Wall Line Weights

[builtright3]

I know that I can choose to change line weights but I was curious to know why the line weights are so large by default for walls? Is there a purpose behind that?
I usually leave the line weights turned off but when I want to seem them and turn it on the walls look terrible.
Just wondering if I'm missing something here?

 

Im at the point where Im starting to setup line weights for better looking drawings so any better understanding I can get to help me to get it looking good will help.

Im also starting to do the PDF's in color so I can have light grey walls for new walls instead of solid black.

 

This is the default setting for the line weights. Don't make sense to me

 

This is an example of what I'm doing. I learned that if I print to PDF in color that the walls will come out in the light grey. Much nicer look to me!

Any suggestions is appreciated.

[joey_martin]

The default line weights, I believe, date back to pen plotters and the .18mm pens that they used. I remember the days of the early pen plotters, and most of the default numbers match those old pens. 

 

So, years ago I started playing with my own system for line weights and came up with this setting....

 

This allows me to set my weights on a 0 to 20 scale. 0 being the thinnest and 20 being the thickest. Works well for me.

[builtright3]

9 hours ago, joey_martin said:

The default line weights, I believe, date back to pen plotters and the .18mm pens that they used. I remember the days of the early pen plotters, and most of the default numbers match those old pens. 

So, years ago I started playing with my own system for line weights and came up with this setting....

 

This allows me to set my weights on a 0 to 20 scale. 0 being the thinnest and 20 being the thickest. Works well for me.

 

I remember the pen plotter and I also remember the different size pencils I used when I drew by hand. So when I started using drawing programs I stopped thinking so much about line weights just because it was another thing I had to figure out. Now that I'm further along in my knowledge of the program I'm working on learning more about how the line weight setting work.
Thank you so much for sharing what you have learned with me, It really helps a lot!

 

Question:
Can you help me to understand the difference between the layout page drawing sheet setup and the plan drawing sheet setup as far as the line weight settings? I need to know if you do this setting in both of course but also I need to understand how one can effect the other. This is the kind of question that is hard to figure out just from reading the help files. I know the answer is there but I don't always see it because I struggle with written instruction. I'm guess I'm pointing out my disability! Haha

[joey_martin]

I have both of them set up identically. That will save you a headache down the road when sending drawings to layout and not getting the notification that the line scales don't match. 

 

I'm sure there will be some other ideas and opinion today, but this is what worked for me, and I have been using this set up since v9.5.

[builtright3]

19 minutes ago, joey_martin said:

I have both of them set up identically. That will save you a headache down the road when sending drawings to layout and not getting the notification that the line scales don't match. 

 

I'm sure there will be some other ideas and opinion today, but this is what worked for me, and I have been using this set up since v9.5.

 

Thank you Joey! I'm gonna take if for a spin and see how I like it with your settings?

[builtright3]

46 minutes ago, joey_martin said:

I have both of them set up identically. That will save you a headache down the road when sending drawings to layout and not getting the notification that the line scales don't match. 

 

I'm sure there will be some other ideas and opinion today, but this is what worked for me, and I have been using this set up since v9.5.

 

I can tell you right now that I like it already! It really simplifies your line sizing!

I don't need 200 different line sizes to pick from

[glennw]

OOB line weights are based on the Rotring pen sizes.

A Rotring pen size of 0.25 is a line weight of 25

A Rotring pen size of 0.70 is a line weight of 70

A Rotring pen size of 1.00 is a line weight of 100

...etc

[builtright3]

1 hour ago, glennw said:

OOB line weights are based on the Rotring pen sizes.

A Rotring pen size of 0.25 is a line weight of 25

A Rotring pen size of 0.70 is a line weight of 70

A Rotring pen size of 1.00 is a line weight of 100

...etc

 

Yes I get that but when you set it up like Joey, mm doesn't really matter anymore. Out with the old and in with the new!
Thank for for your input, I appreciate it!

[builtright3]

So, I know that when I select walls main layer that it shows only the main layer. What I don't know is what is the difference between the line weight from the normal wall to the main layers only? When I change the weight number to the main layer only it doesn't seem to effect anything.

 

[rlackore]

43 minutes ago, builtright3 said:

So, I know that when I select walls main layer that it shows only the main layer. What I don't know is what is the difference between the line weight from the normal wall to the main layers only? When I change the weight number to the main layer only it doesn't seem to effect anything.

 

 

Remember that line weights can also be defined in the wall definition dbx: either "bylayer", or something custom. I'd check the wall definition.

[builtright3]

10 minutes ago, rlackore said:

 

Remember that line weights can also be defined in the wall definition dbx: either "bylayer", or something custom. I'd check the wall definition.

Are you referring to the "Wall Type Definition Box"? If you are, there is nothing in there with the 35 weight that I see under walls main layer.

[joey_martin]

Here is what my exterior wall looks like. 

 

I want my EXTERIOR wall layer to be heavier so it is set to my WALLS, NORMAL layer of 10. I want the INTERIOR wall layer to be lighter, and all interior walls are set to this as well. They are a 6 and I uncheck the BY LAYER box so that I can control that line weight and not my layer settings.

[joey_martin]

Finished product when printed to PDF...

 

[rlackore]

23 minutes ago, builtright3 said:

Are you referring to the "Wall Type Definition Box"? If you are, there is nothing in there with the 35 weight that I see under walls main layer.

 

Yes. Within the dbx, if you set the Selected Wall Layer Line to a Line Weight value of "By Layer", then the line weight in the Layer Set will control:

 

[rlackore]

From the Reference Manual:

 

[builtright3]

1 hour ago, joey_martin said:

Here is what my exterior wall looks like. 

 

I want my EXTERIOR wall layer to be heavier so it is set to my WALLS, NORMAL layer of 10. I want the INTERIOR wall layer to be lighter, and all interior walls are set to this as well. They are a 6 and I uncheck the BY LAYER box so that I can control that line weight and not my layer settings.

 

I get all that as far as changing the line weights. That's pretty simple.

The part I don't get is the function of the line weight in this picture for the "Wall, Main Layer Only"? When I change it, it does not seem to effect anything. Should this just be something I ignore or am I completely missing the boat (out to lunch!, senile.....)?

 

[joey_martin]

I can count on one hand how many times I use that layer in all the years I have used Chief. Until you posted that question I forgot it existed. 

[Alaskan_Son]

19 minutes ago, builtright3 said:

The part I don't get is the function of the line weight in this picture for the "Wall, Main Layer Only"? When I change it, it does not seem to effect anything. Should this just be something I ignore or am I completely missing the boat (out to lunch!, senile.....)?

 

I don't believe you're missing anything.  As far as I know, those settings don't affect anything unless you specifically place an object on that layer.

[builtright3]

16 minutes ago, joey_martin said:

I can count on one hand how many times I use that layer in all the years I have used Chief. Until you posted that question I forgot it existed. 

 

2 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

I don't believe you're missing anything.  As far as I know, those settings don't affect anything unless you specifically place an object on that layer.

 

I don't believe that line weight number goes to anything. Its just there doing nothing. This layer is just to separate the main layer from everything else quickly for the framing plan and other uses.
At least for now that is the way I see it.

[DzinEye]

6 minutes ago, builtright3 said:

I don't believe that line weight number goes to anything. Its just there doing nothing. This layer is just to separate the main layer from everything else quickly for the framing plan and other uses.

I never dwelled on this before, but it always seemed to me that Chief just set that 'layer' up as a toggle, to turn on and off the extra layers making up a wall.  

[builtright3]

38 minutes ago, DzinEye said:

I never dwelled on this before, but it always seemed to me that Chief just set that 'layer' up as a toggle, to turn on and off the extra layers making up a wall.  

 

Yes, I agree but sometimes when I search for an answer to something it usually with help me to understand something that I have been missing or open my eyes to something else. In this case is was just a big waste of everybody's time!

Thank you all for your putting up with me!

Al though I do enjoy the chalange!

Edited March 3, 2021 by builtright3

[joey_martin]

38 minutes ago, DzinEye said:

I never dwelled on this before, but it always seemed to me that Chief just set that 'layer' up as a toggle, to turn on and off the extra layers making up a wall. 

I believe that assessment is correct. When I click it, my line weights don't change.

[DzinEye]

3 minutes ago, builtright3 said:

Yes, I agree but sometimes when I search for an answer to something it usually with help me to understand something that I have been missing or open my eyes to something else. In this case is was just a big waste of everybody's time!

I'm not one of those who believes in the 'there's no such thing as a dumb question' mantra... but your question was totally legit.  It is definitely a bit of an anomaly in Chief.

[Richard_Morrison]

1 hour ago, builtright3 said:

I don't believe that line weight number goes to anything. Its just there doing nothing. This layer is just to separate the main layer from everything else quickly for the framing plan and other uses.
At least for now that is the way I see it.

The "Walls, Main Layer Only" line weight will kick in ONLY if you turn the "Walls, Layers" layer off. This can be useful in a framing plan, for example, where you only want to show the stud boundaries. Similarly, the "Walls, Normal" line weights will kick in only if you turn the "Walls, Layers" layer off, too. This is useful if you only want to show walls as a two-line wall. BTW, I don't think you can enable the "Walls, Main Layer Only" with the "Walls, Normal" function at the same time.

If you enable, "Walls, Main Layer Only," the line weights in the Wall Definition DBX are not controlling anymore. 

 

[DzinEye]

13 minutes ago, Richard_Morrison said:

If you enable, "Walls, Main Layer Only," the line weights in the Wall Definition DBX are not controlling anymore. 

Are you sure about that Richard?  Try setting your 'Walls, Main Layer Only" line thickness to something quite different from that in your normal wall definition and then toggle that layer... .my wall lines do not change.