Layer

Layers help to organize objects in the drawing, and enforce properties like color, linetype and lineweight standard

You can create chair, desk, cabinet on the furniture layer
When you change the color of the furniture layer, all objects on this layer will follow

Default Layer

By default, every new drawing will automatically create a 0 layer

You cannot rename or delete the default layer
Layer 0 use to establish predictable behaviors fro objects like blocks

Layer Properties Manager

Home tab > Layer panel > Layer Properties

You can create unlimited layers, and assigned properties
Only 3 properties need to be assign when creating layers, they are Color, Linetype, Lineweight

Create New Layer

Home tab > Layers panel > Layer Properties

Layer Properties Manager palette - New Layer

Input the Layer Name

Click on the color, then select the color from the color palette

Click the Linetype - Load - Select the linetype from the dialog box

Click the Lineweight - Select the lineweight from the dialog box

You only need to assign 3 properties for every new layer, there are Color, Linetype, Lineweight

Layer Status

ON / OFF

When the layer is OFF, Objects on this layer are invisible, also not plot 
But you can draw, only cannot see

AutoCAD still consider the objects on the off layers
So, it regenerate the objects on the off layers

Thaw / Freeze

Layers no need for long should frozen
When layers is frozen, also invisible and not plot

You cannot make the frozen layer current, so cannot draw on it
The frozen layers are not regenerate

It's good practice to freeze the layers for hatch, text or any graphics when they are not in use, this will help to speed up the drawing performance

Lock / Unlock

When the layer is lock, objects is visible but cannot edit
Objects on the locked layer are dim, and a lock icon appear when cursor hover

If you want the objects to be seen, but not accidentally to edit, lock it
You can lock the current layer

Layer Previous

You might want to change the layer to previous state

Home tab > Layer panel > Layer Previous

If you off, freeze or lock the layer, then click on Layer Previous
It will return back to on, thaw or unlock

Object on Which Layer?

Want to know the object on which layer?

Very simple, just hover cursor on the object

Current Layer

There is only one current layer at all time
That mean you can make one layer at current only

The layer show on the layer panel is the current layer

Before create any objects, you must select the layer first
Then the objects you create will inherit the properties of the current layer

Make Object's Layer Current

Select the object
Home tab > Layers panel > Make Object's Layer Current

The object's layer become current

Change Object Layer

You might create objects on the wrong layer
You might initial create on this layer, but later want to move to a new layer
You might want to match one object to another without knowing the other object layer

From Layer List

Select the objects you want to change layer

Select which layer you want to change
You can preview by hover cursor on the layer

Match Properties

You can match object layer to other object without knowing the object layer
Home tab > Clipboard panel > Match Properties

Select source object

Select destination objects

Polyline - Draw

Create a single object with multiple segments, including lines and arcs

 

Home tab > Draw panel > Polyline

 

 

Specify start point

Continue to specify next points, click Close option on the command line to end it

Polyline and Arc

Start the command, specify start point

Input the distance for line, press Enter

Click Arc on the command line

Input the distance for arc

Continue with the arc option, input another distance for 2nd arc

Click Line option on the command line to change the arc to line

Input the distance of line

Press Enter twice to end the command

Polyline Width

You can control the width for polyline for each segment

Start the polyline command, specify start point

Current line-width is 0
Click Width on the command line

Specify starting width

Specify ending width, press Enter to use the same width

Input distance for the 1st segment the press Enter

Click width on the command line to change the width again

Input the different starting width for the 2nd segment

Input ending width

Input distance of the 2nd segment

Polyline Edit PEdit

You can move an individual vertex, change the width, convert polyline to arc, join polyline, line and arc into one object
You also can turn polyline into individual line or arc segment

Open option

Create polyline, use close option to close the polyline

 

Double-click on the polyline

 



Select Open

Open the last segment

Create polyline using object snap to close the polyline

Double-click on the polyline

You cannot open it

Join option

Draw a line to close the opening

There are 2 objects

Double-click on the polyline

Select Join

Select both line and polyline

The line convert to polyline and join into one object

Width option

Double-click on polyline for the edit mode

Select Width

Specify the new width

Double-click on the polyline

Select Width

Specify new width

The last point not closed

Convert Line and Arc to Polyline

This drawing form by 5 arcs and 3 linesThere is no polyline, so cannot double-click on it for polyline edit

Start the command PE

or
Home tab > Modify panel expand > Polyline Edit

Click Multiple on command line

Cross-select all objects

Press Enter

Convert Lines, Arcs and Splines to polylines:
Press Enter to accept the default <Y>
You must convert to polyline then can be join

Select Join

Enter fuzz distance
Press Enter for the default value <0>

Press Enter again to end the command
It join into a single object

Convert Polyline to Line or Arc - Explode

Sometime you need to convert polyline to individual object, so you can modify on it

Home tab > Modify panel > Explode

Select objects

Then press Enter

A single object become individual segments