Lineweights play an essential role in controlling the visual appearance of your drawings. The default lineweight setting determines the thickness of all lines, and adjusting this can help improve the readability and presentation of your drawings. 

Issue:

Many of you may find that the default lineweight is either too thin or too thick for your specific requirements. As a result, you may want to customize it for better clarity and presentation in your designs. If you need to change the default lineweight, please follow these steps.

Solution:

Changing the default lineweight is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make the necessary adjustments.

Step 1: Open the Lineweight Settings Dialog Box

To begin, go to the Format in the classic menu. Click on Lineweight, or you can type the LWEIGHT command directly in the command line. This will open the Lineweight Settings dialog box, where you can adjust the lineweight settings to your desired preferences.

Step 2: Adjust the Default Lineweight

In the Lineweight Settings dialog box, you will see a list of available lineweights and a Default value option. You can adjust the Default lineweight by selecting from a list of predefined lineweight values, such as 0.05 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.20 mm, and so on. These predefined options allow you to choose the most appropriate thickness for your lines. Then click OK to finish the process.

Tips:

If you have a specific lineweight requirement for printing that is not listed, you can use the stb or ctb to assign lineweight values. The file stb or ctb are both saved in the "printstyles" subfolder in the user directory. 

Find your file in the folder, click [Edit Lineweights], change the default value into your custom value and click [OK] to finish your setting.

Step 3: Save and Apply the Settings

Once you’ve made your adjustments, clicking OK will apply the new default lineweight to your drawing. This will affect all future lines and objects you draw, ensuring that they follow the newly set lineweight. However, if you have existing objects in your drawing, their lineweights may not be immediately updated.

To update the lineweights of existing objects, you may need to manually change the lineweight of those objects or use the Properties panel to adjust the lineweight settings for specific entities.

Common Issues and Solutions

● Lineweights Not Displaying Correctly

If you’ve changed the default lineweight but it isn’t displaying correctly on the screen, ensure that the Lineweight Display option is enabled. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, check your Zoom settings, as it may not display very thin lineweights clearly when zoomed out.

● Lineweight Not Applying to Existing Objects

New objects will adopt the default lineweight you’ve set, but existing objects may not automatically update. You can either manually change the lineweight of individual objects or use the Lineweight tool from the Properties panel to batch update the lineweights.

● Difficulty Finding the Lineweight Option

If you are unable to find the Lineweight option in the Format menu, ensure that you are using a version that supports this feature. Additionally, you may have customized your interface, so try restoring the default workspace or checking the toolbars for the lineweight icon.

Conclusion

Changing the default lineweight is a simple yet powerful way to enhance the clarity and visual appeal of your drawings. By following the steps outlined above, you can quickly adjust the default lineweight to better suit your needs. Additionally, understanding how lineweights function in different contexts—such as printing and layer management—can help you create more professional and consistent drawings.