This affects the difficulty numbers for the figures. In general, the altitude at which the figure is entered does not have to be the same as the exit altitude. In cases where the entry and exit lines have to be the same altitude, they are drawn slightly separated to better show them. The elements used in these figures are horizontal, vertical and 45 degree lines. These describe straight flight in these directions.
Solid lines describe upright flight, dashed lines describe inverted flight.
The looping portions in almost all figures have to have the same radius in all parts of a figure. For instance the quarter loops going into and coming out of a hammerhead have to have the same radius. There are some figures where this does not apply completely. Rolls on vertical lines and on 45 degree lines have to be centered on this line to score well. Any deviation from the center results in a downgrading during a competition.