How can I change the insertion point for lines?

[Anonymous]

I've created some special line types but I don't want the line to start at the middle of the symbol but from the top (the solid line) as illustrated in the attachment. How should I do this?

Cheers,

Mats

[Link]

This is one of ArchiCAD's most confusing functions and I am VERY keen to hear how other people do this.

I know that you can add a hotspot in your linetype to center the line's origin. Just add the hotspot at the same distance above the center of the line, as the distance to the bottom most part of your line. (If that's not clear, let me know and I can post an image).

The only problem is thatyou get hotpots in your line! It also seems to have very unpredictable results as far as the proportional scaling goes - and I've never been able to nut it out, despite trying many times and asking many users, including GS representatives and even tech support!

Anyone else have any idea?

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

Link wrote:
I know that you can add a hotspot in your linetype to center the line's origin. Just add the hotspot at the same distance above the center of the line, as the distance to the bottom most part of your line. (If that's not clear, let me know and I can post an image)

Thanx Link! I actually came up with the same work around (hotspot) but I thought there would be a clever way to do it properly. Where can I find the script for the differnt lines? I recon they are GDL-objects so I shluod be able to change the code manually to get it right.
Concerning the scale I finally didi my lines not scale sensitive since the results I got was really weird...
The search goes on...
:)Mats

[Link]

Well I still challenge anyone who has figured this out, to explain exactly how linetype scale & proportions act!

And then I'll cc it straight to Tip of the Month!

Beats me!

Cheers,
Link.

[Laszlo Nagy]

I would use the same Hotspot workaround as you did.
I wrote an article about this about 3 years ago, I think that still holds. It can be found in the archives of ArchiGuide archives
http://www.graphisoft.com/archiguide_archive/ArchiGuide_Online_6o/issue22/linetypes.html

Let me know if this clarifies things a bit more.
Laszlo

[Aaron Bourgoin]

the links in the various threads about custom linetypes in the forum (accessed via topics in the Helpcenter) point to links that are now dead. Have they moved somewhere where they are still readable?

I'm looking for something to create a linetype that offsets without resorting to hotspots.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Here is one article I could find:

http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/tips/archicad/2d-tools/how-to-create-custom-line-types/

But if my memory serves right I don't think that you can do this without the use of hotspots because when creating a symbol line type ARCHICAD takes the bounding box of all selected elements and calculates the width of the line type based on that. This is why you need the hotspots. If you don't use hotspots, the bounding box will be smaller.
And there is no offset value you can define so I think the hotspot method is the only way to do it.

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Hi Lazlo,

I discovered that working the new line type at the universal origin point is necessary, and, that instead of a manually placed hotspot, a temporary origin at the intended reference line of the line type will be interpreted as a hotspot. If you use hotspots, you see hotspots as part of the lenitive. If you use a temporary origin point, you don't.

[Anonymous]

Hi, Aaron, thx for the info, i am using AC21 now, i tried ur method to create a new line type in worksheet, but it doesn't work, is that temporary origin u mentioned actually user origin?

[runxel]

Both should work:
Just assemble the line at the default origin, or you can also set the user origin.