How to Show Line Thickness in AutoCAD 2020?

Understanding Line Thickness in AutoCAD 2020

To effectively utilize line thickness in AutoCAD 2020, it’s essential to know how to display, adjust, and manage line weights for your drawings. This guide provides you with a comprehensive step-by-step approach.

Steps to Show Line Thickness

1. Activate the Lineweight Feature:
   To visualize the thickness of lines within your drawing:

   • Open the command line by pressing Ctrl + 9 or by accessing it from the Tools menu.
   • Type LWDISPLAY and hit Enter. This command controls the visibility of lineweights on-screen.
   • When prompted, type 1 or select On to enable the display of line weights.

2. Utilize the Status Bar:
   Alternatively, you can toggle the lineweight visibility directly from the status bar:

   • Locate the Show/Hide Lineweight button on the status bar. If it’s not displayed, right-click on the status bar to customize it.
   • Make sure the button is highlighted to show line thickness.

Adjusting Line Thickness

1. Open the Properties Palette:
   To modify the thickness of a line:

   • Ensure that no objects are currently selected to avoid unexpected changes.
   • Navigate to the View tab found on the ribbon.
   • Click on Palettes, then select Properties.

2. Modify Thickness Settings:

   • In the Properties Palette that opens, scroll down until you see the General section.
   • Locate the Thickness field and enter your desired thickness value. Note that this value applies to new objects created after this change.

Displaying Line Thickness in Viewports

1. Viewport Setup:
   You can also show line thickness in specific viewports:
   • Select the viewport in which you want the line thickness visible.
   • Use the LWDISPLAY command as described earlier to ensure that line weights are enabled for that particular viewport.

Changing Default Line Thickness

For users seeking to customize their drawings significantly:

1. Open the Plot Style Table:
   To make changes to line weights:

   • Type PLOT or navigate to the Output tab and select Plot.
   • Go to the Plot Style Table option and then select Edit.

2. Select Lineweight Preferences:

   • In the Plot Style Table Editor, click on the specific style you wish to adjust.
   • Under the Lineweight option, choose your preferred thickness from the dropdown menu.
   • Ensure to save your changes before closing the editor.

Why Line Thickness Might Appear Too Thick

Several causes may lead to an unexpected thickness of lines:

• Active Plot Settings: Ensure plot lineweights and scale lineweights options are configured correctly in the plot settings.
• Assigned Line Weights: Inspect the drawing elements to verify if certain lines have been assigned a thicker than expected weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I reset line thickness to default in AutoCAD?
To revert the line thickness back to its default setting, access the Properties Palette for the object in question. Set the thickness to 0.01 inches or 0.25 mm, which is the default value.

2. Can I change multiple lines’ thickness simultaneously?
Yes, you can use the QSELECT command to select multiple lines. Once selected, you can adjust their properties collectively in the Properties Palette.

3. What effect does line weight have on my drawings?
Line weight significantly impacts the visual hierarchy, aiding in the communication of depth and importance of elements within your design. Different weights can help distinguish between layers of information, guiding viewers through the drawing.