Yet Another Bad Linetype Definition Thread

[YZ]

When I get that error it has always been a problem with the font style defined by each linetype showing the error.

 

In this case, as previously mentioned, linetype.shx.

 

I would be hunting around to make certain that font is defined correctly in your Windows registry. And then that it is correctly in your dwg.

[dal-designs]

Goodness, I hope that's not the issue. I'm pretty sure mucking around in the Windows registry will get me fired where I work. Seriously- we're not even allowed to put software on our PCs without approval.

 

If we're talking registry issues, then I'm inclined to just ask IT to repair/reinstall ACAD altogether...

[rkmcswain]

Hang on, "ltypeshp.shx" (or any shx for that matter) used as a source for shapes in AutoCAD linetypes are not Windows fonts. There is no "defined correctly" that needs to be done, anywhere, especially in the registry.

 

Even custom linetypes that reference TEXT, are defined using a "textstyle" name, not a "font" name.

 

@dal-designs, if you think your "ltypeshp.shx" file might be corrupt, find the original on the install media, or find "ltypeshp.shp" and run it through the COMPILE command in AutoCAD to create a fresh new one.

[YZ]

Yes, I used the wrong phrase with "registry", now that you mention it I meant the Windows Fonts folder.

 

However, thanks for rkmcswain's comment. I did not know that .shx was an exclusively AutoCAD font definition. Very helpful.

 

I feel for you dal-designs, linetypes are difficult to troubleshoot.

[dal-designs]

Well, I appear to have fixed the problem.

 

And oddly enough, what seems to have worked shouldn't have made a difference. All I did was move a 'fresh' copy of acad.lin into the same folder in the support path as ltypeshp.shx and ltypeshp.shp- as opposed to having it in a different folder, also in the support path.

 

 

Am I wrong that it should not have mattered where those files were, so long as both locations were in the support path?

[Dana W]

Well, I appear to have fixed the problem.

 

And oddly enough, what seems to have worked shouldn't have made a difference. All I did was move a 'fresh' copy of acad.lin into the same folder in the support path as ltypeshp.shx and ltypeshp.shp- as opposed to having it in a different folder, also in the support path.

 

 

Am I wrong that it should not have mattered where those files were, so long as both locations were in the support path?

There must be a search path hierarchy, thus Move up/down buttons, or maybe it has to find acad.lin first. I have fixed issues with custom stuff, hatches for instance, by using the move up/move down buttons on the files tab, nothing more.

[rkmcswain]

Am I wrong that it should not have mattered where those files were, so long as both locations were in the support path?

 

For the shape file, yes.

But for the LIN file, no.

 

AutoCAD linetypes are stored in the drawing file, so it does not need to search to find the definition in a LIN file when the drawing opens.

Shape files are different, they DO have to be in the support file search path because they are not stored in the drawing.

[dal-designs]

Which makes the fix even less sensible. But whatever works, I suppose.

 

 

Dana W- I did have my support paths moved up to the top at one point. But I've done other things since then, so maybe we were dealing with more than one issue.

[Dana W]

Which makes the fix even less sensible. But whatever works, I suppose.

 

 

Dana W- I did have my support paths moved up to the top at one point. But I've done other things since then, so maybe we were dealing with more than one issue.

Could be, especially if there were more than one copy of something in the tree, in two different folders, and they were a tiny bit different. Time to shrug and get on with it, I guess. Not sayin' that was the case, just a supposin' kinda thought.

[caddcop]

If there was more than one LTYPESHP.SHX in the search paths, and the first one found was either corrupt, or missing the CIRC1, BOX, TRACK1 and the BAT shapes, this could cause the error. As for the PL linetype, if the text style specified in a definition does not exist in the drawing, you will also get that type of error message. I've seen this happen when someone tries to "clean up" a drawing and purges too many things.

The findfile method listed is very useful as it searches for the specified file using the search paths and lists where it found the file. If you compare that to explorer, which searches all subfolders under the initial folder, you might find additional versions in the path but never "found" because once AutoCAD finds a LTYPESHP.SHX, it stops looking. This exercise also demonstrates how the folder order in the search paths can be critical to success or failure when it comes to loading files.

[Dana W]

Yeah, that. ^^^^ Sorta what I was gettin' at without a knowledge base to illustrate it.

[rkmcswain]

If there was more than one LTYPESHP.SHX in the search paths, and the first one found was either corrupt, or missing the CIRC1, BOX, TRACK1 and the BAT shapes, this could cause the error. As for the PL linetype, if the text style specified in a definition does not exist in the drawing, you will also get that type of error message. I've seen this happen when someone tries to "clean up" a drawing and purges too many things.

The findfile method listed is very useful as it searches for the specified file using the search paths and lists where it found the file. If you compare that to explorer, which searches all subfolders under the initial folder, you might find additional versions in the path but never "found" because once AutoCAD finds a LTYPESHP.SHX, it stops looking. This exercise also demonstrates how the folder order in the search paths can be critical to success or failure when it comes to loading files.

 

^^^^ Excellent points. Thanks.

[Kaliqo]

I know this thread is super old, however, a current solution to this problem that I have found is to use the acad.lin file from our previous version of autocad we used and replace the autocad.lin file in our new version of autocad. By doing so we no longer need to type in FONTALT everytime we load autocad to fix it. Hopefully those who are looking for an alternate answer to this will find this someday.