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Create a Custom Simple Linetype
September 14, 2006
AutoCAD comes with a number of linetypes: continuous, dashed
(various lengths), dotted, dash-dot, border, center, and so
on. But you can make your own. A simple linetype is just a
pattern of dashes, dots, and spaces. (A complex linetype can
include text and shapes, but that's another tutorial.)
To create your own simple linetype, follow these steps:
- Open Notepad. A linetype file is a text file. Usually
you use Notepad to edit it.
- Navigate to acad.lin. This is the default file for
linetypes. By default, you can find it in C:\Documents and
Settings\[username]\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD
2007\R17.0\enu\Support. The path will be different for other
versions of AutoCAD, of course.
- Choose File > Save As and save it under another name,
but in the same folder, such as mylinetypes.lin. You can
edit acad.lin directly, but be sure to back it up first.
Acad.lin looks like this:
- Scroll down to the User Defined Linetypes section at the
end of the file. After the comments, enter your linetype
definition. Here is the syntax:
- A linetype has two lines of text. The first line's
syntax looks like this:
*linetype name[, description]
- That means that the first line always starts with an
asterisk (*). Then you add the name, which can't have
spaces. The description is optional and limited to 47
characters. If you add a description, precede it with a
comma. For example:
*proposed border,3 dashes and a dot - - - .
- The second line, which defines the linetype, starts with
the letter A. You separate each item with a comma, but no
spaces. The maximum length for the second line is 80
characters. Here are your options:
- A dash: use a positive number, indicating the length
in units
- A dot: use a 0 (zero)
- A space: use a negative number, indicating the
length in units
- Press Enter after the second line and save the file.
- Go back to your drawing and open the Layer Properties
Manager.
- Click the New Layer icon and name the new layer anything
you want. Assign it any color you want.
- Click Continuous in the Linetype column. In the Select
Linetype dialog box, click Load.
- In the Load or Reload Linteypes dialog box, click File.
Select mylinetypes.lin (or whatever you named your file) and
click Open.
- In the Load or Reload Linetypes dialog box, choose your
linetype and click OK.
- In the Select Linetype dialog box, choose your linetype
and click OK to assign it to the new layer.
- Click Set Current
and click OK.
- Start the LINE command and use your new linetype!
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