2004

852 | Glossary
initial environment The variables and settings for new drawings as defined by the
default template drawing, such as acad.dwg or acadiso.dwg. See also template drawing.
interpolation points Defining points that a B-spline passes through. See also
approximation points and fit points.
island An enclosed area within another enclosed area. Islands may be detected as
part of the process of creating hatches, polylines, and regions. (BHATCH, BOUNDARY)
ISO For International Standards Organization. The organization that sets international
standards in all fields except electrical and electronics. Headquarters are in Geneva,
Switzerland.
isometric snap style A drafting option that aligns the cursor with two of three
isometric axes and displays grid points, making isometric drawings easier to create.
layer A logical grouping of data that are like transparent acetate overlays on a draw-
ing. You can view layers individually or in combination. (LAYER)
layer index A list showing the objects on each layer. AutoCAD uses a layer index to
locate what portion of the drawing is read when you partially open a drawing. Saving
a layer index with a drawing also enhances performance when you work with external
references. The INDEXCTL system variable controls whether layer and spatial indexes
are saved with a drawing.
layer translation mappings Assignments of a set of layers to another set of layers
that defines standards. These standards include layer names and layer properties. Also
called layer mappings.
layout The tabbed environment in which you create and design paper space layout
viewports to be plotted. Multiple layouts can be created for each drawing.
layout viewports Objects that are created in paper space that display views. See also
paper space. (VPORTS)
limits See drawing limits.
line font See linetype.
linetype How a line or type of curve is displayed. For example, a continuous line has
a different linetype than a dashed line. Also called line font. (LINETYPE)
lineweight A width value that can be assigned to all graphical objects except
TrueType
®
fonts and raster images.
link To use object linking and embedding (OLE) to reference data in another file.
When data is linked, any changes to it in the source document are automatically
updated in any destination document. See also embed.
mirror To create a new version of an existing object by reflecting it symmetrically
with respect to a prescribed line or plane. (MIRROR)
mode A software setting or operating state.
model A two- or three-dimensional representation of an object.
model viewports A type of display that splits the drawing area into one or more
adjacent rectangular viewing areas. See also layout viewports, TILEMODE, and view-
port. (VPORTS)