Stroke Manager¶

The Stroke Manager (Line Style Manager) lets you create and manage stroke patterns that control how lines, arcs, circles, and polylines are rendered -- solid, dashed, dotted, or custom patterns.

Why use stroke styles?

Differentiate -- distinguish hidden lines, center lines, boundaries, and construction lines
Standards -- meet ISO/ANSI line type conventions
Clarity -- readers instantly understand line meaning from its pattern
Consistency -- apply the same pattern across all entities via ByLayer

Stroke Properties¶

Each stroke style defines a repeating dash-gap pattern:

Property	Description	Example
Name	Unique identifier for the stroke	`Dashed`, `Center`, `Hidden`
Offset	Starting offset into the pattern (shifts the pattern start)	0.0, 2.5
Definition	The dash-gap sequence that defines the pattern	`[10, 5]`, `[10, 3, 2, 3]`

Understanding Definitions¶

The definition is an array of alternating dash and gap lengths:

Definition	Pattern	Common use
`[]` (empty)	Solid line	Visible edges, outlines
`[10, 5]`	10-unit dash, 5-unit gap	Dashed / hidden lines
`[10, 3, 2, 3]`	Long dash, gap, dot, gap	Center lines
`[2, 3]`	Short dash, gap	Dotted lines
`[15, 5, 2, 5, 2, 5]`	Dash, gap, dot, gap, dot, gap	Phantom lines

Tip

Pattern lengths are in drawing units. Scale them proportionally to your drawing size for best visual appearance.

Common Stroke Styles¶

Style name	Pattern	Typical use
Continuous	Solid	Visible edges, object outlines
Dashed	`- - - -`	Hidden edges, removed material
Center	`-- - -- -`	Center lines, axes of symmetry
Dotted	`. . . .`	Construction, projection lines
Phantom	`-- . . -- . .`	Alternative positions, motion paths
Border	`-- -- . -- -- .`	Drawing borders, boundaries

Add Stroke¶

Create a new stroke style:

Click Add in the Stroke Manager
Enter a style name (e.g., Hidden, Center-Fine, Custom-Fence)
Set the offset (usually 0 for default start)
Define the dash-gap pattern as a sequence of lengths
The new stroke becomes available in the Format Panel stroke dropdown

Design tips

Use shorter patterns for detailed/zoomed drawings
Use longer patterns for large-scale layouts
Keep gap lengths consistent across related styles for visual harmony

Edit Stroke¶

Edit the selected stroke style:

Property	How to change
Name	Click the name field and type a new name
Offset	Enter a numeric offset value
Definition	Modify the dash-gap sequence

Note

Changes apply immediately to all entities using this stroke style (via ByLayer or direct assignment). Entities with explicit overrides are not affected.

Delete Stroke¶

Remove a stroke style from the drawing.

Warning

Entities using the deleted stroke will revert to the default (Continuous/Solid)
The default stroke style cannot be deleted
Reassign entities to another stroke before deleting if you want a specific replacement

Applying Stroke Styles¶

To New Entities¶

Set the active stroke before drawing:

Select the stroke from the Format Panel stroke dropdown
All new entities will use this stroke style

To Existing Entities¶

Select entities using Entity Selection
Change the Stroke property in the Format Panel or Properties panel

ByLayer (Recommended)¶

Set entity stroke to ByLayer so it inherits the stroke from the Layer Manager. This lets you control all line types from a single place.

Best Practices¶

Practice	Benefit
Use ByLayer stroke assignment	Centralized control through layers
Follow drafting standards	ISO 128, ANSI Y14.2 line conventions
Keep pattern lengths proportional	Consistent appearance at all zoom levels
Use descriptive style names	Easy identification (`Hidden`, `Center`, not `Style1`)
Limit custom styles	Avoid visual clutter; stick to standard patterns
Place different line types on separate layers	Easy visibility and style management

Quick Reference¶

Task	Action
Create a stroke style	Stroke Manager > Add > set name + definition
Apply stroke to new entities	Format Panel > select stroke from dropdown
Change existing entity stroke	Select entities > Format Panel > change stroke
Edit a stroke definition	Stroke Manager > select > Edit
Delete a stroke	Stroke Manager > select > Delete
Use layer-based stroke	Set entity stroke to ByLayer