transform dashed lines into separate (small)lines

[ellenalida]

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

[Mylenium]

Object --> Expand.

Mylenium

[Steve Fairbairn]

Object Expand (Stroke) gives you this:

Not quite what the OP was asking for.

Is there another way?

[ellenalida]

I used a trick and waiting now to see if production will accept...

I gave the lines a weight of 0.0001 pt... and then used expand transparency.

Hopefully it works!!!

Thanks for the replies.

Ellen

[orkhanh]

It won't work for laser cutting.

[Yvette347208542j4b]

Thanks This worked for me. I'll just add that after clicking expand appearance --> expand --> change fill to 0.5  stroke thickness.

[JETalmage]

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

[MaurizioRR]

I have the same problem.

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

[Larry G. Schneider]

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

[MaurizioRR]

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.

[W_J_T]

MaurizioRR wrote:

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.

Maybe "you" dont understand the suggestion that JET / Larry gave? It accomplishes what you show in your example (IMHO)? Have you tried it?

[SmartGraphicArt]

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.

[djniue]

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]

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.

[niftycurly]

Actually - under CS 2015 a .0001 pt line seems to work.

The resulting paths are closed but only 2 points each so not rectangles.

You can check visually by applying a round endcap (as opposed to corner).

[bc75825111]

I tried the method (set stroke thickness of 0.0001, and then use boject -> Path ->Outline Stroke) and it works fine.I am using Illustrator CC 2015.2.0 Release

[SmartGraphicArt]

Still not addressing the issue. It's still a set of stroked paths, not a line of single strokes.

[Ace Prepress]

If you want to make a straight line I have a work around and I'll brake it down step by step as follows:

1. Start with single stroke. i.e. 12pt long 1 pt thick.

2. Option drag the same stroke where you want it to end. (now you have two strokes)

3. Go to Object:Blend:Blend Options and change it to specified steps and fill in how many little strokes you want in between the two you already made. (not the total but the number of little strokes you want in addition to the two you already have)

4. Go to Object:Blend:Expand

5. Done.

[Ace Prepress]

I forgot a step after 3. You have to goto Object:Blend:Make.

Sorry Guys

[Sohier]

Thanks Ace!  That worked perfectly!

[Steve Fairbairn]

If you want your blend to follow a curve you can use the Replace Spine feature.

[Cyticre]

Thank you!

[Kingston Creative]

It's somewhat of a PITA if you have a complex shape with lots of dashes, but I figured out how to do this:

Start with your dashed line:

Copy and past the line in front so it's in the exact same spot
Turn it back into a solid line (I like to change the color to make it easier to see) and send it to the back:

Outline the stroke of the dashed line only, select both objects, and then in the Pathfinder menu, choose "Outline" (the second to last option):

Go into isolation mode (or ungroup) and select all the lines you want, cut them, delete the ones you don't need then paste the lines you want back in:

You now have lots of separate vector lines that form one large dashed line:

[aDuli]

Make a line for example 5mm --> make a pattern brush from line. Select the the other line and apply the brush on it. After this at Stroke menu apply a dashed line and last expand appearance.

[tolyn_dayana · Accepted solution]

I know this is an old post. Just to share my method. I found the best solution for this problem :

1- create a single line i.e. 12pt long 1pt thick

2- make a pattern brush from the line

3- In pattern brush options dialog box, put 50% in spacing box.

4- apply the pattern brush to your desired shape.

5- you can still adjust the gaps in spacing box and hit apply to stroke

6- You can also change stroke weight !

7- go to object -> expand appearance.

Done !

Hope this will help.

- Tolyn