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oblique ticks disappear in layouts 1

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vonb

Technical User
Dec 11, 2003
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I use Autocad 2000 and the dimension ticks disappear in the layout mode and will not plot. What do I need to do to get them to appear in the layouts and plot?
 
vonb,

Check to see the custom block's layer AutoCAD is using for its tick marks (dimtick, if I remember right...) has not been frozen with the vplayer command. If it is, either change the dimension layer (or modify the tick block) and the ticks should appear.

HTH
Todd
 
Hi TCarpenter,
Thanks for your help. I did find DIMTIX and it was off so I turned it on, but it did not solve the problem. I did not quite understand your suggestion to "change the dimension layer or modify the tick block though. I have had other discoveries since. If I turn on one particular layer in several of the layouts, the ticks appear which is good, but in those layouts, I do not want that layer on. Does that suggest anything to you? Then in some of the other layouts having that layer on makes no difference. I appreciate your help greatly as this is driving me crazy.
VONB
 
vonb,

DIMTIX is a variable setting, not a block. This setting controls whether or not AutoCAD draws dimension lines between extention lines. Check the variable DIMBLK1 and DIMBLK2 to see the name of the block AutoCAD is using for its tick marks.

Since you mentioned turning a particular layer on displays the ticks, this tells me either your dimensions are not on their own unique layer, or the block used for the tick marks has its geometry defined on some layer other than 0.

All of the geometry in the block for tick marks should reside on layer 0 - unless someone has changed it (maybe you are using a custom block?). Insert this as a block, on layer 0, and then explode it. Check all the entities which make up the block for your tick marks. If any of the entities do not reside on layer 0, change them so they do.

Next check the layer your dimensions reside on. Make sure they all reside on the same layer, it sounds as though they are not.

HTH
Todd
 
Hi Todd,
Thanks again for helping me work through this problem. I have been trying your suggestions and have this is what I have found.

When I go to DIMBLK1 AND 2, it asks if I want to enter a new setting or default. Since I don't know what setting to enter I left it alone. Is there some setting I should enter?

I put my dimensions on different layers so I can activate only the layers I wand for specific drawings. Therefore I don't understand how they can reside on layer 0. Maybe you mean only the ticks. You mentioned that I should insert this as a block on layer 0. I am confused as to what this is. I exploded a dimension string and the tick appeared to still reside on the layer I entered them on.

What is confusing is that all the ticks appear when I am working in model mode, but as soon as I go to the layouts, they disappear. What happens when I go into layouts that could be obscuring the ticks?

I am sorry not to be more literate with autocad. Thankd for your help and patience. If you have any more ideas, let me know.
Thanks
Alfred vonB
 
Alfred,

That's OK, we all had to learn somehow and sometimes it ain't easy - worst case is I'll have you send me the offending file.

It sounds as though your viewport has a layer frozen if you're not familiar with the vplayer command do this:

Change to your paper space tab (layout mode) and type in vplayer at the command line. Next, type a question mark at the next prompt offered. AutoCAD should then prompt you to select a viewport, do so. AutoCAD will then report back any layers frozen for the selected viewport. In my case, I have one like this:

[tt]Layers currently frozen in viewport 2:

*NONE*[/tt]

and another like this:

[tt]Layers currently frozen in viewport 4:

"A-Furn"[/tt]

Let me know how you make out.

Todd
 
Hi Again Todd,
I did what you said but when it asks me to select a viewport, I type in the name I have on the tab, in my case 401A2, and it comes back:

expects a point or window/Last/Crossing/Box/Fence/wPolygon/Cploygon/group

I don't know what to enter at this point as it either sends me back to the same "select a viewport" line. I tried entering viewport 1, but got the same response.

So I am stuck again. What do you think?
Thanks Again,
Alfred
 
Alfred,

Make sure your viewport is visible, (thaw and turn on ALL layers), it should appear as a rectangle, and could easily be hidden underneath your title block? (make sure you check) and once your viewport is visible, perform those steps again and select the viewport, not your tab, AutoCAD expects you to pick a viewport object and will not accept any other input.

Let me know how you make out.
Todd
 
Hi Todd,
I did what you said, but can't get past the select a viewport. When I type in a viewport name I have 401A2 in my case it rejects it saying it: expects a point or window/Last......etc. I do not know what to enter to make it go through. Is the name on the tab not the viewport name? What name do I enter?

Thanks Again,
Alfred
 
Alfred,

You have to select the viewport, the viewport is not a tab and when prompted to select it, you must select it with the mouse, you cannot type in a name.

So when you are prompted, you should see your cross-hairs change to a pick box, use the pick box to select your viewport on the screen, (and if you miss, your pick box will not change to a window, or crossing window for this operation).

Is that clearer?

Let me know how it goes.
Todd
 
Todd,
Sorry for the duplicate message, my system said the first message did not go through so I rewrote it.

Anyway I do see the viewport under my title block. When I click on it to select a viewport it rejects it. I think it is looking for a name which must be different from the name I have given it. Could it be some generic name for the viewports? How can I get that name?

Thanks again.
Alfred
 
Alfred,

Either erase your titleblock, move it, or freeze the layer it's residing on (be careful here, your viewport could be on the same layer as your title block, and you'll be right back to square 1). If you move or erase it, you can either undo after you do the vplayer command, or just close and reopen the file without saving it.

Keep me posted...
Todd
 
Todd,
I can pick the viewport with the mouse and it does change from a box to the crosshairs. It then prompts me with the same question: ?\Freeze\Thaw\Reset....... I does not give me the response you gave me: Layers currently frozen in viewport. I tried something else. I thawed all the layers at this response and of course all my layers showed up. I then refroze only the layers that I don't want in my layout and once again the ticks disappeared again.

I have had problems with my plotter drivers before. Could it be that that is the problem? I have an old HP220 plotter and sometime ago I got a window saying that the drivers were not optimized for the plotter and that I should get a new driver from HP.com which I did. I have had problems since, so now I am thinking that might be my problem. Could I install a different plotter to see if that changes what is visible in the viewports?

Man this is getting obscure. Thanks for hanging in.
Alfred
 
Alfred,

At this prompt "It then prompts me with the same question: ?\Freeze\Thaw\Reset....... " type in a question mark (?) and then press return - then you'll see the response I gave you.

Let me know
Todd
 
Hi Again,
After I type in the ? at the second prompt after picking the viewport, it says: switching to paper space after the first pick and then: switching to model space after the second pick in the viewport. Then it me the same prompt
?\Freeze\Thaw\Reset..... again.

I am using Autocad 2000, is that what you are using?

Thanks Again,
Alfred
 
I'm using AutoCAD 2002 but the command functionality hasn't changed.

Before you execute vplayer, type pspace at the command line, this will take you out of your viewport and back into paper space where you won't be flipped back and forth. But you may have successfully selected your viewport, press the "F2" key and this will show you the last listing of commands issued including what the vplayer command may have returned.

Keep me posted...
Todd
 
Hi Todd,
I had to crank all day on the drawings so I didn't try your last suggestion until now. I still don't get the message you do about the layers that are frozen after I do all you said. When I press the F2 key it shows no more than the question.

I am at a loss as to what to do from here. Do you have any other ideas we could try?

I sure appreciate your help out there in the ether.
Alfred
 
Alfred,

Can you shoot me a copy of this thing? Send it to edgi3@juno.com

Todd
 
Alfred,

Give this sequence of commands a try, with this you don't have to select anything. Where you see <Enter> this means press the enter key, don't type in "<Enter>"

[tt]Command: vplayer
Enter an option [?/Freeze/Thaw/Reset/Newfrz/Vpvisdflt]: t <Enter>

Enter layer name(s) to thaw: *<Enter>

Enter an option [All/Select/Current] <Current>: all<Enter>
Enter an option [?/Freeze/Thaw/Reset/Newfrz/Vpvisdflt]:<Enter>[/tt]

HTH
Todd
 
Hi Todd,
Thanks for hanging in with me. I had to quit trying to find the problem and print my drawings yesterday to meet a schedule. I ended up putting the tick marks in manually so the would appear on the plot.

Just now I went back and tried what you suggested and thawed all the layers in one of the problem viewports. The ticks appeared along with all the layers I want off for that particular layout. I then methodically started freezing the layers to see when the ticks disappeared. The disappeared when I truned off a dimension layer for another drawing. I then turned that layer back on and exploded a dimension string and then exploded the tick mark. The tick properties listed as being the dimension layer I do not want on and as "BY Block". So it appears that the dimension was created as a block that the tick retained even thoough the whole string lists as being on the correct layer. I am thinking that when I create dimensions I need to indicate that they are by layer in the dimension properties. I guess all my dimensions were created "by block" and the block for the dimensions somehow stays on anunwanted block.

So my question to you is what is how should I deal with this by block property to keep this from happening in the future. Is it possible to keep the dimension strings as associative and convert all the ticks to the right layer? It may be a lost cause for this set of drawings as I created them in the wrong way. I guess in the future I should check the by layer baxes for all dimensioning. Is that the way you see it?

Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Alfred
 
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