How to Hide Polyline in AutoCAD?

Understanding Polyline Visibility in AutoCAD

Hiding polylines in AutoCAD can be essential for managing visual clarity in your drawings. Polylines are versatile shapes that can be edited and manipulated in various ways. There are multiple methods to hide or make polylines invisible, depending on your specific requirements. Below is a comprehensive guide on how to effectively hide polylines in AutoCAD 2025.

Method 1: Utilize Layer Properties

One efficient method to hide a polyline is to adjust its layer properties. Here’s how:

1. Open your drawing in AutoCAD 2025.
2. Access the Layer Properties Manager by clicking the Layer Properties icon on the Home tab or typing LAYER in the command prompt.
3. Locate the layer where your polyline resides.
4. Click on the light bulb icon next to the layer name to turn it off. This action will hide all objects on that layer, including your polyline.

Method 2: Use the Properties Palette

If you only wish to hide a specific polyline rather than an entire layer, you can do so through the Properties palette:

1. Click on the polyline you want to hide.
2. Right-click and select Properties from the context menu, or simply type PROPERTIES in the command line.
3. In the Properties palette, find the option labeled Visibility.
4. Change the value from On to Off to make the polyline invisible.

Method 3: Use the Wipeout Command

The Wipeout command can create an area that hides underlying objects, including polylines:

1. Begin by typing WIPEOUT in the command prompt and press Enter.
2. Follow the prompts to select the area that you’d like to “wipe out.” The cursor will change to a crosshair.
3. Click to define the corners of a rectangle or pick points to outline a custom shape over your polyline.
4. Once you close the shape, the area will become a wipeout and cover the polyline beneath.

Method 4: Use the Hide Command

AutoCAD 2025 also allows you to hide objects selectively:

1. Type the command HIDE in the command prompt and press Enter.
2. Select the polyline(s) you wish to hide and press Enter again.
3. The selected polyline(s) will now become invisible until you unhide them.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I make multiple polylines invisible at once?

Yes, you can select multiple polylines by holding down the Shift key while clicking on them. Then, use the properties palette or the hide command to make all selected polylines invisible simultaneously.

2. How do I bring back a hidden polyline?

To unhide a polyline, you can either toggle the light bulb icon for its layer back to the “On” status or select the polyline and set its visibility back to “On” in the Properties palette.

3. What happens to the hidden polyline in printing?

Hidden polylines will not appear in the printed output as they are classified as invisible objects. Ensure that you check your visibility settings before finalizing your drawings for printing.