Construction Line: CLINE

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Toolbar: Construction Line

Ribbon: Draw > Construction Line (in Draw)

Menu: Draw > Construction Line

Keyboard: _CLINE

Draws a construction line. A construction line is a special type of infinite line that is typically used when quick drafting techniques are required, for example, to make projections of front and side views.

Similar to an infinite line, a construction line is a line through a given point, oriented at a specified angle in three-dimensional space and extending to infinity in both directions. Because construction lines extend to infinity, they are not calculated as part of the drawing extents.

Construction lines are drawn automatically on their own layer, which by default is named CLINE. This makes it easy to change the appearance of construction lines; simply change the properties of the layer such as its color, transparency, etc. Additionally, you can specify a different layer for locating construction lines using the CLINELAYER system variable.

Construction lines are drawn to match the current UCS.
You can quickly rotate the UCS using Draw > Construction Line > Rotate UCS Z and Rotate UCS World (also available on the Construction Lines toolbar).

Construction line: Bisect/Horizontal/BOth/Vertical/Angle/Offset/Match/Erase/Clear/<Point along Line>: To start drawing a construction line using the default method, specify the point through which you want the construction line to pass. To draw a construction line that bisects a point or entity, select Bisect. To draw a construction line in a horizontal direction, choose Horizontal. To draw a construction line in both the horizontal and vertical directions, choose BOth. To draw a construction line in a vertical direction, choose Vertical. To draw a construction line by specifying its angle, choose Angle. To draw a construction line parallel to an existing entity, choose Offset. To draw a construction line on top of an existing entity, choose Match. To delete a construction line, choose Erase. To delete all construction lines in the drawing, choose Clear.

To draw a construction line by specifying a basepoint

1. Select the point along the construction line.
2. Specify the direction.

Construction line: Bisect/Horizontal/BOth/Vertical/Angle/Offset/Match/Erase/Clear/<Point along Line>: Select the point along the construction line.

Direction: Specify the direction of the construction line.

Direction: Continue specifying directions to draw an array of construction lines, or press Enter when done.

To draw a construction line by bisecting a point

1. Select the point to bisect.
2. Specify the start of the bisect angle.
3. Specify the end of the bisect angle.

Choose Bisect.

Entity/Two entities/<Vertex point>: Specify the vertex point through which you want the construction line to pass.

Bisection angle start point: Specify the start of the angle.

Bisection angle endpoint: Specify the end of the angle

To draw a construction line by bisecting a line, arc, or polyline segment

Choose Bisect.

Entity/Two entities/<Vertex point>: Choose Entity or Two entities.

Select line, arc, or polyline segment to bisect: Select the entity you want to bisect.

Select line, arc, or polyline segment to bisect: Select the second entity you want to bisect. (Displays if you chose to bisect two entities.)

To draw a horizontal construction line along the x-axis

1. Specify the point through which you want the horizontal construction line to pass.

Choose Horizontal.

Auto/<Location>: Specify a point through which the horizontal construction line passes.

Auto/<Location>: Specify the point for a second horizontal construction line. You can continue to draw horizontal construction lines by selecting the point through which the construction line passes. To stop drawing construction lines, right-click the mouse or press Enter.

To draw construction lines along both the x- and y-axis

Choose BOth.

Auto/<Location>: Specify a point through which the horizontal and vertical construction line passes.

Auto/<Location>: Specify the point for a second horizontal and vertical construction line. You can continue to draw similar construction lines by selecting the point through which the construction line passes. To stop drawing construction lines, right-click the mouse or press Enter.

To draw a vertical construction line along the y-axis

1. Specify the point through which you want the vertical construction line to pass.

Choose Vertical.

Auto/<Location>: Specify a point through which the vertical construction line passes.

Auto/<Location>: Specify the point for a second vertical construction line. You can continue to draw vertical construction lines by selecting the point through which the construction line passes. To stop drawing construction lines, right-click the mouse or press Enter.

To draw a construction line by specifying its angle

1. Specify the point through which you want the construction line to pass, then specify the angle.

Choose Angle.

Reference · <Enter angle (0°)>: To accept the current setting for the angle, press Enter, or enter a new value. To specify an entity to use as the reference point, choose Reference.

Location: Specify a point through which the construction line passes.

Location: Specify the point for a second construction line. You can continue to draw construction lines by selecting the point through which the construction line passes. To stop drawing construction lines, right-click the mouse or press Enter.

To draw a construction line using an entity as the reference point for the angle

1. Specify the entity that you want to use as the reference point for the angle.
2. Specify the angle from the reference point.

Choose Reference.

Select reference entity: Specify the entity you want to use as a reference point for the angle.

Enter angle: Enter the angle from the reference point.

To draw a construction line that parallels another entity and specify an offset distance

1. Specify the entity you want to parallel.
2. Specify the side for the construction line.

Choose Offset.

Through point/<Offset distance for parallel construction line> (2.5000): To accept the current setting for the distance you want the construction line drawn from an entity, press Enter, or enter a new value.

Select entity for parallel construction line: Select the entity that you want the construction line to parallel.

Side for parallel construction line: Select the side of the entity where you want to draw the construction line.

To draw a construction line that parallels another entity and specify a through point

1. Select the entity you want to parallel.
2. Select the point through which you want the construction line to pass.

Choose Offset.

Through point/<Offset distance for parallel construction line> (2.5000): Choose Through point.

Select entity for parallel construction line: Select the entity that you want the construction line to parallel.

Through the point: Specify the point through which you want the construction line to pass.

To draw a construction line on top of an existing entity

Choose Match.

Select entity for parallel construction line: Select the entity that you want the construction line to match.

To delete one or more construction lines

Choose Erase.

FILter/<Select entities>: Select the construction lines you want to delete. You can also choose FILter to filter the selection by properties. When you are done selecting construction lines to delete, press Enter.

To delete all construction lines in the drawing

Choose Clear.

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