First working draft for AutoCAD set colors layers linetype

Author: vivekkpatel

_posts/draft/2025-01-01-autocad-vba-getting-started-5.md

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+---
+title: Getting Started with AutoCAD VBA 5 &#58 Set Colors, Layers, Text Style, LineTypes
+description : learn to modify AutoCAD object properties
+date: 01-02-2025
+categories: [VBA, AutoCAD]
+tag: [autocad, vba,howto]
+image: /assets/images/autocad/autocad-getting-started.webp
+---
+
+### Overview
+- In this tutorial I’ll show you how to use VBA to add hatch to your drawings
+- I am assuming that 
+  - you've already installed [AutoCAD VBA Module](https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/tsarticles/ts/3kxk0RyvfWTfSfAIrcmsLQ.html)
+  - you have basic knowledge of `VBA` and how to create new method or functions
+  - you already know how to draw basic objects , if not please go through this post first : [Getting Started with AutoCAD VBA 1 : Line, Polyline, Circle, Arc, Rectangle, Point](/posts/autocad-vba-getting-started-1/)
+
+### Setup on AutoCAD
+- Open blank AutoCAD file with default template, open Visual Basic Editor and Add new module
+- Add any sample Code from below and just run it, try to change values like colors, lineTypes, Fonts and re-run it.
+- Sample codes for each basic objects are given below. You can copy paste this code to `VBA` editor to directly run it without any inputs
+- Current code is very simple, I'll try to add bit more details into this code in future, like code to modify it's different properties
+- This is very basic code and self-explanatory, if you still need help then use AI tools like ChatGPT to understand this code, only contact me if everything else fail 😅
+
+### Set Color for AutoCAD Objects
+- This code should work with almost all autocad objects
+- We are going to use circle object for this example, since it require least amout of code but you can use any object
+
+```vb
+Sub DrawCircle()
+       
+    'Circle center x,y,z coordinate
+    Dim centerPoint(0 To 2) As Double
+    centerPoint(0) = 10#: centerPoint(1) = 20#: centerPoint(2) = 0#
+     
+    'Circle radius
+    Dim radius As Double
+    radius = 10#
+     
+    'Create circle object
+    Dim cadCircle As AcadCircle
+    Set cadCircle = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.AddCircle(centerPoint, radius)
+    
+    'Change Circle color using color name
+    'acRed is autocad inbuilt varible part of AcColor Enum
+    cadCircle.color = acRed
+
+    'Red color (Color index 1)
+    cadCircle.color = 1
+  
+End Sub
+```
+- You can specifiy colors in autocad using two method
+  - Using AutoCAD internal Variables AcColor
+    - You can either specify color name or use layer color
+    - acByLayer will automatically display entity in layor color
+  - Color Index : predefine value of color in integer
+
+| Color Variable | Value |
+| -------------- | ----- |
+| acByBlock      | 0     |
+| acRed          | 1     |
+| acYellow       | 2     |
+| acGreen        | 3     |
+| acCyan         | 4     |
+| acBlue         | 5     |
+| acMagenta      | 6     |
+| acWhite        | 7     |
+| acDarkGray     | 8     |
+| acLightGray    | 9     |
+| acByLayer      | 256   |
+
+![AutoCAD Color Picker](/assets/images/autocad/autocad-color-picker.webp)
+_Screenshot 1 : AutoCAD Color Picker_
+
+### Set Layer for AutoCAD Objects
+```vb
+Sub CreateLayer()
+
+    Dim layerName As String
+    layerName = "Reinforcement"
+    
+    Dim layerColor As Integer
+    ' Red color (Color index 1)
+    layerColor = 1                               
+    
+    ' Check if the layer already exists$$
+    Dim layer As AcadLayer
+    On Error Resume Next
+    Set layer = ThisDrawing.Layers(layerName)
+    On Error GoTo 0
+    
+    ' If the layer does not exist, create it
+    If layer Is Nothing Then
+        Set layer = ThisDrawing.Layers.Add(layerName)
+        layer.color = layerColor
+        MsgBox "Layer '" & layerName & "' created successfully with red color.", vbInformation
+    Else
+        MsgBox "Layer '" & layerName & "' already exists.", vbExclamation
+    End If
+    
+End Sub
+```
+### Set LineSyle for AutoCAD Objects
+
+### Set TextStyle for AutoCAD Objects