Note: Many of the controls described here are identical to those of the Info Boxes and Settings Dialog boxes of the Arc/Circle, Polyline, and Spline Tools.
Lines are the simplest drafting element in ArchiCAD.
For details, see Lines.
For a description of generic settings common to all tools in the Toolbox, see Working in Tool Settings Dialog Boxes.
The Uniform Settings for Line Tools checkbox allows you to apply the settings made in this dialog box to all line-type tools: Line, Arc/Circle, Spline, Polyline.
The General Settings panel is similar to those of the Line, Arc/Circle, Polyline and Spline tools.
Select a Line type from the pop-up selection palette.
Type a Pen number (1-255) for the Line/Arc/Polyline/Spline.
Click the color for a Pencolor selection palette for the Line/Arc/Polyline/Spline.
Check the Zone Boundary box to allow lines to delimit Zones when using the automatic recognition methods of the Zone tool.
See Automatic Recognition Methods.
Use the Arrowhead icons to choose a Line with no arrowheads, or a Line with an arrowhead at start, at end or at both ends.
Enter a height value for the Arrowhead marker.
Type a Pen number (1-255) for the Arrowhead marker.
Click for a Pencolor selection palette for the Arrowhead marker.
Click the Arrowhead pop-up icon for selection of marker types.
The last arrowhead type is special, as it doubles the line with arrows at both ends. Using a line like this, the cursor will snap to the invisible axis line between the two visible lines.
•If you begin to draft an open element with Arrowheads and decide to close it either while drafting or later, the Arrowheads will simply disappear.
•If you later convert a closed element to an open one, for example a Circle to an Arc, you can select it, open the settings dialog box and add Arrowheads to it.
Line Tags and Categories Panel
The Line Tags and Categories panel is identical for the Line, Arc/Circle, Polyline and Spline tools.
Line Category: Assign a category to a selected line. You can then use line categories to fine-tune display options and export settings for lines depending on their category.
ArchiCAD has three line categories:
•Drafting line: Simple 2D drafting line. Lines drawn with the Line tool will be in this category by default.
•Cut line: Contour line of a 3D element on a cutting plane.
Note: You can choose to display Cut lines in boldface: In View > On-Screen View Options enable the Bold Cut Lines option.
•Skin Separator Line: Separator line between skins of composite structures, including walls, columns, slabs and roofs.
Line categories can be useful if, for example, you have exploded a composite wall into its constituent lines and fills. By default, in the Line Tool’s Advanced Settings Panel, all the contour lines are put into the “Cut line” category, while all the skin separator lines are put into the “Skin Separator” category.
All other lines are placed into the Drafting category by default. However, if you draw lines by hand into a Detail/Worksheet, Patch, or Section/Elevation/IE Window, you can assign categories to these lines according to their function in the plan. This way, when assigning a display option, even hand-drawn lines can be considered Cut lines or Skin Separator lines.
Assigning line categories can also be useful if you save your file in DXF/DWG format: the Translation Setup dialog box allows you to define a separate layer onto which Skin Separator lines can be exported.