How to Change the Scale of a Linetype

To change the scale of a linetype, you can adjust either the global scale factor, which affects all linetypes in your drawing, or the object linetype scale, which affects only a specific object.

According to the standard method: Click Format menu Linetype. Enter a new value for Global Scale Factor. This directly changes the overall scale at which linetypes are displayed in your drawing.

Understanding Linetype Scale

Linetype scale determines the size and spacing of the dashes, dots, and gaps that make up a linetype pattern. Adjusting this scale is crucial for ensuring linetypes appear correctly at different zoom levels and when plotted or printed. There are two primary ways to control linetype scale:

Global Linetype Scale Factor

The Global Linetype Scale Factor (LTSCALE) is a drawing-wide setting. It multiplies the individual segment lengths defined in the linetype definition file (.lin).

• How to Change It:

  1. Access the Linetype Manager dialog box.
  2. As per the standard instruction, Click Format menu Linetype.
  3. Locate the Global Scale Factor setting.
  4. Enter a new value for Global Scale Factor. A larger value increases the scale (longer dashes/gaps), while a smaller value decreases it.
  5. Click "OK" or "Apply".

• Impact: Changing the Global Scale Factor affects the display and plot scale of all linetypes used in the current drawing that are not explicitly overridden by an object's individual linetype scale.

Object Linetype Scale

The Object Linetype Scale is a property assigned to individual objects (lines, arcs, circles, etc.). It acts as an additional multiplier to the global scale factor for that specific object.

• How to Change It:

  1. Select the object(s) you want to modify.
  2. Open the Properties palette (usually by right-clicking and selecting "Properties", or typing PROPERTIES).
  3. Scroll down to the "Linetype Scale" property within the "General" category.
  4. Enter a new value. This value is multiplied by the Global Scale Factor (LTSCALE) to determine the effective scale for the selected object.
  5. Press Enter or click away.

• Impact: Changing the Object Linetype Scale only affects the selected object(s). It provides fine-tuned control for specific elements without altering the appearance of other lines in the drawing.

Which Scale to Use?

Choosing between Global and Object Linetype Scale depends on your needs:

• Use Global Scale (LTSCALE):

  • When you need to uniformly adjust the appearance of all linetypes across the entire drawing to suit a specific plotting scale.
  • Often set once per drawing based on the intended output scale.

• Use Object Scale:

  • When a specific line or object needs to appear differently than others using the same linetype (e.g., making a boundary line's dashes longer than property lines using the same dash-dot pattern).
  • When you need to override the global setting for individual elements.

By effectively using both the Global Linetype Scale Factor and the Object Linetype Scale, you can achieve the desired visual representation for all linetypes in your drawings.