Line Type Definition

Line types can be applied to, and drive the representation of, almost all elements in a drawing, such as lines, curves, dimension lines, etc. (Line types cannot be applied to fonts and points). Line type definitions are located in the Standard Definition dialog box, in the drafting category > Line Types node, available via Me > Preferences > Standards.

Defining Line Types

Line types can either be mono-dimensional, i.e. defined by a sequence of non-continuous segments, or bi-dimensional, i.e. defined by a polyline. Once defined, a line type can be applied to any element which supports it, either via Properties, or using the Graphic Properties in the Object Properties panel.

There are 63 line type definitions in the Standards editor. You cannot add additional instances of line type definitions. Out of these 63 definitions,

  • Line type definitions ranging from 1 to 8 are pre-defined with different parameters for each and cannot be configured.
  • Line type definitions ranging from 9 to 19 are pre-defined with different parameters for each and can be configured.
  • Line type definitions ranging from 20 to 63 are not pre-defined and can be configured.

Important: From V5 R17, it is possible to assign bi-dimensional line types on all mono-parametric geometries (line, circle, spline). However, the line type 8 is an exception: it is taken into account on geometrical lines and circles. Note that you can select and apply line type 8 to any other element, however your change will not be taken into account.

You can configure the definitions of line types ranging from 9 to 63. To do this, proceed as follows:

Description

  1. Click the Line Types node of the Standard Definition editor.

  2. In the right-hand dialog box, double-click the line type you want to define.

    The line type editor appears for you to set the line type properties.

  3. For each line type definition, you can also specify whether or not a given line type should be available in the line types list for users to choose from.

    Double-click the number of the line type you want to make unavailable. Perform the same operation to make an unavailable line type available.

    Note: Users will only be able to assign "available" line type definitions when creating or editing elements. However, existing element properties in drawings will not be affected: if an existing element is assigned a line type which is flagged as "unavailable" in the Standards editor, then this line type will be used for this element but it will not be available in the line types list, so that users cannot apply it to other elements.
    Important:
    • In releases before V5 R11, line types used to be defined in Me > Preferences > Common Preferences > User Interface > Line Type for the Drawings app as well as for other apps. For Drawings, line types are now defined in standards. Therefore, line types in drawings do not depend on the options defined in Me > Preferences, but on what is defined in the standards.
    • When opening a drawing created with releases before V5 R11 (i.e. a drawing which does not contain its own line type parameters), the line type options defined in Me > Preferences will be used. You can upgrade a drawing representation to this new standard format at any time, by performing the following operations in Page Layout:
      • Changing the standard to another standard (ISO > ANSI-ASME for example)
      • Updating the current standard to the new format.