LINE

Draw your first precise straight segment with typed coordinates.

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Learning objective

By the end of this lesson you can run the LINE command and draw a precise horizontal segment using typed coordinates.

What LINE is

LINE creates one or more straight line segments. Each click (or typed coordinate) places one endpoint; AutoCAD keeps prompting for the next point until you press Enter or Esc.

Why and when you use it

LINE is the most common drawing command in AutoCAD. Use it whenever you need straight, single-segment geometry — boundaries, construction lines, sketches.

Where to find it in the AutoCAD interface

Ribbon: Home tab → Draw panel → Line button (the diagonal segment icon).
Menu: Draw menu → Line.
Command line: Type LINE and press Enter.
Alias / shortcut: L (then Enter).

Key vocabulary

Endpoint: Either tip of a line segment.
Absolute coordinate: A point measured from the drawing origin 0,0. Typed as X,Y — for example 100,50.
Relative coordinate: A point measured from the previous point. Typed with a leading @ — for example @100,0.
Dynamic input: On-screen tooltip near the crosshair that lets you type distance + angle directly.
Polar tracking: On-screen alignment guide that locks the cursor to set angles (0°, 90°, 45°…).

Before you start

Start a fresh drawing from the acad.dwt template.
Press F12 once if dynamic input is off (the tooltip should appear next to the crosshair).
Make sure ORTHO mode is on — press F8 if needed (status bar icon highlights blue).

Step-by-step instructions

1
Start the LINE command
2
Pick the start point
3
Type a relative coordinate for the second point
4
End the LINE command
5
Save your work

Common mistakes & fixes

Forgetting to press Enter after typing a coordinate.
Fix: AutoCAD only commits a coordinate on Enter (or Spacebar). Always finish with Enter.
Typing 100,0 instead of @100,0.
Fix: Without @, AutoCAD interprets it as an absolute point from 0,0 — not as a relative offset.
Drawing in free-hand because ORTHO is off.
Fix: Press F8 to constrain the cursor to perfectly horizontal/vertical.

Troubleshooting

Nothing happens when I type LINE.Show

Cause: The drawing area doesn't have focus.

Fix: Click once inside the drawing area, then type LINE again.

My line came out diagonal.Show

Cause: ORTHO was off and you eyeballed the second point.

Fix: Undo with Ctrl + Z, press F8, redraw.

Pressing Enter draws a strange extra segment.Show

Cause: Enter at a fresh prompt repeats the last command.

Fix: Press Esc to cancel, then start LINE explicitly.

Practice exercise

Draw a 200×100 rectangle using only LINE

Type LINE, Enter. Click any start point.
Type @200,0 Enter.
Type @0,100 Enter.
Type @-200,0 Enter.
Type C Enter to close back to the start.

Success looks like: You see a perfect 200×100 rectangle made of four LINE segments and the command line returns to 'Command:'.

Pro tips & related commands

Pro tips

Inside LINE, type U and Enter to undo just the last segment without leaving the command.
Inside LINE, type C and Enter to close the chain back to the very first point.
Spacebar acts like Enter for confirming commands and coordinates — faster than reaching for the Enter key.

Related commands

PLINE(PL)
Draw a connected polyline — segments behave as one object.
XLINE(XL)
Draw an infinite construction line.
ERASE(E)
Delete a segment you don't want.

Lesson quiz

0/3 correct

Score at least 3/3 to unlock lesson completion.

1. How do you confirm a typed coordinate in AutoCAD?

2. What does @100,0 mean as the next point inside LINE?

3. Which option ends LINE by closing the chain back to the first point?

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