Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
When you load a linetype, AutoCAD copies its linetype deinition — a formula for how to create
the dashes, dots, and gaps in that particular linetype — from the acad.lin (imperial units) or
acadiso.lin (metric units) file into the drawing. (The files are acadlt.lin and acadlt-
iso.lin , respectively, in AutoCAD LT.) The definition doesn't automatically appear in other drawings;
you have to load each linetype that you want to use into each drawing in which you want to use it. If
you find yourself loading the same linetypes repeatedly into different drawings, consider adding them
to your template drawings instead. (See Chapter 4 for information about templates and how to create
them.) After you add linetypes to a template drawing, all new drawings that you create from that tem-
plate will start with those linetypes loaded automatically.
Don't go overboard on loading linetypes. For example, you don't need to load all the linetypes in the
acad.lin file on the off chance that you might use them all someday. The resulting linetype list would
be long and unwieldy. Most drawings require only a few linetypes, and most industries and compan-
ies settle on a half dozen or so linetypes for common use. Your industry, office, or project may have
guidelines about which linetypes to use for which purposes.
If you're the techno-dweeb type and don't mind editing a text file that contains linetype definitions, you
can define your own linetypes or weed out the ones you'll never use. Press F1 to open the main online
help window. Then choose Customization Guide⇒Custom Linetypes.
Manipulating layers
After you create layers and draw objects on them, you can turn a layer off or on to hide
or show the objects on that layer. In the Layer Properties Manager palette, the first three
icons to the right of the layer name control AutoCAD's layer visibility modes:
Off/On: Click the light-bulb icon to toggle visibility of all objects on the selected
layer. AutoCAD does not regenerate the drawing when you turn layers back on. (I
give you the lowdown on regenerations in Chapter 12.)
Freeze/Thaw: Click the sun icon to toggle off visibility of all objects on the selected
layer. Click the snowflake icon to toggle visibility on. AutoCAD regenerates the
drawing when you thaw layers.
Lock/Unlock: Click the padlock icon to lock and unlock layers. When a layer is
locked, you can see but not edit objects on that layer.
You can rearrange column order by simply dragging and dropping the column label to a
new place. And you can right-click any column label to display a menu from which you
can turn columns off and on.
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