Where Do You Change Edge and Pattern Line Defaults?

[misterwiley]

When I send a elevation to layout I get the option to check "use edge line defaults" or "pattern line defaults". When I open that layout box in layout I can see what those values are and can change them for that layout box. However I can't find the place within Chief that actually allows me to set those defaults so I don't have to open every layout box and change them every time.

 

Could someone point me to where those defaults are actually set?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Alaskan_Son]

Unfortunately, there is no single default for those.   They must be set individually just like you’re doing now.  

[Alaskan_Son]

On a side note, are you aware that you can control all your Edge Lines simply using your layer settings?  Pattern Lines are a different story, but you can handle at least 1 of the 2 more dynamically than you currently are.

[misterwiley]

5 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

Unfortunately, there is no single default for those.   They must be set individually just like you’re doing now.  

 

 If that's the case than why even have those check boxes in the layout dialog? Sounds like they don't do anything.

 

5 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

On a side note, are you aware that you can control all your Edge Lines simply using your layer settings?  Pattern Lines are a different story, but you can handle at least 1 of the 2 more dynamically than you currently are.

 

I'll have to look into that more. Which specific layer controls that? Is it a layer in the plan or the layout file?

 

Thanks for your help Michael!

[robdyck]

1 hour ago, misterwiley said:

Sounds like they don't do anything.

They certainly do do something, you just can't change the default. What you can do is control the line weights for each applicable layout box. It can be a very fast way to have all your edge lines a single darker line style and all the pattern lines a lighter style.

[misterwiley]

3 hours ago, robdyck said:

They certainly do do something, you just can't change the default. What you can do is control the line weights for each applicable layout box. It can be a very fast way to have all your edge lines a single darker line style and all the pattern lines a lighter style.

 

Why would you have a check box that implies there is a default setting when there actually isn't? I love the functionally of what Chief has provided with Edge and Patten line settings in the layout dialog but if there is actually no way to set these as a default setting then the check boxes when sending to layout seem entirely superfluous. What exactly do those check boxes do?

 

It's like someone thought "Hey we should program a check box here for that default setting we are going to add later" but then never actually added that default setting. It's confusing why they exist if there is not a default setting to go along with them.

[Chrisb222]

32 minutes ago, misterwiley said:

Why would you have a check box that implies there is a default setting when there actually isn't?

 

Perhaps the word "default" is being used in a slightly different context. May be a reference to an actual default setting in a prior version, according to Help:

 

 

While Help advises against using Edge and Pattern Line Defaults, I use them all the time and very much like what I can do with them.

 

Also, in earlier versions you could specify the line weight of Lines and Patterns in the Send to Layout DBX, and the program would remember those settings in subsequent sends. Which is akin to a "default."

 

It seems now the 20 and 10 weights are hard-coded in the Send to Layout DBX, but it wouldn't be the only leftover oddity in the program/documentation. Just look at the language of #3 in the screenshot; they copy/pasted the text from #2 but didn't change "Edge" to "Pattern" at the very right side of the paragraph.

 

"Clean up on Aisle 5!!"

[Chrisb222]

35 minutes ago, misterwiley said:

What exactly do those check boxes do?

 

They allow you to control those settings within the Layout Box Spec DBX once you're in the layout.

 

Eh, it works.

[Dermot]

Did you try clicking on the Help button when you were in the Send To Layout dialog?

 

Did you see the part where it says "The Edge and Pattern Line Defaults settings are included for legacy files and are not the recommended method of specifying this information."

 

As a general rule, it is preferable to use your layer and material settings to control your edge and pattern lines while in the camera view.  Then when you send the view to layout, you would have "use edge line defaults" and "use pattern line defaults" turned off.  This will allow you to better see what you will get on your layout view while in the camera view.  You can also control the edge lines for each object independently using the active layer set.  You can control the pattern lines for each material independently using the material settings.

 

If you have a particular need to override these settings in your layout view, then you would want to set the "use defaults" options.  The program will then use the edge and pattern line defaults that are specified for the particular layout box created.  You can change these values in the layout box specification dialog box (as you have shown in your second picture).  Currently, there is no way to specify the system default values used when a new layout box is created.

 

BTW, it looks like Chris's version of the help file might be old.  See picture below for what my version says.

 

[Chrisb222]

3 minutes ago, Dermot said:

Currently, there is no way to specify the system default values used when a new layout box is created.

 

Am I correct that 20 and 10 are hard-coded in the Send to Layout DBX?

 

I liked previous versions where these values could be edited when sending.

 

3 minutes ago, Dermot said:

BTW, it looks like Chris's version of the help file might be old.

 

Hmm, I'm using the latest version of X12 but ....? Is Help not updated with the program?

[glennw]

5 minutes ago, Chrisb222 said:

It seems now the 20 and 10 weights are hard-coded in the Send to Layout DBX, but it wouldn't be the only leftover oddity in the program/documentation

 

1 hour ago, Chrisb222 said:

Am I correct that 20 and 10 are hard-coded in the Send to Layout DBX?

 

I am not in front of Chief at the moment, so I am just winging it with this...

No, those values are not hard coded, The Edge Line defaults and Pattern Line Defaults in the  Layout Box Specification dbx populate from....somewhere in Chief - I can't remember off hand...I will have a look when I can open Chief. 

But, when you send the view to Layout, you need to have checked Use Edge Line Defaults BEFORE sending to layout

[Dermot]

The edge line and pattern line defaults (18 and 10) are actually stored with your program preferences.  There is no built-in interface for changing them but you can manually edit the ini file if you are very determined.  If you manually edit your preferences file and mess things up, you are basically on your own though.  I would recommend that you only do this while the program is not running because the program will write out the preferences from memory when you exit.

 

And for the record, I really recommend just working with your layers and material settings while in the camera view so things are more WYSIWYG.

 

[glennw]

Dermot, I have been mucking around with this on and off and lost my way because of interruptions.

Can you explain how I got the 300 in the Edge Line defaults.

I did not change it in the dbx - that is how it came into layout.

I remember changing it somewhere else before sending the view to layout - but I lost track of where I changed it.

Must be time for a nap! 

 

 

PS. After doing a Save As with the .plan and .layout, I checked the .ini file and it was set to 300, but I certainly didn't change the .ini file:

 

Quote

Layout%20Edge%20Line%20Weight=300

 

Does that sound right?

[Dermot]

As pointed out by Chris, you could change these settings in the Send to Layout dialog in prior versions.  This ability was removed because we feel that this is not the preferred method of working.  You probably modified them in an older version of the program and then migrated your preferences forward.

[Ridge_Runner]

3 hours ago, Dermot said:

You probably modified them in an older version of the program and then migrated your preferences forward.

I think this is what I did (some time ago) as mine comes up as 25 and 10 respectively.

[glennw]

4 hours ago, Dermot said:

As pointed out by Chris, you could change these settings in the Send to Layout dialog in prior versions.  This ability was removed because we feel that this is not the preferred method of working.  You probably modified them in an older version of the program and then migrated your preferences forward.

 

Dermot,

I definitely did it in X12 while I was playing around - I used 300 so that things would be easy to track!

And it wasn't 300 before I started mucking around.