Control Lineweights

Lineweights are width values that are assigned to graphical objects as well as some types of text. Using lineweights, you can create heavy and thin lines to show cuts in sections, depth in elevations, dimension lines and tick marks, and differences in details. For example, by assigning varying lineweights to different layers, you can easily differentiate between new, existing, and demolition construction. Lineweights are not displayed unless the LWT button on the status bar is selected.

TrueType fonts, raster images, points, and solid fills (2D solids) cannot display lineweight. Wide polylines show lineweights only when displayed outside of the plan view. You can export drawings to other applications or cut objects to the Clipboard and retain lineweight information.

In model space, lineweights are displayed in pixels and do not change when zoomed in or out. Thus, you should not use lineweights to represent the exact width of an object in model space. For example, if you want to draw an object with a real-world width of 0.5 inches, do not use a lineweight; instead, use a polyline with a width of 0.5 inches to represent the object.

You can also plot objects in your drawing with custom lineweight values. Use the Plot Style Table Editor to adjust the fixed lineweight values to plot at a new value.

Lineweight Scale in Drawings

Objects with a lineweight are plotted with the exact width of the assigned lineweight value. The standard settings for these values include BYLAYER, BYBLOCK, and Default. They are displayed in either inches or millimeters, with millimeters being the default. All layers are initially set to 0.25 mm, controlled by the LWDEFAULT system variable.

A lineweight value of 0.025 mm or less is displayed as one pixel in model space and is plotted at the thinnest lineweight available on the specified plotting device. Lineweight values that you enter at the Command prompt are rounded to the nearest predefined value.

You set the lineweight units and the default value in the Lineweight Settings dialog box. You can access the Lineweight Settings dialog box by using the LWEIGHT command, by right-clicking the LWT button on the status bar and choosing Settings, or by choosing Lineweight Settings on the User Preferences tab in the Options dialog box.

Lineweights can be turned on and off in a drawing, and are displayed differently in model space than in a paper space layout.

• In model space, a 0-value lineweight is displayed as one pixel, and other lineweights use a pixel width proportional to their real-unit value.
• In a paper space layout, lineweights are displayed in the exact plotting width.

Regeneration time increases with lineweights that are represented by more than one pixel. Turn off the display of lineweights to optimize performance of the program.

You can turn the display of lineweights on or off by clicking LWT on the status bar. This setting does not affect the plotting of lineweights.

Set the Current Lineweight

The current lineweight is the lineweight used for any objects you draw until you make another lineweight current. All objects are created using the current lineweight, which is displayed in the Lineweight control on the Properties toolbar. You can also set the current lineweight with the Lineweight control.

If the current lineweight is set to BYLAYER, objects are created with the lineweight assigned to the current layer. If the current lineweight is set to BYBLOCK, objects are created using the default lineweight setting until the objects are grouped into a block. When the block is inserted into the drawing, it acquires the current lineweight setting.

If you do not want the current lineweight to be the lineweight assigned to the current layer, you can specify a different lineweight explicitly. Objects in drawings created in an earlier release of AutoCAD are assigned the lineweight value of BYLAYER, and all layers are set to DEFAULT. Lineweight assigned to objects is displayed as a solid fill drawn in the object’s assigned color.