How to Draw Polyline in AutoCAD: Step-by-Step Guide

To draw a polyline in AutoCAD, type PLINE or POLYLINE in the command line and press Enter. Then click points in the drawing area to create connected line segments, pressing Enter to finish the polyline.

Syntax

The basic command to draw a polyline in AutoCAD is PLINE. After typing this command, you specify points by clicking or typing coordinates. Each point connects to the previous one with a straight or curved segment. Press Enter or Esc to finish the polyline.

• PLINE: Starts the polyline command.
• Specify points: Click or enter coordinates for each vertex.
• Enter: Ends the polyline drawing.

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PLINE
Specify start point: (click or type coordinates)
Specify next point: (click or type coordinates)
...
Press Enter to finish

Output

A connected series of line segments forming a polyline appears in the drawing area.

Example

This example shows how to draw a simple polyline with three connected points at coordinates (0,0), (5,0), and (5,5).

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Command: PLINE
Specify start point: 0,0
Specify next point: 5,0
Specify next point: 5,5
Press Enter to finish

Output

A polyline with two connected segments: from (0,0) to (5,0), then to (5,5) appears.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when drawing polylines include:

• Not pressing Enter to finish the polyline, leaving the command active.
• Clicking points too close together, creating unwanted short segments.
• Confusing LINE and PLINE commands; LINE creates separate lines, not connected segments.

Always confirm the polyline is finished by pressing Enter.

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Wrong way:
Command: LINE
Specify first point: 0,0
Specify next point: 5,0
Specify next point: 5,5
Press Enter

Right way:
Command: PLINE
Specify start point: 0,0
Specify next point: 5,0
Specify next point: 5,5
Press Enter

Output

Wrong way creates separate lines; right way creates one connected polyline.

Quick Reference

Step	Action
1	Type PLINE and press Enter
2	Click or type the first point coordinates
3	Click or type subsequent points to add segments
4	Press Enter to finish the polyline
Tip	Use the Close option to connect last point to first

Key Takeaways

Use the PLINE command to draw connected line segments easily.

Click or enter points one by one, then press Enter to finish the polyline.

Avoid confusing LINE with PLINE; the latter creates connected segments.

Press Enter to complete the polyline and avoid leaving the command active.

Use the Close option to create a closed shape by connecting the last point to the first.