How To Set Global Width In AutoCAD?

Understanding Global Width in AutoCAD

Adjusting the global width of polylines, splines, or other drawing elements in AutoCAD is essential for achieving the desired visual outcome in your designs. The global width setting impacts the overall thickness of these elements, allowing for better representation of your drawings.

How to Change the Default Global Width of a Polyline

1. Select the Polyline: Use the mouse to click on the polyline in your drawing that you want to modify. This will highlight the polyline and make it active.

2. Open Properties Palette: Right-click on the selected polyline and choose "Properties" from the context menu. This will open the Properties palette, where you’ll find various attributes related to the selected polyline.

3. Adjust Global Width: In the Properties palette, look for the "Global Width" option. Set this value to your desired width. To remove any thickness and return it to a default state, you can set the width to zero.

4. Using QSELECT for Multiple Polylines: If you want to adjust multiple polylines at once, type QSELECT in the command line. Follow the prompts to select "Polyline" as the object type and specify "Global Width" with the condition "Not Equal to zero." This method helps in quickly identifying polylines that need adjustment.

Setting Global Width for Ellipses

1. Initiate the ELLIPSE Command: Type ELLIPSE in the command line and follow the prompts to create your ellipse.

2. Edit Ellipse with PEDIT: After creating the ellipse, type PEDIT in the command line, then select the ellipse created earlier.

3. Assign Width: Once inside the PEDIT command, you can set the width for the ellipse by following the prompts accordingly.

Modifying the Global Width of Splines

1. Create Layer for Splines: Start by creating a new layer in which your splines will be organized. This helps in effective management and editing.

2. Copy Splines: Select the splines you want to modify and create copies that will later be converted to polylines.

3. Convert Spline to Polyline: Use the PEDIT command, selecting the spline. Then enter ‘P’ to convert it into a polyline, which will allow you to set a global width.

Identifying and Fixing Thick Polylines

To troubleshoot and adjust polylines that appear too thick:

1. Select the Thick Polyline: Click on the polyline that seems thicker than expected.

2. Check Global Width in Properties: Open the Properties palette by right-clicking and selecting "Properties." Examine the Global Width setting.

3. Modify Globally: To set the width back to a standard value, either manually input a new value or set it to zero.

Changing the Thickness of an Arc

When dealing with arcs, you can effectively change their widths by converting them into polylines:

1. Draw a Circle: Start by creating a circle using either the CIRCLE command or drawing it manually.

2. Access Boundary Command: Enter BOUNDARY at the command prompt to create a boundary around the circle.

3. Choose Object Type: Ensure that the Object Type is set to Polyline in the boundary creation dialog.

4. Pick Points: Click inside the circle to define the internal area, and press Enter to complete the circle polyline creation.

5. Edit Width Using PEDIT: Use the PEDIT tool on the created circle polyline to alter its width as needed.

FAQs

How can I revert the global width to default settings in AutoCAD?
To revert a polyline’s global width to its defaults, select the polyline and set the Global Width to zero in the Properties palette.

Can I apply the same global width to multiple polylines at once?
Yes, by using the QSELECT command, you can select multiple polylines and change their Global Width simultaneously.

What command do I use to change the thickness of a layer in AutoCAD?
To change the thickness for a specific layer, navigate to the Layer Properties Manager, find your desired layer, and edit the lineweight under the Lineweight column.