How to create your own line type

[mathrewmarrero9]

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. 🙂 

[Patchy · Accepted solution]

Add one in acad.lin is a lot quicker.

[mathrewmarrero9 · Accepted solution]

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

[TomBeauford · Accepted solution]

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. 

[mathrewmarrero9 · Accepted solution]

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. 

[mathrewmarrero9 · Accepted solution]

Thank you for sharing.

[TContiD9CK7]

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.

[pendean]

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@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.

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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 

[iant123DM83S]

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

Where do I look?

[cadffm]

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)

[pendean]

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@iant123DM83S wrote:

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

Where do I look?

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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

[goodmorning10952]

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

[goodmorning10952]

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

[pendean]

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@goodmorning10952 wrote:

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

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Read this https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Input-direct-dista...

and this similar post https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/problem-with-direct-distance-behavior-autocad-lt-202... 

HTH