Setting Entity Colors

You can assign colors to drawing entities directly or through Layers.

The LineColor command lets you determine the color of new entities, such as Lines, PolyLines, Arcs, Circles, Ellipses, Hatches, Gradients.

The current color appears in the Properties palette when no entities are selected.

The Line Color dialog box provides access to all available colors.

The following types of colors are available:

• Standard colors
• Custom colors
• Color book colors

Standard Colors

Each standard color has a unique number from 1 to 255. You can use seven of the 255 colors by name: red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, magenta, and white.

In all commands for which you would use a color, you can indicate ByLayer and ByBlock.

• If you set ByLayer as the color name, new entities assume the color assigned to the layer on which you create them.
• If you set ByBlock as the color name, new entities are drawn in black or white (depending on the screen background color). When included in a Block definition, the entities inherit the color setting when you insert them into a drawing.

Custom Colors

Contains a greater variety of colors where you can specify RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Luminance) values.

Color Books

Color books are collections of colors. For example, you can store a special color palette for wood in a color book and then use colors from that color book for the project particularities.

Color books are XML files with .acb extension that store named color swatches. Each color book contains a set of pages. Each page contains a set of colors. You can type manually or generate color books using dedicated applications.

The application includes several industry-standard color books, such as:

• DIC ® Color Guide
• PANTONE ® Colors

Available color books appear in the Line Color dialog box, which is displayed for any entity that provides color options.

To make a color book accessible from the Line Color dialog box, copy the corresponding .acb file in the color book file location specified on the File Locations page of the Options dialog box.

Note: You can change the folder path where color book files are located.

To assign the color for new drawing entities:

1. Click Format > Line Color (or type LineColor).
2. In the dialog box, select a color from a tab:
   • Standard Colors: Contains 255 common colors. You can also specify:
     • Match to Layer: New entities use the color assigned to the Layer on which you create them.
     • Match to Block: New entities appear in black or white (depending on the screen background color). When included in a Block definition, such entities use the Block color.
   • Custom Color: Contains a greater variety of colors where you can specify RGB or HSL values.
   • Color Books: Contains available color books. By default, color book files that are delivered with the application are located in the program installation folder. To load additional color books, add the .acb files in the default location, or provide another location on your local drive.
     • Color page: Lists the pages of the specified color book. Selecting a color from the list displays the color available on each page.
     • Color name: Lists the colors available on the selected page of the specified color book. The R, G, B fields show the red, green, and blue values of the currently selected color.
     • Color: Lets you type the name of a color from the specified color book. The color can be on any page of the book and does not need to be on the Color name list.
     • Color preview: Lets you preview the color specified in the Color field.

       You can specify the location of color books in the File Locations page of the Options dialog box.

3. Click OK.

It is recommended to set color properties to Match to Layer (ByLayer).

To change the color of existing drawing entities:

• Do one of the following:
  • Change the color property in the Properties Palette.
  • In the graphics area, select drawing entities. On the Properties toolbar, in LineColor Control, select a color.
  • Use the ModifyProperties command.

To load an additional color book:

To use a new color book in your drawings, copy the corresponding .acb file to your local folder for color books.

1. Do one of the following:
   • Click Tools > Options (or type Options). In the Options dialog box, click File Locations .
   • Type FileLocations.
2. Expand Color Book Location to view the current location or to specify a new one.
3. Copy the corresponding .acb file to your local folder for color books.

   Once you copied the .acb file, the color book will appear in the Line Color dialog box, which is displayed for any entity that provides color options.

Access

Command: LineColor

Menu: Format > Line Color

Ribbon: Home > Properties > Color