Layer, color and linetype

Layers are like stack of imaginary transparent films on the drawing area. The layer on top of the stack, the current layer, is the one you draw on. Layers are used to separate different parts of the drawing (for example dimensions, furniture, doors and so on).

Every object in the drawing has a color. The color is usually used to define different line weights in printouts and of course the color in colored printouts.

Program includes many different line types. For example lines drawn using a line type DASHED will be displayed as dash lines (or broken lines) in the drawing. Almost every object type has a line type (for example text doesn't).

Layers

Do the following:

  1. Select Home tab > Layers group > Layer dialog.
  2. Click the button (on the right) to create a new layer.
  3. Enter KITCHENCABINETS as the name for the new layer and press Enter.
  4. Create the same way also layers ELECTRICALDEVICES, FURNITURE, WATERFITTINGS, WALLS and DOORS.
  5. Close the dialog by pressing Enter.

Now let's move the already drawn objects to their layers we just created. Later the current layer will be set before drawing objects and then there is no need to move them anymore.

Do the following:

  1. Select the kitchen table and the chair in the drawing.
  2. The easiest way to select objects is to click a point in the drawing somewhere above the objects (no on any object) and then click another point lower that creates a selection window. Show the window so that the object are inside it. This selects all objects that are in the area.
  3. When you have selected the table and the chair, select new layer FURNITURE for them in the Layer drop list.
  4. Clear selections by pressing Esc.
  5. Move the kitchen sinks to the layer WATERFITTINGS and the cabinets to the layer KITCHENCABINETS the same way.

Color

Do the following:

  1. Select the kitchen table and the chair in the drawing.
  2. Select new color 4 (green) for them in the Color drop list.
  3. Clear selections by pressing Esc.

Linetype

Before you can use a new line type, it must be loaded into the drawing.

Do the following:

  1. Select Other linetypein the Linetype drop-down menu.
  2. Select DASHDOT for the line type to load and click OK.
  3. Let's draw an outline of the upper cabinets using dashdot line type.
  4. Select layer KITCHENCABINETS as the current layer in the Layer drop list and the current color 3 (yellow) int the Color drop list.
  5. Click Draw line in the Draw toolbar, and draw a line using points 1100,1200 and @0,3900 and another line using points 800,4800 and @2300,0.

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