forum.datacad.com

I am retired but once in a while I come back to do a little drawing.
If I go to inserting a different line type and try to evoke the Line Type Manager (Alt-L) or press the line type button in the menu area, a blank box appears with nothing on it. I can only make it disappear by typing Alt-F4. I checked the Program Preferences to see the Path Name Descriptions and it point to the correct folder. How to I populate the menu and line types available. I can see lines (by name) in the Status Panel by clicking on the down arrow.

I must be missing something but cannot determine what it is. Help!

Thanks
Stephen

Do you have the latest update for v17 installed?

Good question. I think so but who knows after all these years. Will check right now.
S

Yes, I have the latest!
What now?

Hi Stephen,

stephen11962 wrote:I am retired but once in a while I come back to do a little drawing.
If I go to inserting a different line type and try to evoke the Line Type Manager (Alt-L) or press the line type button in the menu area, a blank box appears with nothing on it. I can only make it disappear by typing Alt-F4. I checked the Program Preferences to see the Path Name Descriptions and it point to the correct folder. How to I populate the menu and line types available. I can see lines (by name) in the Status Panel by clicking on the down arrow.

I must be missing something but cannot determine what it is. Help!

Thanks
Stephen

Alt-L is a custom keyboard macro - you may need to edit your DcadWIN.MCR file, to get it to work as you are used to.

If you look at Edit / Line Type/ - what do you see?

Here you go:

L^15#^
//line type menu
;L^;^F9^S1^ 2020-01-07 changed to Linetype sbove
;Trim intersecting walls

It has been about 12 years since I mucked around here, but what I understand is that the ; does not interact with the macro but allows comments. And it seems that I did at one time do something, but I have earlier copies of dcadwin.mcr which have the correct,operable line L^15#^ . But I am now an amateur.

Having said all that, I do need help.
Thanks
S

Try replacing

L^15#^

with

L^;^S7^S8^

Yes it is back, MAGIC, BUT, always that: When I exit the line type manger it does disappear but reverts to the empty box with not text, no nothing AND I have to Alt-F to get out of that.

Something still amiss.
S

Maybe try re-running the v17 installer and then selecting repair. Something may have become corrupted with your install.

https://www.datacad.com/download/dataca ... AD_17.html

Did Repair, same behavior. But I can get the blank box to disappear from the screen by Shift-F4 but then it reappears if I right click with the cursor in drawing area. Alt-L will recall the Line Type Manager only to repeat the behavior. I think i am going to let this go. Is not critical to what I have to do now - unless someone has the answer.

But thanks all for the input!
S

More Line stuff: Now I find that the solid line draws like a dashed line, sometimes, but it identifies as a Solid Line. It does not increase or decrease in size by zooming in or out. This is happening in a drawing in which I have real solid lines. If I Alt-I on that 'real' line and then draw lines the lines are solid. I can copy and paste either 'type of solid line' and the copy is true to the line copied. I do not know if there are other problems.

I do not know what is going on or how this all happened. I wonder if it would be less time-consuming to reload the program from scratch? But I fear importing my customization will import the 'corruption' as well?

Anyone have any ideas?

TIA
S

Sounds like you've applied a dashed Pen Style to the line (not a dashed Line Type). If you double-click on the line to display the Entity Properties Editor, you'll see dropdowns for Line Type and Pen Style. What do they indicate? In the Change, More... menu, you can use the Pen Style option to change the entities you select to a solid pen style.

Note: Pen Styles are scale-independent which is why the dashes are always displayed and printed the same length.

Mr Madura himself and Sunday!!

It seems that I have done what you said, but by mistake and out of ignorance. It has been a while since I have used DataCad but even when it was a daily event I had never used this feature. See what I did not know and have missed! I have also learned that what the suffix R and S mean, which puzzled me for a moment.

Even if I did not use all the features of DataCad I still consider it one of the unique and quality software programs I have encountered. Much thanks and appreciation.

Stephen