- Save Your Custom Shrub Area Linetype
- How to Make a Simple Custom Linetype File
- Anatomy of a Linetype
Want to use a custom boundary to use with plants you add to projects as Shrub Areas? Here's how to save your custom boundary into our system. Don't have a custom linetype yet, but want to make one? We've also included instructions for creating your own custom Shrub Area border linetype to save into our system.
Save Your Custom Shrub Area Linetype
Make sure you have the LIN (.lin) file for your custom linetype (ex. TRACKED.lin). If you need to create one, use our method for making a simple linetype file, outlined below. You can use a simple linetype, or a more complex one that uses SHX files.
Open an existing DWG file in the folder LandFX/Blocks/graphics/planting/shrub_areas.
In this example, we'll open the Scallop linetype.
Don’t see a DWG file in this location? Add a plant to a Land F/X project as a Shrub Area, then place it in a drawing. The system will download the boundary you selected for the Shrub Area, and you'll now see it in this folder.
You can now begin loading your custom linetype. Type LAYER in the Command line and press Enter to open the Layer Properties Manager.
Select the linetype of the layer L-TEXT-035M (example: Continuous).
Click Load to locate the LIN file for the linetype.
Click File.
Select your LIN file (example: TRACKED.lin).
Select your linetype, and click OK.
Your linetype should now be loaded in the Select Linetype dialog box.
At this point, you might see this error message, which is a sign of issue with the LIN file. Here's how to fix it:
1. The Text Style defined in the linetype file is most likely not defined in the current drawing. Create that Text Style, then try again.
Still getting the error? Move on to the next step.
2. Open the LIN file in a text editor such as Notepad.
3. Adjust the linetype by following our How to Make a Simple Custom Linetype File steps at the bottom of this page.
4. Save the text file.
5. Try loading your custom linetype again.
You can choose to change the color of your linetype to make it clear to your office which Shrub Area linetypes are custom to your office, as opposed to Land F/X defaults.
To do so, open the linetype file from the folder LandFX/Blocks/graphics/planting/shrub_areas, and assign the color of your choice to the line.
With your linetype DWG open, select Save as from the File menu, and save the file to the folder LandFX/Blocks/graphics/planting/shrub_areas as a DWG with the same file name as your LIN file (example: TRACKED.dwg).
Adjust the ratio of the open window to match the ratio of the existing default slides.
To create a preview slide for your custom Shrub Area border, type MSLIDE in the Command line and press Enter. Save the slide file to to the folder LandFX/Blocks/graphics/planting/shrub_areas/, giving it the same as your LIN file name (example: TRACKED.sld).
Your custom linetype should now be available to assign to plants you've added to a Land F/X project as Shrub Areas.
Assigning a custom linetype to a Shrub Area will not import that linetype into a drawing like our defaults will. Instead, make sure this custom linetype is already loaded in your office's template DWT (.dwt) file so all new drawings can easily use it. More information on working with DWTs
How to Make a Simple Custom Linetype File
You have two options for creating your custom linetype.
Option 1: Use Our Custom Line Tool
This option is the simpler of the two, but won't allow you to build your linetype from more complex visual styles common to Shrub Area linetypes. If you want to create a linetype with more customization than these steps will allow, use the manual steps below.
Open our Custom Line tool:
F/X Site ribbon, Custom Line flyout
Graphics Line toolbar
or type FX_CustomLine in the Command line
Enter a value (name) for the custom linetype you're about to create (example: TRACKING.)
Follow our instructions for the Custom Line tool to create and save your custom linetype.
Option 2: Create Your Linetype Manually
You might need to use the following manual steps if you want to create a linetype with more customization or symbols than Option 1 allows. You can even start with our Custom Line tool, and skip down to the Anatomy of a Linetype section below to simply edit it (to shorten the dashed lines, for example) before adding it to the Shrub Area linetype options.
Open our Text Manager:
F/X Site ribbon, Text button
Graphics toolbar, Fonts button
F/X Graphics menu, Fonts button
or type *FX_Fonts in the Command line
Select the CALLOUT LIGHT Text Style, then click MTEXT.
The symbols from the symbol library are only available if you use the MTEXT option.
Click to place an MText box – even if you plan to only use symbols.
You can select symbols to use in your linetype from the Symbol flyout menu on the temporary Text Editor ribbon.
Select a symbol you want to include.
Click Copy, then paste the symbol into the MText box.
