topic Re: Line with thickness like Autocad in Documentation

Line with thickness like Autocad

ArchiProject — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:49:12 GMT

I really miss these thick dashed lines i could do in Autocad, is there something similar in Archicad?

In Autocad thickness and weight of a line are different properties. With the thickness you can thicken the line without rounding its ends.

Operating system used: Windows

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

Gordana Radonic — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 09:41:41 GMT

Hi @ArchiProject,

Besides changing the weight of a pen which can give you a desired thickness (but rounding the ends, that's true):

you can try to create your own 'symbol' line type with the pattern you wish:

Lines settings can be found in 'Options' menu under 'Element attributes'.

I hope this can help,

Gordana

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

ArchiProject — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:33:36 GMT

I have learned to create custom lines but I guess it is not possible to get an effect like that. It would be useful to be able to create new types of lines using not only lines but also fills.

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

CosminF — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 14:50:21 GMT

Hi,

I have found something similar to what you are describing in some projects: for example this line appears dashed:

But if you zoom on it (without true line weight) it shows up like this:

It was made as a symbol line, from an array of smaller lines and a gap:

Although I doubt this could be regarded as a "best practice" for this but it may be closer to what you are looking for.

Hope this helps.

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

ArchiProject — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:53:49 GMT

This is an interesting trick. If I create a line like this, do you think all those lines could have a significant impact on the heaviness of the drawing?

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

Barry Kelly — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:08:48 GMT

I have also done this with parallel lines running the length of the dash.

You would have less lines in the symbol fill - not sure if that would make any speed difference generating the lines.

Barry.

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

Barry Kelly — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:12:50 GMT

Any symbolic lines or fills will have an impact on speed and file sizes, but you would have to use a lot to make it significant.

Probably not so much in Archicad, but when you produce a PDF, you may notice it more when opening or printing the PDF.

Try it and see what difference it makes.

Barry.

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

ArchiProject — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:31:21 GMT

I managed to do this but Archicad has a strange behavior on the vertices of the polylines, it deforms the symbols as you can see.

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

CosminF — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:34:21 GMT

I noticed that happening too. The quick fix would be to use lines, not polylines.
On the left you have an angle with lines, on the left with polylines (and it gets the same unwanted effect you pointed out)

Re: Line with thickness like Autocad

ArchiProject — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:40:33 GMT

Ok. I guess that's it.

Thanks everyone!