recreate the LIN file from the DWG.

[andrewp]

okay, i know all the stuff y'all are saying... I've always created my own linetype file, "drew.lin"... And its worked with no problems until now... i opened a CAD file, that i use to have no problem with, and the "zig-zag" line type wasn't displaying properly... so i went to load the "drew.lin" file again, and it started to give me "bad definitions" on a lot of linetypes... so i tried to load the acad.lin and different linetypes started to show the same "bad definition"... Now, realize that i haven't edited the acad.lin file, ever! And a lot of these linetypes are acad native files... any ideas? see attached JPEG to view the error...

thanks guys...
Drew

[irneb]

Sounds like there's been some hard drive corruption. Try running a chkdsk (would probably need a restart ). Repair install :(

[andrewp]

something's weird... today it's working fine... didn't have to reboot or anything... i'll keep you updated if it happens again...

[nextvkin]

Irneb, you're right, I should have saved it, but since I managed to re make it with Tom's help I have done so. However I saved it the way Tom mentioned, ie in the user defined linetype section which I've always done except for this one time, hence the reason this thread started.

[clshade]

Add the file to your Support File Search Path under Options and have your personal Line and Hatch file available to all drawings all the time when you start ACAD.