Shapes display relatively simple geometry quickly. The size of a single shape is limited
to 2200 bytes of data. If you create a shape that exceeds that limit, MKSHAPE creates
complex geometry shapes to form a single shape. To list these “sub-shapes,” start
the SHAPE command, specify the ? option, and enter *.

Neither points nor zero-length line segments are used by MKSHAPE. However, you can
get the effect of a point by drawing a very short line segment and using a resolution
that is high enough to prevent the segment from being converted to a 0 length. If
the short segment does not appear in the shape that results, try again, using a higher
resolution value or a longer line segment.

Use the SHAPE command to place shapes in your drawing.

Resolution Values

Large resolution values create shapes that are more accurate representations of the
selected geometry. However, large resolution values tend to create shapes that contain
more coordinate data and place a higher processing burden on AutoCAD during regeneration.
Conversely, small resolution values create less accurate shapes that are more quickly
processed by AutoCAD. You can experiment with different resolution values to find
the balance of performance and accuracy that best fits your needs. Note that the resolution
value is rounded off to the nearest factor of 8 and cannot exceed 32,767. The following
graphic shows how the resolution factor affects the resulting shape’s appearance:

Command: MKSHAPE

Select a “.SHP” file: <drawing.shp: Enter a shape file name where you would like to save your shape

Enter the name of the shape: Specify the shape name

Enter resolution <124: Enter a number for the resolution value

Insertion base point: Specify a point

Select objects: Select line, polyline, arc, circle, and/or ellipse objects (for definition purposes,
the selected objects are treated as though they are of a continuous linetype)

Example

Create a switch shape.

After specifying the file name and shape name, select the insertion point for the
shape:

Next, select the objects to be used to define the shape:

The shape can now be placed using the SHAPE command:

File

mkshape.lsp