Stroke Pattern

Each dash stroke is represented by a filled bar. Each gap stroke is represented by an unfilled bar.

The stroke selected for modification is highlighted. Clicking a stroke (or a handle above or below its ending point) selects the stroke.

Dragging a stroke's handle changes the stroke's length.

The remaining controls are used to modify other attributes of the selected stroke and to add and delete strokes from the pattern.

These controls are visible only while a stroke pattern component is selected in the Components list box.

Add

Adds a new gap stroke at the (right) end of the stroke pattern. The maximum number of strokes is 32.

Delete

Deletes the selected stroke.

Length

Sets the length, in master units, of the selected stroke.

You can also change the length of a stroke by dragging its handle in the stroke pattern display.

These options are in the option menu:

• Fixed
— The stroke length is fixed.

• Variable
— The stroke length may be adjusted if the stroke pattern is fractionally shifted or if a specific number of repetitions of the pattern must be displayed.

Stroke Type

Sets the type (dash or gap) of the selected stroke.

• Dash
— Dash strokes are displayed.

• Gap
— Gap strokes are not displayed.

Invert At

Controls whether the selected stroke is inverted (changed from a dash to a gap or vice versa).

• None
— The stroke is not inverted.

• Origin
— The stroke is inverted in the first repetition of the stroke pattern (at the origin of the element).

• End
— The stroke is inverted in the last repetition of the stroke pattern (at the end of the element).

• Both
— The stroke is inverted in both the first and last repetitions of the stroke pattern.

Corners

Controls the behavior of the selected stroke when it extends farther than an element vertex.

• Break
— The stroke is broken (or “bent”).

• Bypass
— The stroke bypasses the vertex and continues straight to the nearest point on the element.

Width

Controls the effect of width settings on the selected dash stroke.

• None
— Width settings are ignored. The stroke is displayed without width.

• Full
— The stroke is displayed with the specified widths.

• Left
— Only the left half of the stroke is displayed (with the specified widths).

• Right
— Only the right half of the stroke is displayed (with the specified widths).

Start

Sets the starting width, in master units, of the selected dash stroke.

Setting Start and End to different values tapers the stroke.

This setting can be temporarily overridden by setting the Origin modifier in the Line Styles dialog box.

End

Sets the ending width, in master units, of the selected dash stroke.

Setting End and Start to different values tapers the stroke.

This setting can be temporarily overridden by setting the End modifier in the Line Styles dialog box.

Dash Caps

Sets the type of end cap on the selected dash stroke when displayed with width.

• Closed
— The end cap is a straight line connecting the outside lines of the stroke.

• Extended
— Similar to Closed but the end of the stroke is also extended by a distance equal to one half of the dash width.

• Hexagon
— The end cap has the shape of an arc with three vectors (half of a hexagon) with a radius of half the stroke width.

• Octagon
— The end cap has the shape of an arc with four vectors (half of an octagon) with a radius of half the stroke width.

• Decagon
— The end cap has the shape of an arc with five vectors (half of a decagon) with a radius of half the stroke width.

• Arc
— The end cap has the shape of a smooth arc (one with high number of vectors) with a radius of half the stroke width.

• Open
— An end cap is not displayed. The stroke is drawn as two parallel lines representing its outside edges.

Using an option with fewer vectors usually results in faster display speed.