Linetype

The Linetype options let you customize the available linetypes through a dedicated editor.

Linetypes for drawing representations are defined in standards. For more information, see Drafting User's Guide.

Linetype

The available linetypes are displayed in a list, the first eight types being unavailable as they correspond to the default linetypes (displayed in the Object Properties panel) and cannot be modified.

Important:
  • You cannot assign a linetype greater than Linetype #7 to spline and circle geometry.
  • Linetypes greater than #7 are only available in the Drafting and Drafting apps.

First, double-click the linetype to be modified. The Linetype editor lets you define either a mono-dimensional linetype, or a bi-dimensional linetype.

Mono-dimensional linetype
The Mono-dimensional linetype editor dialog box lets you define the linetype used for visualization and print purposes.

In the Visualization definition area, click to define the linetype pattern that is divided into 16 squares. A white square corresponds to a drawing, a black square corresponds to a blank.

The Preview area is updated accordingly.

Tip: Use the Factor box to stretch the pattern by increasing the value.

In the Print definition box, enter the length in millimeters for each pattern segment. Do not forget to leave a blank space after each character you enter.

A positive value indicates a drawing, and a negative value indicates a move without drawing.

Click OK. The new linetype replaces the selected line in the Linetype editor list.

Bi-dimensional linetype

In the Bi-dimensional linetype editor dialog box, click a start and an end point to create a segment.Repeat this step as many times as required to define the pattern.

You can create segment breaks by double-clicking a point, and then moving the pointer to draw a new segment.

Use the following icons:

Icon Description
Deletes the whole pattern.
Deletes the last segment drawn.
Reframes the bi-dimensional line editor.

Click OK. The linetype is displayed instead of the selected line at the end of the Linetype editor.

Important: When the curve length is smaller than the length of the linetype pattern, a compression factor has to be applied to the entire curve.

When a 2D linetype pattern is applied, the number of patterns to be drawn is calculated as follows:

number of patterns = total curve length/pattern width

This division is rounded off to the nearest integer value, which means that the drawn patterns are compressed or expanded so that they fit into the entire curve length.

Patterns are compressed if the curve length is lower than the pattern width.