HLSetting with structural steel solid models

[3D Jack]

I have a bunch of solid models of W shape structural beams. I need them to plot with a decent looking dashed line to represent the web of the beam between the flanges. I have tried each of the possible line types and using a ltscale = .5 value and the hidden lines don't really look like hidden lines. For smaller scale machine design work the hidden lines are passable but for large scale equipment and structural steel it doesn't look good. I work with an architect who only knows make it pretty like when we did it on the drawing board. I don't want to have to draw the hidden lines for literally thousands of structural beams over the next few months. Does anybody know how to make AutoCAD HLSettings plot to scale and look even decent.

[scwegner]

That's exactly what psltscale is meant to take care of. Psltscale set to 1 makes all lines appear the same regardless of viewport scale.

[3D Jack]

Thanks for the reply but PSLTSCALE is set to 1 and they are still ugly. I have attached a JPG plotted at 1600x1200 resolution. It actually looks better than what I get on paper. On paper the hidden lines are somewhat jagged and don't show up as uniform as the JPG does. If it was only me I would consider plotting to JPG and then print that. However, there are lots of other people in the office and they would be lost. Thanks, Jack.

[scwegner]

Thanks for the reply but PSLTSCALE is set to 1 and they are still ugly. I have attached a JPG plotted at 1600x1200 resolution. It actually looks better than what I get on paper. On paper the hidden lines are somewhat jagged and don't show up as uniform as the JPG does. If it was only me I would consider plotting to JPG and then print that. However, there are lots of other people in the office and they would be lost. Thanks, Jack.
Eh, it was worth a shot. Have you tried a custom linetype?

[3D Jack]

ALL help is appreciated. Custom linetype is a good idea and I have created some many years ago. Problem is in a big company you have to try and keep it simple sort of as you have all levels of competency or uncompetency as some cases may be. I think I have just witnessed a miracle though. Boss has decided to accept how the hidden lines display on paper. I had written a Multiline macro to make layer and set other stuff just in case. Glad I won't have to do that insanity now. Just for the record I am using the ShortDash line type or "OBSCUREDLTYPE" "4" and the "HALOGAP" is set to 5. Of the 14 or so choices this one worked the best. Thanks, Jack.

[kathy71046]

To my knowledge, ltscale has no effect on hidden line settings in viewports, and I'm pretty sure you can't assign a custom linetype to it either.

I have a similar display problem of trying to show a UB 6-11m long, but with also trying to show plates of dims 50x150mm, and have had no luck with getting a decent display.

I settled for having my obscuredltype set to 1 and obsuredcolor set to 253 with a b&w ctb....at least the factory can read these.

Sorry I couldn't help much, but I'm pretty sure I asked a similar question to this a year ago and couldn't resolve it with any of the settings.