Creating a custom linetype in AutoCAD can be a useful way to add a personal touch to your designs. With the ability to define your own linetype patterns, you can enhance the visual representation of objects in your drawings. In this tutorial, we will walk through the steps of creating a linetype in AutoCAD and explore the various options available.
Step 1: Accessing the Linetype Manager
To create a linetype, start by accessing the Linetype Manager. You can do this by typing ‘LT’ on the command line or by navigating through the menu: Home > Properties Panel > Linetype drop-down > Other.. This will open up the Linetype Manager dialog box.
Step 2: Creating a New Linetype
Once you have opened the Linetype Manager, click on the Create. button to begin creating your custom linetype. This will prompt you to enter a name for your linetype.
Note:
- The name should be unique and descriptive, so that it is easy to identify later.
- The name should not exceed 32 characters.
- Avoid using special characters or spaces in the name.
Step 3: Defining Your Linetype Pattern
After entering a name for your linetype, you will be taken to the ‘Create or Append’ dialog box. Here, you can define your custom linetype pattern using a combination of text characters and special codes.
The special codes used in defining linetypes are:
- A – Arc: Draws an arc with specified radius and angle.
- C – Continuous line: Draws a continuous line segment.
- D – Dot: Draws a dot with specified length.
- E – End: Ends the linetype pattern.
- X – Complex line type definition: Specifies a complex linetype definition within itself.
Example:
Let’s create a simple linetype pattern consisting of alternating dashes and dots. To do this, we can use the following code in the ‘Create or Append’ dialog box: A,.5,-.1. This code will draw an arc with a radius of 0.5 units and an angle of -0.1 radians, followed by a dot.
Step 4: Assigning Properties to Your Linetype
After defining your linetype pattern, you can assign properties such as scale, offset, and text height to your linetype. These properties determine how your linetype will appear when applied to objects in your drawing.
Properties to consider:
- Scale factor: Determines the size of the linetype pattern relative to the drawing units.
- Global width factor: Controls the overall thickness of the linetype pattern.
- Paper space (PSLTSCALE): Determines whether the linetype is scaled based on paper space or model space.
- Annotative behavior: Allows the linetype to automatically adjust its scale in different viewports and layouts.
Step 5: Saving Your Linetype
Once you have defined all the necessary parameters for your custom linetype, click on OK to save it. Your new linetype will now be available for use in your AutoCAD drawings.
Step 6: Applying Your Linetype
To apply your custom linetype to an object, select the object and open the Properties palette. In the ‘Linetype’ section, click on the drop-down menu and select your newly created linetype from the list.
Note:
You can also apply a linetype to multiple objects at once by using the ‘Match Properties’ command (Home > Properties Panel > Match Properties).
In Conclusion
Creating a custom linetype in AutoCAD allows you to add a personal touch to your designs. By defining your own linetype pattern and assigning appropriate properties, you can enhance the visual representation of objects in your drawings.
Remember to experiment with different codes and settings to achieve the desired effect.