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SOLID creates straight-edged shapes. If FILL is on, AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT fills in the shape with a solid fill (that’s why it’s called SOLID).

To draw a solid, type solid . The command prompts you for first, second, third, and fourth points. You must specify these points in zigzag order, not around the perimeter of the shape. After the fourth point, the command continues to prompt you for third and fourth points, which you can use to create new adjacent solids. Press Enter to end the command.

Creating and Editing Multilines

Multilines are sets of parallel lines that you draw with one command. You can specify how far apart they are, and each line can have its own color and linetype. Multilines are used for drawing architectural plans where you need to draw an inner and outer wall. To draw a multiline, you first define, save, and load a multiline style. Then you can use the multiline style to draw multilines. There is a separate command for editing multilines that enables you to break multiline intersections, as you would for the doors and windows in a floor plan. Figure 16-27 shows a floor plan for an apartment drawn using multilines.

Figure 16-27: A floor plan of an apartment drawn using multilines.

Thanks to Bill Wynn of New Windsor, Maryland, for this drawing.

AutoCAD LT doesn’t have the Multiline feature but has a similar feature called Dlines. I cover Dlines in the next section, “Creating Dlines.”

Creating a multiline style

The first step in drawing multilines is to design the multiline style. To create a multiline style, choose Format Multiline Style to open the Multiline Styles dialog box, as shown in Figure 16-28.

Like text styles and dimension styles, multiline styles group a set of properties under one name. The default multiline style, called Standard, defines two lines 1 unit apart. Multiline styles have two parts: element properties and multiline properties. The element properties define each individual line element. The multiline properties define properties that apply to the multiline as a whole.

440 Part II Drawing in Two Dimensions

Figure 16-28: The Multiline Styles dialog box.

Defining element properties

To start defining the multiline style, type a name in the Name text box and click Add. Then choose Element Properties to open the Element Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 16-29.

The Elements box lists the current elements of the multiline. Elements are simply the lines that make up the multiline. The offset defines the distance of the line from the start point when you start to draw. An offset of zero places the line on the start point. As you can see, the Standard multiline style has two elements, each 0.5 units from the start point. Figure 16-30 shows the Standard multiline style as it appears in relation to the start point you pick.

Figure 16-29: The Element Properties dialog box.

Start point First element							Figure 16-30: The Standard multiline style
							places two lines on either side of the start
							point.
					.5 units
					Second element

Note You can change the relationship of the start point and the element lines by using the Justification option when you draw the multiline, as explained later, in the “Drawing multilines” section.

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Tip

Tip

Note

To define the element lines of a multiline style, follow these steps:

1.In the Elements box, highlight the first element. Even if you typed a new name for the multiline style, the elements listed are the same as the current multiline style.

When creating a new multiline style, first set as current the multiline style that is the most similar to the one you want to create.

2.In the Offset box, type the offset you want. The offset should be zero if you want the line to appear on your pick points, a positive number (in units) if you want the line to appear above your pick points, and a negative number (in units) if you want the line to appear below your pick points. (This assumes the default of zero justification, explained later in this chapter.)

When defining the multiline style elements, think of the multiline as being drawn horizontally to the right to help you visualize what above and below mean.

3.Choose Color to choose a color for the line element.

4.Choose Linetype to choose a linetype for the line element.

5.Choose Add to add a new element or Delete to delete a listed element.

6.To define the next element, select the second element in the Elements box and repeat Steps 2 through 4. Continue to define elements until you’re done.

7.Click OK to return to the Multiline Styles dialog box.

A multiline style can have up to 16 elements. All 16 elements must be on the same layer, but you can vary the linetypes and colors.

Defining multiline properties

To specify how your multilines look, you can set their properties. Choose Multiline Properties in the Multiline Styles dialog box to open the Multiline Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 16-31.

Figure 16-31: The Multiline Properties dialog box.

Use this box to set the overall properties of the multiline. Figure 16-32 shows the effects of all the possible choices in this box.

442 Part II Drawing in Two Dimensions

Display joints

Line-90o

Line-45o

Outer arc

Inner arc

Figure 16-32: The results of choosing the various options in the Multiline Properties dialog box.

You can also turn Fill on or off and choose a color to add a solid fill to the multiline. After you make your choices, click OK to return to the Multiline Styles dialog box.

Saving a new multiline style

Before you can use the multiline style, you must save it. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT save multiline styles in a file with the filename extension MLN. After you click Save, the Save Multiline Style dialog box opens.

In general, you can save your multiline styles in the default file, which is acad.mln. Click Save to return to the Multiline Styles dialog box.

Loading a multiline style

Like linetypes, multiline styles must be loaded before you can use them. Choose Load to open the Load Multiline Styles dialog box. Choose the style you created from the list and click OK.

You return to the Multiline Styles dialog box. You’re now ready to use the multiline style. Click OK to return to your drawing.

You can also use the Multiline Styles dialog box to rename multiline styles and make another multiline style current.

On the	The drawing used in the following Step-by-Step exercise on creating a multiline style, ab16-
CD-ROM	g.dwg, is in the Drawings folder on the CD-ROM.

STEP-BY-STEP: Creating a Multiline Style

1.Open ab16-g.dwg from your CD-ROM.

2.Save the file as ab16-07.dwg in your AutoCAD Bible folder. This is a site plan, shown in Figure 16-33.

Chapter 16 Drawing Complex Objects 443

Figure 16-33: The parallel lines at the bottom of the site plan can be drawn by using a multiline.

3.Choose Format Multiline Style to open the Multiline Styles dialog box. In the Name text box, type siteplan. Choose Add.

4.Choose Element Properties. With the top element highlighted, change the offset to 0, the color to black (it lists as white), and the linetype to dashdot.

5.Highlight the second element. Change the offset to –132 (11' × 12"), the color to magenta, and the linetype to continuous.

6.Click Add. Change the offset to –180 (15' × 12"), the color to red, and the linetype to center.

7.Click Add. Change the offset to –228 (19' × 12"), the color to magenta, and the linetype to continuous.

8.Click Add. Change the offset to –360 (30' × 12"), the color to black, and the linetype to dashdot.

9.Click Add. Change the offset to –480 (40' × 12"), the color to red, and the linetype to center.

Caution	If you are using someone else’s computer, check with the owner before saving the linestyle
	to acad.mln. You can’t do any damage, but the owner may not want to have your multiline
	style there. You can change the name in the File Name text box to something else, such as
	my_mls.mln.

10.Click OK. In the Multiline Styles dialog box, click Save.

11.In the Save Multiline Style dialog box, you should see acad.mln in the File Name text box. You can also type a new MLN filename. Choose Save.

12.Choose Load in the Multiline Styles dialog box. In the Load Multiline Styles dialog box, highlight the SITEPLAN multiline style, and choose OK twice to return to your drawing.

13.Save your drawing. If you’re continuing on to the next exercise, keep the drawing open.

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Drawing multilines

Defining a multiline style is the hard part. As soon as the style is defined, saved, loaded, and made current, you can draw with it. You may find you need some practice to get the hang of it because you’re drawing more than one line at once. To draw a multiline, choose Draw Multiline to start the MLINE command. The command responds with the Specify start point or [Justification/Scale/STyle]: prompt. The prompt also displays the current justification, scale, and style. The default is to pick a point. From there you get the Specify next point: prompt. After the first segment, you get the Specify next point or [Undo]: prompt, and after the second segment, the Specify next point or [Close/Undo]: prompt. Here is how to use the options:

Justification: You can choose Zero, Top, or Bottom.

•Zero places the element that has a zero offset in the multiline definition at the pick point. You do not need to have a line at zero offset, as is the case with the Standard multiline style. The top example in Figure 16-34 shows the Standard multiline style with zero justification.

•Top places the line with the highest positive offset at the pick point. The middle example in Figure 16-34 shows the Standard multiline style with top justification.

•Bottom places the line with the highest negative offset at the pick point. The bottom example in Figure 16-34 shows the Standard multiline style with bottom justification.

Scale: Multiplies the offset values in the multiline definition by the scale. The Standard multiline style places two lines 1 unit apart. A scale of 6 would place them 6 units apart.

Style: Enables you to specify the current multiline style. Type ? to get a list of the available multiline styles.

Figure 16-34: Drawing a multiline using the Standard multiline style in zero, top, and bottom justification.

As you draw a multiline, whenever you create a corner by changing direction, the command creates a clean corner with no intersecting lines.

STEP-BY-STEP: Drawing Multilines

1.Continue from the previous exercise. (If you didn’t do the previous exercise, you should do it to create the multiline style.) Set a running object snap for intersection.

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2.Choose Multiline from the Draw toolbar. The prompt displays the following message:

Justification = Top, Scale = 1.00, Style = SITEPLAN

3.At the Specify start point or [Justification/Scale/STyle]: prompt, choose the From object snap. At the Base point: prompt, choose 1 in Figure 16-35. (If neces-

sary, press Tab until you get the Intersection object snap.) At the <Offset>: prompt, type @0,–10' .

4.At the Specify next point: prompt, move the cursor to the right and type 255' . If you want, you can experiment by drawing other line segments. Press Enter to end the command. The drawing should look like Figure 16-35.

5.Save your drawing.

1

Figure 16-35: The completed multiline.

Editing multilines

The entire multiline — no matter how many segments it contains — is one object. Many editing commands simply do not work with multilines. Table 16-1 shows the editing commands and whether they work with multilines.

Table 16-1: Using Editing Commands with Multilines

Command	Usable with Multilines	Command	Usable with Multilines
ARRAY	yes	FILLET	no
BREAK	no	LENGTHEN	no
CHAMFER	no	MIRROR	yes
COPY	yes	MOVE	yes
ERASE	yes	ROTATE	yes
EXPLODE	yes	SCALE	yes
EXTEND	no	STRETCH	yes

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You can use grips to stretch, move, copy, mirror, and rotate multilines.

To edit multilines, you use the MLEDIT command. To start MLEDIT, double-click the multiline (or choose Modify Object Multiline) to open the Multiline Edit Tools dialog box, shown in Figure 16-36.

Figure 16-36: The Multiline Edit Tools dialog box.

This dialog box enables you to edit multiline intersections and corners. You can also add or delete a vertex. Click one of the images, and its name appears at the bottom of the dialog box.

The first column manages crossing intersections. To edit a crossing intersection, choose one of the tiles in the first column and click OK. The command prompts you to pick a first multiline and then a second multiline. MLEDIT always cuts the first multiline you pick. The second one may be cut if called for by the edit type.

Note	Although the command prompts you to pick two multilines, they can actually be two parts of
	the same multiline.

The second column manages T-shaped intersections. To edit a crossing intersection, choose one of the tiles in the second column and click OK. The command prompts you to pick a first multiline and then a second multiline. MLEDIT always cuts the first multiline you pick. The second one may be cut if called for by the edit type and depending on the shape of the multiline.

The third column manages corners and vertices. The top tile creates a corner.

The second tile adds a vertex, and the third deletes a vertex. Choose the edit you want and click OK. The command prompts you to select a multiline. Be careful — you must pick the point where you want to add or delete the vertex. To see the current vertices, pick the multiline with no command active to see the grips.

The last column of the dialog box makes cuts through multilines and welds them back together again. Here’s how to use these options:

Use the top tile to make a cut through one element of a multiline.

Use the middle tile to cut through all the elements of a multiline.

In both cases, you get a prompt to select a multiline and then a second point. Be careful — the point you use to select the multiline is the first point of the cut. For a single cut, the pick point of the multiline also determines which element the command cuts.

Use the bottom tile to remove the cuts. Removing cuts is called welding.