Custom Graphic Line Patterns

A line pattern is a T-FLEX CAD drawing created in compliance with rules described below. A name of a pattern file is used as a name of a line type. Upon putting a pattern file into the LinePatterns folder, restart the T-FLEX CAD and the new line type will appear at the end of the line types drop-down list in graphic lines' parameters. In order to delete a custom type, delete its file and restart the CAD.

When using a custom line type in a document, the line pattern is saved with that document. Relation with the source file is lost at this point. Therefore, when porting a document file to a computer without the given line type, the image doesn't change its appearance.

When porting a document containing custom line types to a computer with existing line type pattern under the same name, the line image also doesn't change its appearance. In such case, to apply new patterns, you need to re-apply types in lines' parameters.

Content of a line pattern

Image of a line is created in general case from several elements described in the line pattern according to the special rules. Description of a line element constitutes a drawing of the corresponding segment of a line executed with the use of construction lines, nodes, graphic lines, text and hatches. Description of each element of the line must be located on a separate page of the pattern. The sequence order of pages in the pattern’s document is not important.

In general case the image of the line is created from the following elements:

•Symbol
Main element of the line. It can be repeated several times on the line. The number of repetitions is specified in the line pattern via the CenterMaxCount variable. If this variable is not created in the pattern, the Symbol element is drawn only once on the line. The number of repetitions of the Symbol element can be decreased by the system, if the number set in the pattern can not be fitted to the specified line length. The Symbol element is not drawn at all, if the variable CenterMaxCount was assigned the value of 0 or if the line length is too small.

•Tail and Head
Elements that define line's start and end arrows. They are placed at the beginning and the end of the line without changes. If in the line pattern the Start or End elements are absent, it will be possible to apply standard arrows.

•Space and Line
Auxiliary elements of the line that are repeated many times along its length, if required. When creating a line the system draws the Tail and Head elements at the line ends, then uniformly places along the line the required number of the Symbol elements (as many times as it can be fitted along the line length but no more than it is specified by the CenterMaxCount variable). The remaining intervals between Symbols are filled with the Space and Line elements. Filling in is carried out in the following way: the maximum possible number of the Space elements is inserted into each interval. The spaces remaining between them are covered automatically by the Line elements (scaled to the required size) in such a way, that the Space and Line elements alternate.

Any elements can be absent in the line pattern except the Space element.

The required attribute of description of each element of the line is a pair of nodes named in a special way. The nodes define the points of joining the given element of the line with the neighboring elements (characteristic points). The nodes' names should be assigned in accordance with the table shown below. The line elements may be of a quite complex shape. When creating a hatch by lines of a custom type, to make the hatch contour exactly follow the line shape or assume other arbitrary shape, you would need to additionally specify in the line pattern drawing special named 2D paths defining the hatch contour route. The paths' names should be assigned in accordance with the table shown below. The paths are created separately for each line element. Path contours should start at a starting node and end at an ending node of a line's element. If there are no hatch paths in a pattern, the hatch contour will be composed of line segments passing through the named points of the line elements/

Tail and head are connected to the main part of the line by TailEnd and HeadEnd nodes, respectively.

When creating a pattern, one can use graphic elements of different color and different width. However, the color and width of a graphic line created from a custom type can be modified only if the whole pattern uses the same color and line width.

See Also:

•Example of Custom Graphic Line Pattern