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transform dashed lines into separate (small)lines

Forum|Forum|15 years ago
July 23, 2010
13 replies
56608 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" ;-)

H

huafsi7gafe

New Participant

There is a python script that can do this effortlessly and precise: [breakDashes.jsx]

[https://github.com/shspage/illustrator-scripts]

If needed take a few minutes to learn where to paste scripts to the right folder and restart Illustrator. You can now select dashed lines and go file > scripts > BreakDashes

You might also need to signup to GitHub too in order to download the file package with the script you want.

Document Geek

Brainiac

The YouTube video linked above works effortlessly, but I also need to have the gaps filled with a different color. I used the gap color function in InDesign, but when I open that exported file into Illustrator, the dashed line is duplicated copy of the gap color.

This first image shows the two paths.

This second image shows the dashed path, see how it was just covered up by the pink path?

This third image shows how I need the gap to appear. (I did this manually.)

Document Geek

Brainiac

I was able to use the Art Brush tip demonstrated in the YouTube video. I just butted two different lines (different colors) next to each other, without any overlap. Then I made an art brush, applied it, and expanded the appearance.

Y

YemZ

New Participant

Expand Dashed Line - YouTube

Monika Gause

Brainiac

schrieb
Expand Dashed Line - YouTube

Awesome.

A

alex skramble

New Participant

Kind of amazing that this thread has been open for 8 years and still no *simple* solution to the problem has been found.
Creating a pattern brush with a short stroke, applying it, and then expanding the appearance seems to be the only workaround at this time.

Admirable_imagination01ACCorrect answer

New Participant

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" ;-)

Kurt Gold

Brainiac

Your approach doesn't work for me, Andy.

Expanding the dashed strokes always produces separate filled paths, not separate stroked paths. They do look like stroked lines, but they aren't.

What am I missing?

Kurt Gold

Brainiac

Sorry to hear it doesn't work for you, maybe you're using another version than my CS6/Win? Maybe you try with even a thinner thickness like 0.000001pt?

If it doesn't work, try the other solutions using brush pattern.

Good luck.

- Andy

I'm not looking for a solution in this case, Andy. I just cannot reproduce your findings on Mac OS, no matter which version of Illustrator is being used.

Perhaps it does only work on Windows OS, but I doubt it a bit and cannot try it right now.

Can anyone else with a Windows version of Illustrator confirm that the procedure described in post 26 actually works?

S

suemz

New Participant

I needed much the same when creating a cut file for a Cricut machine.

In that case I needed to make the dashes into a compound path so it would import correctly.

To do this:

Making a dotted single cut using a brush pattern (made with a line)

1. Object -> Expand appearance
2. Object -> Compound path -> Make

OR you can use the dash function:

Making a dotted single cut using a dashed stroke
1. Object -> Expand
2. Object -> Compound path -> Make

C

corneliac70234290

New Participant

only with blend option....after expand.

T

tolyn_dayana

New Participant

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

valeriu28

New Participant

This is the best solution! Thank you.

aDuli

New Participant

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.

K

Kingston Creative

New Participant

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:

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

New 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.

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