Linetypes help convey information. You use different linetypes to differentiate the purpose of one line from another. A linetype consists of a repeating pattern of dots, dashes, or blank spaces. Linetypes determine the appearance of entities both on the screen and when printed. By default, every drawing has at least three linetypes: CONTINUOUS, BYLAYER, and BYBLOCK. Your drawing may also contain an unlimited number of additional linetypes.
When you create an entity, it is created using the current linetype. By default, the current linetype is BYLAYER. CADdirect indicates that the entity linetype is determined by the current layer’s linetype by assigning the BYLAYER property as the default linetype setting. When you assign BYLAYER, changing a layer’s linetype changes the linetype of all the entities assigned that layer (if they were created using the linetype BYLAYER).
You can also select a specific linetype as the current linetype, which overrides the layer’s linetype setting. Entities are then created using that linetype, and changing the layer linetype has no effect on them.
As a third option, you can use the linetype BYBLOCK property, in which case new entities are drawn using the CONTINUOUS linetype until you group them into a block. The entities then inherit the block’s linetype setting when you insert the block into a drawing.
To set the current linetype
1 Do one of the following to choose Drawing Settings (
):
• On the ribbon, choose Application button > Drawing Utilities; Home > Drawing Settings (in Utilities); or Tools > Drawing Settings (in Manage).
• On the menu, choose Tools > Drawing Settings.
• On the Tools toolbar, click the Drawing Settings tool.
• Type dsettings and then press Enter.
2 Click the Entity Creation tab.
3 In the Linetype list, choose the linetype that you want to make current.
4 Click OK.
Use the status bar shortcut.
On the status bar, right-click the word BYLAYER for the current linetype, click Properties, and then choose the linetype that you want to make current.
