How Do You Change Line Thickness in AutoCAD 2016?

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In AutoCAD 2016, changing line thickness is a simple and useful feature that allows you to enhance the appearance of your drawings. By adjusting the line thickness, you can make certain elements stand out or blend in with the rest of your design. In this article, we will explore different methods to change line thickness in AutoCAD 2016.

Using the Properties Palette

The Properties palette is a handy tool that provides quick access to various properties of selected objects. To change line thickness using this method:

  1. Select the object whose line thickness you want to modify.
  2. Locate the Properties palette by either clicking on its icon in the Home tab or typing ‘PROPERTIES’ in the command line.
  3. In the Properties palette, find the ‘Lineweight’ property.
  4. Click on the drop-down menu next to ‘Lineweight’ and choose a desired line thickness from the available options.

Note: The available lineweight options depend on your drawing’s scale and printer configuration.

Using Layer Properties

If you prefer organizing your objects into layers, changing lineweight through layer properties is an efficient method:

  1. Access the Layer Properties Manager by either typing ‘LAYER’ in the command line or clicking on its icon in the Home tab.
  2. In the Layer Properties Manager dialog box, select a layer from the list that contains objects with lines whose thickness you want to modify.
  3. In the ‘Lineweight’ column for that layer, click on the current lineweight value and choose a new one from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can type a specific value directly into the column.
  4. Click ‘OK’ to apply the changes.

Using the Lineweight Tool

If you want to change line thickness for individual objects without affecting their layers, you can use the Lineweight tool:

  1. Ensure that the ‘Lineweight’ option is active in the status bar. If it is not visible, right-click on the status bar and check ‘Lineweight’ in the context menu.
  2. Select an object or multiple objects whose line thickness you want to modify.
  3. In the Properties palette or Info palette, locate and click on the current lineweight value next to ‘Lineweight’.
  4. Select a new lineweight from the drop-down menu, or type a specific value directly into the field.

Note: The Lineweight tool only affects selected objects and does not change their layer properties.

Customizing Lineweights

If none of the default lineweights suit your needs, AutoCAD allows you to create custom lineweights:

  1. Type ‘LWEIGHT’ in the command line or access it through Tools > Options > Display > Line Weight Settings.
  2. In the Line Weight Settings dialog box, click on ‘Add’ to create a new lineweight style.
  3. Specify a name and assign a numeric value to your custom lineweight. You can also choose whether it should be displayed as dots or dashes by adjusting ‘Display Type.

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  4. Click ‘OK’ to save your custom lineweight style. It will now be available in all applicable menus and palettes.

By following these methods, you can easily change line thickness in AutoCAD 2016. Whether you prefer using the Properties palette, Layer Properties Manager, Lineweight tool, or creating custom lineweights, AutoCAD offers flexible options to meet your design requirements.