Set the Current Color (Concept)

You can use color to help you identify objects visually. You can assign the color of an object either by layer or by specifying its color explicitly, independent of layer.

You can assign the color of an object either by layer or by specifying its color explicitly, independent of layer. Assigning colors by layer makes it easy to identify each layer within your drawing. Assigning colors explicitly provides additional distinctions between objects on the same layer. Color is also used as a way to indicate lineweight for color-dependent plotting.

You can use a variety of color palettes when assigning color to objects, including

ACI Colors

ACI colors are the standard colors used in AutoCAD. Each color is identified by an ACI number, an integer from 1 through 255. Standard color names are available only for colors 1 through 7. The colors are assigned as follows: 1 Red, 2 Yellow, 3 Green, 4 Cyan, 5 Blue, 6 Magenta, 7 White/Black.

True Colors

True colors use 24-bit color definitions to display over 16 million colors. When specifying true colors, you can use either an RGB or HSL color model. With the RGB color model, you can specify the red, green, and blue components of the color; with the HSL color model, you can specify the hue, saturation, and luminance aspects of the color.

Color Books

This program includes several standard Pantone color books. You can also import other color books such as the DIC color guide or RAL color sets. Importing user-defined color books can further expand your available color selections.

NotePantone has provided new color definitions for Architectural & Interiors Cotton and Architectural & Interiors Paper color books. If you used these color books in releases prior to AutoCAD 2006, you may notice subtle changes in the colors.

You install color books on your system by using the Files tab in the Options dialog box. Once a color book is loaded, you can select colors from the color book and apply them to objects in your drawings.

All objects are created using the current color, which is displayed in the Color control on the Properties toolbar. You can also set the current color with the Color control or the Select Color dialog box.

If the current color is set to BYLAYER, objects are created with the color assigned to the current layer. If you do not want the current color to be the color assigned to the current layer, you can specify a different color.

If the current color is set to BYBLOCK, objects are created using color 7 (white or black) until the objects are grouped into a block. When the block is inserted into the drawing, it acquires the current color setting.