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Tutorials
Work with Layers Colours and Styles

Available in: Plus, Pro, Architectural

All Draft it entities are stored with a layer, colour and line style. When an entity is created the current settings in the Status Bar bar are used to define this values**. For example if a line was added to a drawing where the settings matched the image shown below, then the line would be 'yellow', 'dashed(hidden)' and stored on the 'walls' layer.

**In all of the images in this topic there is a  'Level' setting. This is only shown in the architectural only.  It is possible that certain entities are automatically forced to a pre-determined layer which will then be set as the current layer e.g 'constructions' or 'walls' (architectural version only).

status bar example 1

The following topics describe how to change these values for any entity.

Change the layer of an item

Change the colour of an item

Change the line style of an item

Setting Colour and Line Style to 'Layer'

Layer Colour and Line Style

status bar example 2

The 'Colour' and 'Line Style' of an entity can be set to a setting called 'Layer' as shown here in the example Properties Explorer. Any entities drawn or modified using these settings will be displayed with the 'Colour' and/or 'Line Style' assigned to that Layer. Therefore if you change the 'Colour' assigned to that layer then all entities drawn on that layer with the colour set to 'Layer' will change to show the new colour. Similarly changing the 'Line Style' assigned to a layer would affect the entities on that layer.

Symbol Colour and Line Style

status bar example 3

The 'Colour' and 'Line Style' can be set to a setting called 'Symbol' as shown here in the Status Bar. This setting is intended for use specifically with Symbols. Any entities drawn in the Symbol using these settings will be displayed with the 'Colour' and/or 'Line Style' which are current when the Symbol is inserted. Therefore if you select a symbol and change its insertion colour then all entities within the symbol drawn with the colour set to 'Symbol' will change to show the new colour. Similarly changing the inserted 'Line Style' of a symbol would affect the entities within the symbol drawn with the colour set to 'Symbol'.

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