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Quick Reference

Commands

LINETYPE

Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes.

System Variables

MEASUREINIT

Controls whether a drawing you start from scratch uses imperial or metric

default settings.

Text in Custom Linetypes

Characters from text fonts can be included in linetypes.

Characters from text fonts can be included in linetypes. Linetypes with

embedded characters can denote utilities, boundaries, contours, and so on.

As with simple linetypes, lines are dynamically drawn as you specify the

vertices. Characters embedded in lines are always displayed completely; they

are never trimmed.

Embedded text characters are associated with a text style in the drawing. Any

text styles associated with a linetype must exist in the drawing before you

load the linetype.

The format for linetypes that include embedded characters is similar to that

for simple linetypes in that it is a list of pattern descriptors separated by

commas.

Character Descriptor Format

The format for adding text characters in a linetype description is as follows:

["text",textstylename,scale,rotation,xoffset,yoffset]

This format is added as a descriptor to a simple linetype. For example, a

linetype called HOT_WATER_SUPPLY is defined as

*HOT_WATER_SUPPLY,----HW ----HW ----HW ----HW ----HW ----

A,.5,-.2,["HW",STANDARD,S=.1,U=0.0,X=-0.1,Y=-.05],-.2

This indicates a repeating pattern starting with a dash 0.5 drawing units long,

a space 0.2 drawing units long, the characters HW with some scale and

placement parameters, and another space 0.2 drawing units long. The text

24 | Chapter 2 Custom Linetypes