Expert: Bill DeShawn - 9/27/2007

Question
Hi Bill,

So, I have two questions. First, I have a plot style set up that works fine with one exception. I have a style that is supposed to render a line as dashed and 30 percent screened. The dashed line does not show up as screened and I can't figure out why not. I've checked, rechecked and re-rechecked the plot style. Everything appears to be set up right, but the *$%#! line always plots as solid.

My other question has to do with dashed lines. I understand that drawing a dashed line in model space has a different ratio than it will appear in paper space. Therefor, the scale factor must be changed in order to see the line as dashed when viewing it in paper space. But I feel like I'm missing something. Is there a way to have AutoCAD draw a dashed line in model space so that it automatically draws it with the correct scale factor in paper space? Every time I draw a dashed line, I have to doucle click on it and change its scale factor manually in the properties dialog box. I usually do that for the first line and match its properties for all of the other similar dashed lines. Is there an easier way to do this?

THANKS!!!!!!!

Answer
To help you with plotting styles, I need to know if you are using color dependent plotting or named plot styles plotting.  (ctb or stb?) Send me your ctb or stb plot style file to bdeshawn@sterling.net.

On Linetype scale, if you are in a layout (paper space) and you have scaled your viewport and want to see linetypes that look like the ones in paper space, then you need to set PSLTSCALE to 1:
Type:  Integer
Saved in:  Drawing
Initial value:  1


Controls paper space linetype scaling.

0
No special linetype scaling. Linetype dash lengths are based on the drawing units of the space (model or paper) in which the objects were created. Scaled by the global LTSCALE factor.

1
Viewport scaling governs linetype scaling. If TILEMODE is set to 0, dash lengths are based on paper space drawing units, even for objects in model space. In this mode, viewports can have varying magnifications, yet display linetypes identically. For a specific linetype, the dash lengths of a line in a viewport are the same as the dash lengths of a line in paper space. You can still control the dash lengths with LTSCALE


When you change PSLTSCALE or use a command such as ZOOM with PSLTSCALE set to 1, objects in viewports are not automatically regenerated with the new linetype scale. Use the REGEN or REGENALL command to update the linetype scales in each viewport.

Keep in touch
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn