Colors and Styles
- Last UpdatedDec 01, 2025
- 3 minute read
Every graphics primitive in DRAFT is drawn in a specific colour and style, determined by the values of the relevant colour and style attributes.
Within the DRAFT database there are 20 different colour attributes and 17 style attributes, and can be classified as:
-
those for linear (line) primitives (15 linestyle and 15 colour attributes)
-
those for area primitives (one fillstyle and one colour attribute)
-
those for marker primitives (one markerstyle and one colour attribute)
-
those for text primitives (three colour attributes only).
Generally, there is a style attribute for every colour attribute, except that there are no style attributes for text primitives – only colour attributes.
The term style is used to describe the overall appearance of a line in terms of its thickness and repeating pattern, or to describe a hatching (fill) pattern, or to describe the size and appearance of markers. The full list of colour and style attributes is given below:
|
Attribute type |
Style attribute |
Colour attribute |
|---|---|---|
|
Line |
||
|
Leader-line |
LLSTYLE |
LLCOLOUR |
|
Label-frame |
LFSTYLE |
LFCOLOUR |
|
Dimension-line |
DLSTYLE |
DLCOLOUR |
|
Projection-line |
PLSTYLE |
PLCOLOUR |
|
Cross-hair |
CHSTYLE |
CHCOLOUR |
|
Note line |
NLSTYLE |
NLCOLOUR |
|
Table-row |
ROWSTYLE |
ROWCOLOUR |
|
Table-column |
COLSTYLE |
COLCOLOUR |
|
Front-face |
FFSTYLE |
FFCOLOUR |
|
Back-face |
BFSTYLE |
BFCOLOUR |
|
Centre-line |
CLSTYLE |
CLCOLOUR |
|
Obscured-line |
OBSTYLE |
OBCOLOUR |
|
Obscured-Backface-line |
BOSTYLE |
BOCOLOUR |
|
Obscured-Centre-line |
OCSTYLE |
OCCOLOUR |
|
P-line |
PLNSTYLE |
PLNCOLOUR |
|
Member-line |
MLNSTYLE |
MLNCOLOUR |
|
Outline |
OLSTYLE |
OLCOLOUR |
|
Text |
||
|
General text |
- |
TXCOLOUR |
|
Dimension-line text |
- |
DTCOLOUR |
|
Projection-line text |
- |
PTCOLOUR |
|
Fill |
||
|
Fill (hatch pattern) |
FSTYLE |
FCOLOUR |
|
Marker |
||
|
Marker symbol |
MSTYLE |
MCOLOUR |
The colour attributes may be assigned values by colour table index number or by colour name. See Colours for a listing of the colours available. In some circumstances colour attributes may be set to the special values: DEFAULT, TEMPLATE, UNCHANGED. See the relevant sections of this User Guide for further information of where these values are allowed.
The linestyle attributes may be assigned values that describe system-defined or user-defined line styles. See System-Defined Line Styles and User-Defined Line Styles for further details of these. In some circumstances linestyle attributes may be set to the special values: OFF, DEFAULT, TEMPLATE, UNCHANGED. See the relevant sections of this User Guide for further information of where these values are allowed.
The fillstyle attribute may be assigned values that describe system-defined or user-defined fill styles. See System-Defined Fill Styles and User-Defined Fill Styles for further details of these. In some circumstances fillstyle attributes may be set to the special values: OFF, DEFAULT, UNCHANGED. See the relevant sections of this User Guide for further information of where these values are allowed.
The markerstyle attribute may be assigned values that describe system-defined marker styles. See Marker Styles for further details of these. In some circumstances markerstyle attributes may be set to the special values: OFF, DEFAULT. See the relevant sections of this User Guide for further information of where these values are allowed.
User-defined line and fill styles are defined in the PADD database within a hierarchy headed by a STYLWL element (see Draft Database Hierarchy). STYLWL owns Linestyle and Fillstyle Tables (LSTYTB, FSTYTB), beneath which the definitions of user-defined Linestyles and Fillstyles are stored.
STYLWL, LSTYTB and FSTYTB are classified as ‘primary’ elements and can therefore be claimed.
The creation and maintenance of STYLWL hierarchies is the responsibility of the Draft Administrator.