transform dashed lines into separate (small)lines

Forum|Forum|15 years ago
July 23, 2010
14 replies
56805 views

I need to transform a lot of dashed (single) lines into separate lines... Who can tell me how to do this in a few clicks. I don't need an outline of the dashed line. So the black dashes I need, the white in between the dashes I want to loose.

A little complicated to explain... See the example. I need the second lines.

Kind regards, Ellen

Correct answer Admirable_imagination01AC

I had the same problem and I found a (what I think easier) method to convert a dashed line into single dashes:

Set thickness of line to 0.0001 pt
Menu Object > Expand (if greyed out, choose Object Expand Appearance first, as the object has appearance attributes applied to it)
Set thickness back to original value

Voilà!

- Andy

Note: With my Illustrator CS6/Win it only works with setting thickness to 0.0001pt (see above). It does NOT work with a thicker line (like 0.001). Why: If it's too thick, the Expand command converts the single dashes to thin RECTANGLES instead of LINES. But if the line is thin enough, Illustrator thinks "This rectangle is so incredibly thin, I can hardly see it, let's make it a line" ;-)

Show previous replies

SmartGraphicArt

Inspiring

I know this is an old topic, but I'm still looking for a good solution to this. Using the pattern brush works if you're not concerned with accuracy. I'm converting engineering drawings for a very particular (government) client, and the dashed pattern of long and short dashes as well as the line weight has to be exact. There just doesn't seem to be enough control of the pattern using the pattern brush. And like the OP, I don't want expanded objects.

D

djniue

Participant

So I found an easy way to do it.

1. I just made the dashed line to have a stroke of 0.0001 pt thick

2. then hit Object>Path>Outline Stroke and it worked perfect.

Took 2 seconds.

Steve Fairbairn

Inspiring

That would give you a set of double paths. If you direct select one of the dashes (click on a path) and drag you will see that you have got a thin filled rectangle.

M

MaurizioRR

Participant

I have the same problem.

In the CS6 there is one method for separate one dashed line into many single lines?

Larry G. Schneider

Community Expert

Same as above. Use Object>Expand or Expand Appearance. If Expand Appearance is the choice offered, then use it and then Object Expand.

M

MaurizioRR

Participant

I think that you have not understand the problem.

If I expand line by (object->expand) the result are not many lines, but many filled forms.

JETalmage

Inspiring

Don't use a Dash stroke. Use a Pattern Brush consisting of a short open path. Widen the Brush's invisible tile path to create the desired gap relative to the dash lenght. Apply to paths, then Expand Appearance.

JET