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Command: _PLINE, Drawing 2D polylines

10 Comments Feb-19-2008 | Posted by Mustafa Çoban | Printable Version | Level |

AutoCAD 12 and higher versions

Dear Bloggers,

We learned our first command i.e. LINE to draw lines. Similarly, PLINE command is also for drawing lines but in addition to the LINE command it binds multiple lines, give them width or add angle features to them. With some examples, I will try to explain how it is easy.

You can enter the command via Draw menu and Toolbar or typing ‘PL’ into the command line.

Command: _pline
PLINE
Specify start point: (click the start point for the polyline)
Current line-width is 0.0000
Specify next point or [Arc/ Halfwidth/ Length/ Undo/ Width]: (the second point is requested)
Specify next point or [Arc/ Close/ Halfwidth/ Length/ Undo/ Width]: (With each click, the process goes on and binded lines are formed, with typing ‘c’ and pressing enter the polyline can be closed.)

Fig 1. A single piece of line group drawn by the polyline command.

The parameters;

ARC: Arc, which is the first parameter of the polyline, means the same with ARC command. It provides us to draw continual arcs with the given radius. We can draw arcs with this option. All ARC segments will be tangential if follows a LINE segment.

Command: _PLINE
PLINE
Specify start point: (the start point for the polyline)
Current line-width is 0.0000
Specify next point or [Arc/ Halfwidth/ Length/ Undo/ Width]: (Press ‘A’)
Specify endpoint of arc or [Angle/ CEnter/ Direction/ Halfwidth/ Line/ Radius/ Second pt/ Undo/ Width]: 90 (type 90 to draw polylines with 90 degrees)

Fig 2. A single piece of line group drawn by the arc option of the polyline command.

• Angle: This option is for giving any angle to an arc.
• Center: This option let us draw arcs by pointing the center.
• Direction: This option lets us draw arcs by entering its length.
• Halfwidth: We can draw a polyline with any thickness with this option. The difference between ‘Width’ is that ‘Halfwidth’ draws a polyline with a thickness of two times we entered.
• Line: We can transform a polyline to its first state; line.
• Radius: We can draw an arc with any radius we want with this option.
• Undo: This option lets us undo our changes.
• Width: This option is used for giving a polyline any width we want.

Command:_PLINE
Specify start point: (the start point for the polyline)
Current line-width is 0.0000
Specify next point or [Arc/ Halfwidth/ Length/ Undo/ Width]: W (give some thickness by pressing ‘W’)
Specify starting width <0.0000>: 10 (let us assume 10 for the start)
Specify ending width <10.0000>: 20 (and 20 for the end, you can type 10 to draw a straight line)
Specify next point or [Arc/ Halfwidth/ Length/ Undo/ Width]: (the next point is requested, you can click as much as you want to draw a polyline that you want to form)

Fig 3. A single piece of line group drawn by the width option of the polyline command.

I hope this article will be useful for you. May it be easy to all.

Related Articles:

• Arc drawing techniques in AutoCAD
• Hip tip: LINE-LINE, LINE-ARC-ARC-ARC-ARC-LINE continuity.

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