How to Create Lines, Polylines, and Sketches in ZWCAD

ZWCAD provides a wide range of drawing tools for both basic and complex geometry creation. This guide walks you through how to create lines, polylines, multilines, sketches, and construction lines.

Creating Lines

You can draw a line object by specifying the two endpoints of line or the length and angle of line.

You can draw a line using the LINE command and:

• set two endpoints
• or enter a length and angle

After specifying the first point, you can specify the length and angle by switching command line options.

You can continue to create line until you exit the command.

For precision:

• Use object snap, grid snap, and object snap tracking to select exact points
• Input exact coordinates, length, or angle for accurate control
• Turn on orthogonal locking, polar tracking, or angle substitution to lock direction

Creating Polylines

Execute the PLINE command to create a polyline — a sequence connected line and/or arc segments.

Polyline Width

You can set the start and end widths of a polyline using the Width or Half Width options.

As shown in the following figure, when the start and end widths are different, the segment width gradually changes.

Polyline Segmentation

The segments of polyline are created as straight segments by default, and can be modified to arcs using the Arc option.

In the following figure, a polyline is drew as a straight segment and an arc segment.

Special Polylines

The Close option allows you to connect the beginning and end of a polyline to form a closed object.

Rectangles (RECTANG) and regular polygons (POLYGON) are two special types of closed polylines.

3D polylines

Use the 3DPOLY command to create polylines with vertices in different 3D posotions.

Creating Multilines

Use the MLINE command to create a multiline — multiple parallel lines grouped together, which are called elements.

Alignment

You can choose to align the cursor with the top, center, or bottom of the multiline group.

Scale

The scale controls the distance between parallel lines.

In the following figure, the multiline scale are set to 20, 10, and 5, respectively.

Style

Execute the MLSTYLE command to modify or create a new multiline style. You can change:

• The number of elements and their offset
• The linetype and color
• Background fill
• Whether to display lines at joints
• The type of end caps

Creating Freehand Sketches

Use the SKETCH command to create a freehand sketch.

Freehand drawing is often used to create irregular shapes or boundaries, which are composed of many independent straight segments.

The SKETCHINC system variable allows you to control the length of freehand segments.

• Smaller → smoother graphics, but larger file size
• Mouse must move beyond the segment length to create a straight segment

Command line operations:

• End: Exit without saving
• Pen up/down: Pause or resume freehand drawing
• Erase: Remove drawn segments
• Write to drawing: Save progress without exiting
• Direct to cursor: Connect previous endpoint to current cursor position
• Sketching: Toggle drawing with mouse clicks

Creating Rays and Construction Lines

Use the RAY command to create rays — lines that start from a point and extend infinitely in one end.

Use the XLINE command to create construction line — lines that pass through two points and extend infinitely towards both ends.

You can create rays or construction linesby:

• Bisect: Create an angle bisector
• Horizontal: Create horizontal rays or construction lines
• Vertical: Create vertical rays or construction lines
• Offset: Create a ray or construction line offset from a base line

Creating Breaklines

Use the BREAKLINE command to create a break line.

In drawing, breaklines are used to represent the omitted part of continuous objects.

In the following figure, the stairs are represented using breakline.

Breakline Symbol

In ZWCAD, BRKLINE.DWG defined blocks are used as breakline symbols by default. You can also customize block objects as breakline symbols.

You can create and use new breakline symbols by:

• Create a new drawing file
• Draw a breakline symbol
• Create and set the DEFPOINTS layer current
• Execute the POINT command to mark two connection points
• Save the drawing file to the Support folder
• Run BREAKLINE, choose "Block", and load your custom file
• Specify the start, end, and break position