Feedback Needed: Railings to be mostly linetypes, and only use blocks for multi-line options like walls

Hello again to all my Land F/X Power Users! I once again need your feedback on an important development project that we’re working on, and have a prototype for you to test with the latest update, which will change an important feature in our Land F/X AutoCAD plugin: Railings and Linetypes!
You can try it out now with the command RAILING2.

Like last time, I’ll list out all the pros and cons of our thinking on this to help explain why we want to change this, and then it’s your opportunity to post here or open a ticket to tell me if you agree, disagree, and why. Also feel free to use this post to tell me what you always wished the linetype and railing tool could do.

Pros and cons of removing block type railings - making them mostly linetypes instead (walls will still need to be blocks). For reference, this is our documentation page for how the railing tool behaves now: Railing

What Would Change?

• New linetype builder that merges our old linetype and railing tools into one tool and opens the door for many more post and linetype options.
  
• Using shx (shape) files for posts instead of blocks, so they can be used in complex linetypes.
  
• Linking linetype selection to RefNote Lengths.
  
• Walls will now use a new explode option in the Edit Object tool in order to adjust the layout of the line, as they will still use blocks.
  
-The new linetype builder will allow 1, 2, or 3 polylines. If 2 or 3, they will be blocked, requiring Edit Object to edit.
-We tested using multiline and there just wasn’t a way for us to automatically create good-looking wall and fence display outputs. There’s limitations where we can’t make an interior linetype with only shapes and spaces. It must include line segments in the linetype. Linetypes in AutoCAD also can’t only be shapes.
-This explode function would be like FXPLODE, which was needed to edit all railings before, but now will only be needed for walls and will be much easier and intuitive to use. We found many new users didn't easily make the connection to use a tool called FXPLODE to edit a line.

Old Dialog:


New Dialog:


Pros to Removing

1. While being very accurate with a not-to-exceed distance between posts (90%-100% of input post spacing, it did not account for slopes.
   
-This is a bit misleading as appearing to show exactly where posts should place, but in reality the site conditions might change the final placement and is better handled by the fence/railing detail or specification.
-Determining real post locations is best handled where clash detections can also occur, like in Revit, or in a 3D platform like SketchUp or Rhino3D.
-So, for the linetype railings and wall blocked lines, the post spacing will continue to be a graphical representation like it was before, but now more obviously so since the posts will not alway align to the endpoints of each segment in the selected polyline.

2. Many people just wanted a linetype in AutoCAD, and gave feedback that the railing tool with a block was too complex, and too limiting.
   
3. For most railings, you won’t need to use the railing tool again to revert back to a polyline and move the vertices a railing line. With a linetype, you can just click the polyline vertices.
   
-Way more intuitive for those just familiar with AutoCAD and maybe new to Land F/X.

4. Much easier for us to add a lot more post and line graphic options with linetypes.
   
-We’re planning a quick linetype creator platform, where you pick the primary linetype and you pick the post, and we put them together on the fly.
-Ex. Dashed line, hollow triangle post at 6ft/2m spacing, we create that linetype for you.

5. Opens the door for us to make this easier to coordinate with SketchUp, Revit and Rhino.
   
6. We will now be able to add choosing the linetype directly to the RefNote Length edit info window!
   

Cons of Removing

1. Posts won’t always be on the vertices of the polyline
   
2. Starting to use more shx files in linetypes. We already use these with plant shrub area linetypes.
   
-Although SHX files can already be included in etransmit.

This update is already in the current release. Again, you can try it out now with the command RAILING2.

We’re bringing this to you now since we’ve finished our prototype phase and confirmed that we can achieve the look that a lot of users have been asking us for in tickets with these linetype prototypes.
We plan to connect this officially to the railing button in the ribbon and to the RefNote symbol selection in a month. Legacy RefNote railing entries should still work fine with schedules but can be easily updated to a new assigned "symbol" from the railing tool.

Also I would love to have anybody share a legend or DWG with any typical linetypes that you use in your documents that we should consider adding as a default linetype in our newly expanding library.