Line Properties

Use the Line page in the Properties window to change line properties for selected lines in the document. You can set default line properties in the Options dialog Defaults page by clicking on Line.

Most line properties are edited in the Properties window in a Line Properties section. When changing line properties for a selected object, the Line Properties section will appear in a different location in the Properties window, depending on the type of object selected.

Occasionally, objects will open a Line Properties dialog to access the line properties.

Specify individual line properties in the Properties window in a Line Properties section.

Sample

The sample of the line is displayed next to Line Properties. The sample shows the line style, color, opacity, and width options.

If the Line Properties section is closed, click the next to Line Properties to open the section.

Style

Click the line next Style to open the line style palette. Click on a style to use it for the selected line. The line style sample updates to show the new selection. Click on the button at the right of the line style to open the Custom Line dialog, where you can specify a custom line style.

Complex line styles can be selected for most object types. Wireframe map layers and surface mesh lines do not support complex line styles. When a complex line style is selected, the line Width automatically increased to 0.03125 inches (0.079 cm). Most complex line styles require lines with the Width set to something larger than 0.03125 inches to fully distinguish the line style.

Color

Click the color next to Color to open the color palette. Click on a color to use it for the selected line. The color box and the sample line update to show the new selection. Click on the button at the right of the color sample to open the Colors dialog, where you can specify a custom color.

Opacity

The Opacity is the amount of transparency of the line. This is a value from 0% (completely transparent) to 100% (completely opaque). To change the value, highlight the existing value and type a new value. Press ENTER on the keyboard or click anywhere else in the Properties window to make the change. Alternatively, click and drag the to change the opacity percentage.

Width

The Width controls the thickness of the line in page units. The value can be zero to 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) wide. A width of zero is one pixel wide. To change the Width, highlight the existing number and type a new value. Press ENTER on the keyboard to make the change. Alternatively, click the buttons to increase or decrease the width.

End Styles

The End Styles section is unique to polylines. The ends of the polylines can have arrowheads on them as defined in the End Styles section. To open the End Styles section, click the next to End Styles.

The Start style is placed at the first vertex of the polyline. The End style is placed at the last vertex of the polyline. To change the Start or End style, click on the current option and select the desired option from the list.

The Scale determines the scale factor of the arrowhead. To change the size, highlight the existing value and type a new value. Press ENTER on the keyboard to make the change. Alternatively, click the buttons to increase or decrease the values. A value of 1 makes the arrow the default size.