facebook

Creating AutoCAD Linetypes: The Essentials You Need to Know

A line is a pattern of dots or symbols essential for the creation of 2D drawings, geometries, and sketches in general. Creating, modifying, and managing linetypes in AutoCAD is crucial for generating high-quality drawings and creating detailed and visually appealing projects. Keep reading to see how easy it is to create and modify AutoCAD linetypes.

Preparatory Step: Creating a Simple Line in AutoCAD

There are two basic options to create a simple line in AutoCAD.

  • Select the Home tab and choose the line you want to work with (Polyline, Line, or Arc) displayed in the Draw icon menu bar.

Select the Home tab and choose the line you want to work with (Polyline, Line, or Arc) displayed in the Draw icon menu bar.

  • You can also type in the word “Line” in the Command bar and press Enter.

Regardless of the option you choose, AutoCAD will show a dialog box at the bottom of the screen that guides you with each step necessary to create the line. The instructions will depend on the type of line you choose.

The instructions will depend on the type of line you choose.

AutoCAD will then ask for the line’s starting point and endpoint. You can click random points in the workspace or enter the coordinates where you want to place the line.

 

Depending on the type of line you choose, the program may ask for more input values such as angle, radius, direction, or center. Enter the required data and press Enter after completing each step.

Default AutoCAD Linetypes

AutoCAD offers a series of predesigned linetypes to facilitate the user’s designing process. You can choose which linetype you want to work with by clicking on the Properties tab in the top menu.

A down arrow next to Match Properties will show all the available options. Also, linetypes can be assigned to specific layers.

inetypes can be assigned to specific layers.

It’s helpful to assign different linetypes for each layer to make complex drawings more understandable and to allow users to hide or show certain parts of the drawing more easily.

There are different types of lines designated for different purposes in drawings, such as dash lines for hidden lines.

Creating a Custom Linetype

To create a custom linetype, first, you need to have a specific line or pattern you want to save. Below is an example of a pattern that could serve as a new linetype.

an example of a pattern that could serve as a new linetype.  

1. Once you have the line or pattern ready, place the cursor in the command bar and type in the command “MKLTYPE”. This creates a linetype based on the objects you choose.

This creates a linetype based on the objects you choose.

2. Press Enter and a window will pop up for you to indicate where you want to save the new linetype file on your computer. Remember to assign the linetype with a detailed name so you can easily access it when needed. Then, press the save button.

Press Enter and a window will pop up for you to indicate where you want to save the new linetype file on your computer.

3. Once saved, AutoCAD will automatically return you to the workspace, and the command bar below will ask you to enter the linetype name. After writing down the name, press Enter.

Once saved, AutoCAD will automatically return you to the workspace, and the command bar below will ask you to enter the linetype name.

4. The command bar will ask you to type in a brief description of the new linetype. Be sure to be concise and describe it using two or three words. Then, press Enter.

Be sure to be concise and describe it using two or three words.

5. AutoCAD will now ask for the starting point and endpoint to the new linetype, indicated with the cursor as shown in the picture below. Then, press Enter.

AutoCAD will now ask for the starting point and endpoint to the new linetype, indicated with the cursor as shown in the picture below.

6. Finally, AutoCAD will ask you to select all the objects that give form to the new linetype. Select them using the mouse and press Enter. 

AutoCAD will ask you to select all the objects that give form to the new linetype.

Now, a new linetype has been successfully created. To use it in the drawing, click the Properties tab in the top menu. A drop-down menu will appear with a list of options for linetypes related to each layer. These appear next to the linetype icon.

These appear next to the linetype icon.

Select the second option of linetype and press the down arrow that is set by default with the words “ByLayer”. A set of options will now appear and the new linetype created should appear as the last option available with the name (in all CAPS) that you previously assigned.

An example is shown in the picture below with the linetype name “TRIALLINE”.

An example is shown in the picture below with the linetype name “TRIALLINE”.

Linetypes and Scales

The scale, in this case, sets the number of repetitions for the linetype pattern and the spacing between each repetition for when the user needs to use a specific or custom linetype. This affects how linetypes are displayed and plotted in the workspace and can be controlled by using the linetype manager or the command bar. There are four main scales related to linetypes.

  • Global scale factor
  • Current object scale
  • Paper scale
  • Model scale

Global Scale Factor

The global scale factor affects the whole workspace and all of its objects. This scale factor is set to 1.0 units as a default value. If the scale number decreases, there are more repetitions and less spacing when using the pattern or linetype. You can change the global scale factor by typing the command “LTSCALE” in the command bar and entering the desired scale.

Current Object Scale

The current object scale only changes new objects, meaning that the set scale will affect the objects created after setting said scale. You can change the current object scale by typing the command “CELTSCALE” in the command bar and entering the desired scale.

Paper Scale

When you’re working in paper space, the paper scale is a scale set to 1.0 units, which maintains all objects with the same scale in all viewports. If you want to change it to a global scale, type the command “PSLTSCALE” in the command bar and enter “0” as the new value.

Model Scale

When you’re working in the model space, the annotation’s scale can differ from the linetype. To avoid discrepancies, you can type the command “MSLTSCALE” in the command bar and enter “0” as the new value. The default value should be 1 prior to any changes.

Modifying or Fixing Linetypes in AutoCAD

Sometimes you might want to modify or change certain attributes in a linetype to make it stand out in the drawing. Here are the steps to modify linetypes.

1. First, you need to click the object containing the linetype. Then, right-click and a menu will pop up.

2. Select the Properties option.

Select the Properties option.

A new window will appear in the upper left corner, showing all the linetype details as shown in the picture below.

A new window will appear in the upper left corner, showing all the linetype details as shown in the picture below

3. You can modify the scale by changing the default value from 1 to a smaller or larger number. For example, if you choose a smaller number, the pattern frequency will increase and the separation between each line will decrease (as shown in the image below).  

For example, if you choose a smaller number, the pattern frequency will increase and the separation between each line will decrease.

You can also change other attributes such as color, lineweight, or thickness. In the picture below, the linetype color was changed to red.

You can also change other attributes such as color, lineweight, or thickness.