topic Re: How to create your own line type in AutoCAD Forum

How to create your own line type

mathrewmarrero9 — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 03:19:44 GMT

Have you ever worked on a survey site plan where you must create a sewage line type to show on the plan and the legend chart? But you realized in the line type manager that AutoCAD doesn't have a sewage line type by default. So you need to create one. I will teach you how to create a line type in a step-by-step method.

Step 1: draw a line

Step 2: Select a single text line and make the text height to your discretion. Make sure the letter is in the center of the line, and trim out the parts overlapping the text.

Step 3: In the Express tools tab, click the Tools drop-down and select Make Lintype

Step 4: It will ask you to save the .lin type file in a folder in your file explorer. Save

Step 5: Follow the prompts; it will ask you to enter a name for the line type, line type description(-s-), and specify the starting and end point of the line, then select the entire object.

Step 6: press enter, and now you have a new line type that you can load in the Line type manager.

I hope this helped, and good luck. 🙂

Re: How to create your own line type

Patchy — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:52:03 GMT

Add one in acad.lin is a lot quicker.

Re: How to create your own line type

mathrewmarrero9 — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:20:51 GMT

You're correct, but if there isn't a specific line type from the acad.lin then it must be created.

Re: How to create your own line type

TomBeauford — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 12:28:29 GMT

That Express Tool is a bloated hack that requires any user viewing your drawing to load an extra lin and shx file for every linetype you created.

Try ronjonp's Make Linetype With Embedded Characters lisp that creates these with ease. You can view what they'll look like in the dialog box as you modify text and dashes, even select which layers you want to apply them to.

Re: How to create your own line type

mathrewmarrero9 — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 21:47:32 GMT

Thank you for sharing this knowledge. I will look into this. However, there is no right or wrong way of doing things in AutoCAD. There are many ways this software allows us to do this.

Re: How to create your own line type

mathrewmarrero9 — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 21:48:34 GMT

Thank you for sharing.

Re: How to create your own line type

TContiD9CK7 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 16:47:35 GMT

The Express tool does not work for me. It saves the line but is void of all lines and text. It has worked for before but seems to not display at all now.

Re: How to create your own line type

pendean — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:01:08 GMT

@TContiD9CK7 wrote:
The Express tool does not work for me. It saves the line but is void of all lines and text. It has worked for before but seems to not display at all now.

Show us: share your DWG file with the content that you tried to use.

And did you get a chance to explore the other tip here https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/how-to-create-your-own-line-type/m-p/13913291#M37774

Re: How to create your own line type

iant123DM83S — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:13:15 GMT

Trying to make a linetype, I cannot find express tools AcadLT_2025.

Where do I look?

Re: How to create your own line type

cadffm — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:57:36 GMT

Hi,

no Expresstools in LTversions!

Learn to create Linetype definitions abd shapes by yourself

it's documented in your help[F1]

(Or use AutoCAD incl.Expresstools, ask a friend or supporter)

Re: How to create your own line type

pendean — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:31:08 GMT

@iant123DM83S wrote:
Trying to make a linetype, I cannot find express tools AcadLT_2025.
Where do I look?

You don't because that does not exist in LT (you can look it up inside your own LT2025's HELP).

Note: this is not the LT forum, so no one is discussing LT abilities here in the full AutoCAD forum. Sorry.

The AutoCADLT forum is over here https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/bd-p/autocad-lt-forum-en

Re: How to create your own line type

goodmorning10952 — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:09:29 GMT

I cannot enter a length of how big I want my line to be. Why?

Re: How to create your own line type

goodmorning10952 — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:12:08 GMT

I want to type in the length of my line when drawing but it doesn't let me. Why?

Re: How to create your own line type

pendean — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:50:59 GMT

@goodmorning10952 wrote:
I cannot enter a length of how big I want my line to be. Why?

Read this https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Input-direct-distances-produces-unexpected-results-in-AutoCAD.html

HTH