Line

Line draws straight lines one after another, like joining the dots. Each click adds a corner. Use it for outlines that are not plain rectangles: the side of a phone stand, a bookend, the legs of a step stool.

How to use it#

1. In a sketch, click Line, or press L.
2. Click where the first line starts.
3. Click again for each corner. As you move, the pointer shows the length in mm.
4. To close the shape, click the first point again. The chain stops there.
5. To stop without closing it, press Esc or double-click. Press Esc again to go back to Select.

Then use Dimension to give each line its exact length.

Snapping#

• Horizontal and vertical: a line drawn nearly level becomes exactly horizontal, and a nearly upright line becomes vertical. The pointer shows H or V, and the line keeps a Horizontal or Vertical constraint.
• Points, lines and circles: click near a point (such as the origin or the end of another line) and the new line joins it. Click on a line or a circle and the new point stays on it.

To stop the horizontal and vertical snapping, untick Horizontal and vertical snapping while drawing lines in Settings → Sketch.

Tips#

• Draw roughly, then dimension. The sizes you type move the lines for you.
• Start on the origin, so the shape is tied in place.
• For a sloping line at an exact angle, use Dimension on two lines and type the angle.
• To carry on with a smooth curve from the end of a line, use Tangent arc (see Arc).
• For a dashed centre line, draw a line, select it and press Q (see Construction).

If it does not work#

• The line jumps to level when you want a slight slope: it snapped to horizontal. Draw it at a steeper slope, then set the exact angle with a dimension.
• Extrude says the sketch has a gap: one end does not meet another line. With Select, click the loose end, Shift-click the point it should meet, then click Coincident (•).