Exact Number of Dots on a Line

Roasty,

An initial remark: as far as I can see, 24 sets of 5 with gaps between them will only require 23 gaps (or you will have a gap after the last one or before the first one), so the total number ought to be 143. If you disagree insert 144 instead of 143 in the following way.

You can try this Blend approach?

1) Create one dot, then Object>Transform>Move a Copy horizontally by a suiable distance,

2) Select both dots from 1) and Object>Blend Options>Specified Steps = 141 (143 minus the 2 you have) and Orientation = Aligned to Path;

3) Object>Blend>Make;

4) Create the path it is to follow so that the end Anchor Points are placed where you wish to have the centres of the 1st and 143th dots;

5) Object>Path>Add Anchor Points a sufficient number of times to give you an even distribution of dots; you may go back and add more;

6) Select both the Blend from 3) and the path from 4) and Object>Blend>Make and see whether the dots are evenly spaced; otherwise Object>Blend>Replace Spine, then go back to 5) and add more, then repeat;

When satisfied with the dot distribution:

7) Object>Blend>Expand and delete the unwantes dots.

My first inclination is to do a blend with specified steps. But then you said not as simple as point A to B, so that might still be the answer, but I would need to see what you are talking about.