http://www.shortcutworld.com/en/win/AutoCAD_2012.

html

http://ideatesolutions.blogspot.com/2014/04/autocad-2015-
command-and-selection.html
http://bestcadtips.com/top10-annoyances-using-autocad/
http://www.dotsoft.com/acadtips.htm
http://www.cad-notes.com/learn-how-to-write-command-scripts-
for-autocad-and-automate-your-plotting/

AutoCAD 2012 Shortcuts

Uploaded by bernd, updated on 5/28/2015 by bernd
Platform: Windows/ English PDF Print

Table of Contents:
1. Manage Drawings
2. Toggle Drawing Modes
3. Manage Screen
4. Manage Workflow
5. Toggle General Features
6. Command Shortcuts
1. Manage Drawings

Ctrl+N New Drawing

Ctrl+S Save drawing

Ctrl+O Open drawing

Ctrl+P Plot dialog box

Ctrl+Tab/Ctrl+Shift+Tab Switch to next / switch to previous drawing

Ctrl+Page Up/Page Down Switch to next tab / switch to previous tab in current drawing

Ctrl+Q Exit

Ctrl+A Select all objects

▲ up
2. Toggle Drawing Modes

F3 Toggles object snap mode

F7 Toggle grid mode

F8 Toggle ortho mode

F9 Toggle snap mode

F10 Toggle polar mode

F11 Toggle object snap tracking

F12 Toggle dynamic input mode

▲ up
3. Manage Screen

Ctrl+0 (zero) Clean Screen

Ctrl+1 Property Palette

Ctrl+2 Design Center Palette

Ctrl+3 Tool Palette

Ctrl+4 Sheet Set Palette

Ctrl+6 DBConnect Manager

Ctrl+7 Markup Set Manager Palette

Ctrl+8 Quick Calc

Ctrl+9 Command Line

▲ up
4. Manage Workflow

Ctrl+C Copy object

Ctrl+X Cut object

Ctrl+V Paste object

Ctrl+Shift+C Copy to clipboard with base point

Ctrl+Shift+V Paste data as block

Ctrl+Z Undo last action

Ctrl+Y Redo last action

Ctrl+[ Cancel current command (or ctrl+\)

▲ up
5. Toggle General Features

Ctrl+D Toggle coordinate display

Ctrl+G Toggle Grid

Ctrl+E Cycle isometric planes

Ctrl+F Toggle running object snaps

Ctrl+H Toggle Pick Style

Ctrl+Shift+H Toggle Hide pallets

Ctrl+I Toggle Coords

Ctrl+Shift+I Toggle Infer Constraints

▲ up
6. Command Shortcuts

3D Command Shortcuts
3DARRAY / Creates a 3D matrix of objects in a rectangular or pola
3A
arrangement.
3DORBIT/ Rotates the view in 3D space, but constrained to horizo
3D0
vertical orbit only.
3DWALK/ Changes the 3D view in a drawing interactively to creat
3DW
appearance of walking through the model.
3F 3DFACE/ Creates a three-sided or four-sided surface in 3D space.
3DMOVE/ In a 3D view, displays the 3D Move gizmo to aid in mov
3M
objects a specified distance in a specified direction.
3P 3DPOLY/ Creates a 3D polyline.
3DROTATE/ In a 3D view, displays the 3D Rotate gizmo to aid in re
3R
objects around a base point.
3DSCALE/ In a 3D view, displays the 3D Scale gizmo to aid in resi
3S
objects.

A Command Shortcuts

A ARC / Creates an arc.

ADCENTER / Manages and inserts content such as blocks, xrefs, a
ADC
patterns.
AA AREA / Calculates the area and perimeter of objects or of defined

AL ALIGN / Aligns objects with other objects in 2D and 3D

AP APPLOAD / Load Application

AR ARRAY / Creates multiple copies of objects in a pattern.

ARR ACTRECORD / Starts the Action Recorder.

ARM ACTUSERMESSAGE / Inserts a user message into an action macro

ARU ACTUSERINPUT / Pauses for user input in an action macro.

ACTSTOP / Stops the Action Recorder and provides the option of s
ARS
recorded actions to an action macro file.
ATI ATTIPEDIT / Changes the textual content of an attribute within a b

ATT ATTDEF / Redefines a block and updates associated attributes.

ATE ATTEDIT / Changes attribute information in a block.

B Command Shortcuts

B BLOCK / Creates a block definition from selected objects.

BC BCLOSE / Closes the Block Editor.

BE BEDIT / Opens the block definition in the Block Editor.

HATCH / Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pa
BH
fill, or gradient fill.
BO BOUNDARY / Creates a region or a polyline from an enclosed area

BR BREAK / Breaks the selected object between two points.

BS BSAVE / Saves the current block definition.

BVS BVSTATE / Creates, sets, or deletes a visibility state in a dynamic

C Command Shortcuts

C CIRCLE / Creates a circle.

CAMERA / Sets a camera and target location to create and save a
CAM
perspective view of objects.
CONSTRAINTBAR / A toolbar-like UI element that displays the ava
CBAR
geometric constraints on an object.
CH PROPERTIES / Controls properties of existing objects.

CHA CHAMFER / Bevels the edges of objects.

CHK CHECKSTANDARDS / Checks the current drawing for standards vio

CLI COMMANDLINE / Displays the Command Line window.

COL COLOR / Sets the color for new objects.

CO COPY / Copies objects a specified distance in a specified direction

CT CTABLESTYLE / Sets the name of the current table style

CUBE NAVVCUBE / Controls the visibility and display properties of the V

CYL CYLINDER / Creates a 3D solid cylinder.

D Command Shortcuts

D DIMSTYLE / Creates and modifies dimension styles.

DAN DIMANGULAR / Creates an angular dimension.

DAR DIMARC / Creates an arc length dimension.

JOG DIMJOGGED / Creates jogged dimensions for circles and arcs.

DIMBASELINE / Creates a linear, angular, or ordinate dimension fr
DBA
baseline of the previous or selected dimension.
DBC DBCONNECT / Provides an interface to external database tables.

DCE DIMCENTER / Creates the center mark or the centerlines of circles

DIMCONTINUE / Creates a dimension that starts from an extensio
DCO
previously created dimension.
DIMCONSTRAINT / Applies dimensional constraints to selected ob
DCON
points on objects.
DDA DIMDISASSOCIATE / Removes associativity from selected dimensi

DDI DIMDIAMETER / Creates a diameter dimension for a circle or an ar

DED DIMEDIT / Edits dimension text and extension lines.

DI DIST / Measures the distance and angle between two points.

DIVIDE / Creates evenly spaced point objects or blocks along the
DIV
perimeter of an object.
DJL DIMJOGLINE / Adds or removes a jog line on a linear or aligned dim

DJO DIMJOGGED / Creates jogged dimensions for circles and arcs.

DL DATALINK / The Data Link dialog box is displayed.

DLU DATALINKUPDATE / Updates data to or from an established extern

DO DONUT / Creates a filled circle or a wide ring.

DOR DIMORDINATE / Creates ordinate dimensions.

DIMOVERRIDE / Controls overrides of system variables used in sel
DOV
dimensions.
DR DRAWORDER / Changes the draw order of images and other objec

DRA DIMRADIUS / Creates a radius dimension for a circle or an arc.

DIMREASSOCIATE / Associates or re-associates selected dimensio
DRE
or points on objects.
DRAWINGRECOVERY / Displays a list of drawing files that can be r
DRM
after a program or system failure.
DSETTINGS / Sets grid and snap, polar and object snap tracking, o
DS
modes, Dynamic Input, and Quick Properties.
DT TEXT / Creates a single-line text object.
DVIEW / Defines parallel projection or perspective views by using
DV
and target.
DATAEXTRACTION / Extracts drawing data and merges data from
DX
source to a data extraction table or external file

E-G Command Shortcuts

E ERASE / Removes objects from a drawing.

DDEDIT / Edits single-line text, dimension text, attribute definition
ED
feature control frames.
EL ELLIPSE / Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc.

ER EXTERNALREFERENCES / Opens the External References palette.

EX EXTEND / Extends objects to meet the edges of other objects.

EXIT QUIT / Exits the program.

EXP EXPORT / Saves the objects in a drawing to a different file format.

EXT EXTRUDE / Extends the dimensions of a 2D object or 3D face into

F FILLET / Rounds and fillets the edges of objects.

 FILTER / Creates a list of requirements that an object must meet t
FI
in a selection set.
FLATSHOT / Creates a 2D representation of all 3D objects based o
FSHOT
view.
G GROUP / Creates and manages saved sets of objects called group
GEOCONSTRAINT / Applies or persists geometric relationships bet
GCON
or points on objects.
GD GRADIENT / Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a gradi
GEOGRAPHICLOCATION / Specifies the geographic location inform
GEO
drawing file.

H-L Command Shortcuts

HATCH / Fills an enclosed area or selected objects with a hatch pa
H
fill, or gradient fill.
HE HATCHEDIT / Modifies an existing hatch or fill.

HI HIDE / Regenerates a 3D wireframe model with hidden lines supp

I INSERT / Inserts a block or drawing into the current drawing.

IMAGEADJUST / Controls the image display of the brightness, cont
IAD
fade values of images.
IAT IMAGEATTACH / Inserts a reference to an image file.

ICL IMAGECLIP / Crops the display of a selected image to a specified b

IM IMAGE / Displays the External References palette.

IMP IMPORT / Imports files of different formats into the current drawin
INTERSECT / Creates a 3D solid, surface, or 2D region from overla
IN
surfaces, or regions.
INTERFERE / Creates a temporary 3D solid from the interferences
INF
sets of selected 3D solids.
IO INSERTOBJ / Inserts a linked or embedded object.

J JOIN / Joins similar objects to form a single, unbroken object.

L LINE / Creates straight line segments.

LA LAYER / Manages layers and layer properties.

LAS LAYERSTATE / Saves, restores, and manages named layer states.

LE QLEADER / Creates a leader and leader annotation.

LEN LENGTHEN / Changes the length of objects and the included angle
MESHSMOOTHLESS / Decreases the level of smoothness for mesh
LESS
one level.
LI LIST / Displays property data for selected objects.

LO LAYOUT / Creates and modifies drawing layout tabs.

LT LINETYPE / Loads, sets, and modifies linetypes.

LTS LTSCALE / Changes the scale factor of linetypes for all objects in a
 LWEIGHT / Sets the current lineweight, lineweight display options
LW
lineweight units.

M-O Command Shortcuts

M MOVE / Moves objects a specified distance in a specified direction

MA MATCHPROP / Applies the properties of a selected object to other

MAT MATERIALS / Shows or hides the Materials window.

MEASURE / Creates point objects or blocks at measured intervals
ME
length or perimeter of an object.
MEASUREREGION / Measures the distance, radius, angle, area, an
MEA
selected objects or sequence of points.
MI MIRROR / Creates a mirrored copy of selected objects.

ML MLNE / Creates multiple parallel lines.

MLA MLEADERALIGN / Aligns and spaces selected multileader objects.

MLEADERCOLLECT / Organizes selected multileaders that contain
MLC
rows or columns, and displays the result with a single leader.
MLD MLEADER / Creates a multileader object.
MLEADEREDIT / Adds leader lines to, or removes leader lines from
MLE
multileader object.
MLS MLEADERSTYLE / Creates and modifies multileader styles.

MO PROPERTIES / Controls properties of existing objects.

MESHSMOOTHMORE / Increases the level of smoothness for mesh
MORE
one level.
MS MSPACE / Switches from paper space to a model space viewport.

MSM MARKUP / Opens the Markup Set Manager.

MT MTEXT / Creates a multiline text object.

MV MVIEW / Creates and controls layout viewports.

GEOGRAPHICLOCATION / Specifies the geographic location inform
NORTH
drawing file.
NEWSHOT / Creates a named view with motion that is played bac
NSHOT
viewed with ShowMotion.
NVIEW NEWVIEW / Creates a named view with no motion.

O OFFSET / Creates concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel cu

OP OPTIONS / Customizes the program settings.

3DORBIT / Rotates the view in 3D space, but constrained to horizo
ORBIT
vertical orbit only.
OS OSNAP / Sets running object snap modes.

P Command Shortcuts

P PAN / Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block definition.

 PASTESPEC / Pastes objects from the Clipboard into the current dr
PA
controls the format of the data.
PAR PARAMETERS / Controls the associative parameters used in the dr

PARAM BPARAMETER / Adds a parameter with grips to a dynamic block de

PATCH SURFPATCH /

PC POINTCLOUD /

PCATTACH POINTCLOUDATTACH /

PCINDEX POINTCLOUDINDEX /

PE PEDIT / Edits polylines and 3D polygon meshes.

PL PLINE / Creates a 2D polyline.

PO POINT / Creates a point object.

HIDEPALETTES / Hides currently displayed palettes (including the
POFF
line).
POL POLYGON / Creates an equilateral closed polyline.

PON SHOWPALETTES / Restores the display of hidden palettes.

PRE PREVIEW / Displays the drawing as it will be plotted.

PRINT PLOT / Plots a drawing to a plotter, printer, or file.

PS PSPACE / Switches from a model space viewport to paper space.

PSOLID POLYSOLID / Creates a 3D wall-like polysolid.

PUBLISHTOWEB / Creates HTML pages that include images of sele
PTW
drawings.
PURGE / Removes unused items, such as block definitions and lay
PU
drawing.
PYR PYRAMID / Creates a 3D solid pyramid.

Q-R Command Shortcuts

QC QUICKCALC / Opens the QuickCalc calculator.

QCUI QUICKCUI / Displays the Customize User Interface Editor in a colla

QUICKPROPERTIES / Displays open drawings and layouts in a draw
QP
preview images.
QVD QVDRAWING / QVLAYOUTCLOSE
QVDRAWINGCLOSE / Closes preview images of open drawings and
QVDC
drawing.
QVL QVLAYOUT / Displays preview images of model space and layouts

R REDRAW / Refreshes the display in the current viewport.

RA REDRAWALL / Refreshes the display in all viewports.

RENDERCROP / Renders a specified rectangular area, called a cro
RC
within a viewport.
RE REGEN / Regenerates the entire drawing from the current viewpor

REA REGENALL / Regenerates the drawing and refreshes all viewports

REC RECTANG / Creates a rectangular polyline.

REG REGION / Converts an object that encloses an area into a region o

RENAME / Changes the names assigned to items such as layers a
REN
styles.
REVOLVE / Creates a 3D solid or surface by sweeping a 2D object
REV
axis.
RO ROTATE / Rotates objects around a base point.
RENDERPRESETS / Specifies render presets, reusable rendering p
RP
for rendering an image.
RPREF / Displays or hides the Advanced Render Settings palette f
RPR
advanced rendering settings.
RENDER / Creates a photorealistic or realistically shaded image o
RR
surface model.
RENDERWIN / Displays the Render window without starting a rend
RW
operation.

S Command Shortcuts

S STRETCH / Stretches objects crossed by a selection window or pol

SCALE / Enlarges or reduces selected objects, keeping the propor
SC
object the same after scaling.
SCR SCRIPT / Executes a sequence of commands from a script file.
SECTION / Uses the intersection of a plane and solids, surfaces, o
SEC
create a region.
SET SETVAR / Lists or changes the values of system variables.

SHA SHADEMODE / Starts the VSCURRENT command.

SLICE / Creates new 3D solids and surfaces by slicing, or dividing,
SL
objects.
SN SNAP / Restricts cursor movement to specified intervals.

SO SOLID / Creates solid-filled triangles and quadrilaterals.

SP SPELL / Checks spelling in a drawing.

SPL SPLINE / Creates a smooth curve that passes through or near spe
SECTIONPLANE / Creates a section object that acts as a cutting pl
SPLANE
3D objects.
SPLAY SEQUENCEPALY /

SPLIT MESHSPLIT / Splits a mesh face into two faces.

SPE SPLINEDIT / Edits a spline or spline-fit polyline.

SSM SHEETSET / Opens the Sheet Set Manager.

ST STYLE / Creates, modifies, or specifies text styles.

STA STANDARDS / Manages the association of standards files with dra
SUBTRACT / Combines selected 3D solids, surfaces, or 2D regions
SU
subtraction.

T Command Shortcuts

T MTEXT / Creates a multiline text object.

TABLET / Calibrates, configures, and turns on and off an attached
TA
tablet.
TB TABLE / Creates an empty table object.

TEDIT TEXTEDIT / Edits a dimensional constraint, dimension, or text obje

TH THICKNESS /

TI TILEMODE /

TO TOOLBAR / Displays, hides, and customizes toolbars.

TOL TOLERANCE /

TOR TORUS / Creates a donut-shaped 3D solid.

TP TOOLPALETTES / Opens the Tool Palettes window.

TR TRIM / Trims objects to meet the edges of other objects.

TS TABLESTYLE / Creates, modifies, or specifies table styles.

U-Z Command Shortcuts

UC UCSMAN / Manages defined user coordinate systems.

UN UNITS / Controls coordinate and angle display formats and precisi

UNHIDE UNISOLATEOBJECTS /

UNISOLATE UNISOLATEOBJECT /
VIEW / Saves and restores named views, camera views, layout vie
V
preset views.
VGO VIEWGO / Restores a named view.

VP DDVPOINT / Sets the 3D viewing direction.

VPLAY VIEWPLAY / Plays the animation associated to a named view.

VS VSCURRENT / Sets the visual style in the current viewport.

VISUALSTYLES / Creates and modifies visual styles and applies a v
VSM
a viewport.
W WBLOCK / Writes objects or a block to a new drawing file.

WE WEDGE / Creates a 3D solid wedge.

NAVSWHEEL / Displays a wheel that contains a collection of view
WHEEL
tools.
X EXPLODE / Breaks a compound object into its component objects.
XA XATTACH / Inserts a DWG file as an external reference (xref).
XBIND / Binds one or more definitions of named objects in an xref
XB
current drawing.
XCLIP / Crops the display of a selected external reference or block
XC
a specified boundary.
XL XLINE / Creates a line of infinite length.

XR XREF / Starts the EXTERNALREFERENCES command.

ZOOM / Increases or decreases the magnification of the view in th
Z
viewport.
ZEBRA ANALYSISZEBRA
 https://grabcad.com/questions/auto-cad-secret-s-exposed

This all secret/commands were good to work with 2000+ versions of Auto-cad.
1. Step 1
1.)TRIM AND EXTENDED DIMENSIONS:-
Trim and extend commands were common commands for all people who were working on auto-
cad,this is such a handy feature and it seems that most user don't even know they can do this.
Use either Trim or Extend command to modify dimensions as well as arc, lines etc.

2. Step 2
2.)TRIM YOUR HATCHES:-
The new hatch capabilities allow you to trim your hatches just like you would other objects.

3. Step 3
1. Step 1
That is to Using TASKBAR command.
The new TASKBAR command allows you to see each drawing separately like other window
application.
Like shown In Image Below..!!!

1. Step 1
The New ZOOM TO OBJECT command zooms to one or more selected objects in the center of the
drawing area. you can select objects before or after you start the zoom command.


1. Step 1
 6.) TEXTTOFRONT:-
A new command TEXTTOFRONT brings all your text and dimension text to the top of the draw
order stack.


Sourbh over 1 year ago

 Auto-cad Users were always working on the black screen window, but through this feature
you are able to modify the background as you want, like gradient filling and picture, wall etc.
1. Step 1
Do you want to make your drawing more interesting?
You can assign an image of your choice or a color gradient to window background of the drawing
editor:
*Access the system dialog and select the system tab.
*Select the properties button for the 3D graphics display and turn on render option and enable
background.
*Use the background command to set the required parameters of the image and gradient.
*Use the shade mode command to use flat, gouraud or any other or any combination to use the
background of your choice.

Sourbh over 1 year ago
 Sourbh over 1 year ago
Double Your Dimension Information
1. Step 1
You can get a second line of text on your dimensions by using the "\X" format code in
the SUFFIX field of your dimension style.
This example shows how to use commonly
used dimension requirements easily using
this shortcut

2. Step 2
You can get a second line of text on your dimensions by using the "\X" format code in
the SUFFIX field of your dimension style.
This example shows how to use commonly
 used dimension requirements easily using
this shortcut


Sourbh over 1 year ago
Sourbh over 1 year ago
HIDE and SPEED UP your Palettes
1. Step 1
If you want to change the speed of your Auto-Hide, make the following change below.
Everyone in the 2005 versions don’t have to worry about this one anymore, since
Autodesk changed the default to the fastest speed available.
2. Step 2
If you want to change the speed of your Auto-Hide, make the following change below.
Everyone in the 2005 versions don’t have to worry about this one anymore, since
Autodesk changed the default to the fastest speed available.

Sourbh over 1 year ago

Every person who working on auto-cad wants to remember the last folder he/she accessed.
So here is the solution:-
1. Step 1
4.) REMEMBERFOLDERS:-
There is an auto-cad command called REMEMBERFOLDERS that control the default path for the
Lock in or save in option of all standard file selection dialog boxes.
0 The folder will open to the same place every time.
1 (Default) the current folder shown will remain as the default untill the another folder accessed.
Each option has Good and bad points.

Sourbh over 1 year ago

Zooming again..!!
Zoom to view max.
1. Step 1
Hey guys here we go with this new secret's.
 The new command ZOOMV zooms to the maximum screen area in "virtual space" that is available
without regeneration. You might have seen your virtual space during a zoom in or zoom out
command in the past. The icons when you hit the edge of your virtual space look something like
this.
Sourbh over 1 year ago
Xref-Default OVERLAY
1. Step 1
If you prefer to use the overlay attachment option when attaching external references.
You can now set this as the default attachment option.
Set the system variable Type:-
XREFTYPE
0 for attach
1 for overlay
 Sourbh over 1 year ago
Tools Pallate is like a heart of Fast editing and inserting the features.
1. Step 1
Do you need to share your custom tool pallet's with others friend, co-worker or organisation.
Use the customize command to export the pallate to an .XTP file, and import the .XTP file on the
other computer.


Sourbh over 1 year ago

Sourbh over 1 year ago

Protect your Customization.
1. Step 1
As a CAD manager, have you ever wanted to turn off the ability of your users to customize
toolbars and palettes??
The system variable TBCUSTOMIZE turn off the customize command when set to 0.
Thanks//

Sourbh over 1 year ago

SNAP TO 2005 hatches.!!
1. Step 1
 You might have noticed a subtle change in OSNAP capabilities in regards to hatch object in 2005.
The system variable OSNAPHATCH allow you to snap to hatch object like the before.

 Sourbh over 1 year ago

WIPE OUT IN THE REAL WORLD>>!!!!
1. Step 1
Another great secret is the light fixture block i used to create using the wipeout object as a
background. This prevents having to "TRIM" the ceiling grid hatch where it necessary


Sourbh over 1 year ag
Sourbh over 1 year ago
IS your hatch to dense???
1. Step 1
Auto-cad sets a default limit of hatch segments to 10000. So if your hatch has more segments
than that Auto-cad will not create the hatch. You can change this so that you can get a more
dense hatch when needed.
 Key In the following command line to modify this setting. note that this key-in is case sensitive and
you must include parenthesis.
(setenv "MaxHatch" "10000")

Sourbh over 1 year ago

HIDE AND SPEED UP YOUR PALETTES.
For Less than 2005 version only, because Auto-cad fixed it for all other higher versions.
But may be useful for 2005+ versions.
1. Step 1
If you want to change the speed of your Auto hide, make the following change below:-
Every one in the 2005+ version don't have to worry about the speed of your palettes opening.
But for you who having the and the at the top of the file.
The default setting are in the milli seconds. Set them both to 1 for faster speed.
//Thanks//

Sourbh over 1 year ago

MTEXT
1. Step 1
Are you tired of picking the OK button in the MTEXT editor?
2. Step 2
Select the MTEXT command and type a simple string of text.
Rather than picking the OK button use +
….or….
Just anywhere in the drawing.

Sourbh over 1 year ago

Some update's on X-ref's.
1. Step 1
https://grabcad.com/questions/working-with-external-references-xrefs-in-autocad

Sourbh over 1 year ago

Hi dear @ Abdul Haseeb Malik
Here is your answer ..!!!
1. Step 1
Because may be you know or don't know, but in Industries of many country will prefer to purchase
Auto-cad because Auto-cad is moslty 2D drafting software.
And whenever its termed to Manufacturing of any components, the Industries person were
choosing the Auto-cad because of its Reliability.
from last two or three years, the lots of software were came for developing models very faster and
easily but what's before.
You are new to CAD industry, may be the older people were know the value of Auto-cad so
much ...!!
Modifying Objects
by David Watson

Introduction
AutoCAD drawings are rarely completed simply by drawing lines, circles etc. Most likely you will need
to Modify these basic drawing objects in some way in order to create the image you need.
AutoCAD provides a whole range of modify tools such as Move, Copy, Rotate and Mirror. As
you can see, the command names are easily understandable. However, the way these
commands work is not always obvious. This tutorial is designed to show you how all of the
Modify commands work. If you just need information quickly, use the QuickFind toolbar
below to go straight to the information you need or select a topic from the contents list above.

As is usual with AutoCAD, the Modify tools can be accessed in one of three ways, from the keyboard,
from the pull-down menu and from the toolbar. All of the Modify tools are available from the Modify
pull-down and the Modify toolbar. In each section below, the toolbar, pull-down and keyboard options
are given. The method you choose is entirely up to you. Ultimately you will use the method that you
feel most comfortable with or the one you find most efficient. AutoCAD allows great flexibility and there
aren't any right or wrong ways of working. That said, it should be pointed out that the use of toolbars in
AutoCAD is almost always quicker than any other method.
The Modify toolbar is usually displayed by default but if it is not already displayed, you can display it
using the TOOLBAR command, View Toolbars… from the pull-down menu. When the Toolbar
dialogue box (shown above) appears, simply check the box next to "Modify" in the toolbars list. Many
AutoCAD users work with the Modify toolbar permanently docked on their screen because it gives
one-click access to all of the commands, making the drawing process much more efficient.

The Erase Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Erase

Keyboard ERASE short-cut E

The Erase command is one of the simplest AutoCAD commands and is one of the most used. The
command erases (deletes) any selected object(s) from the drawing. Remember you can always get
deleted objects back by typing U to undo, from the Standard toolbar or by using the OOPS
command.
Command Sequence

Command: ERASE
Select objects: (pick an object to erase)
Select objects: (to end the selection and erase the object)

If you simply want to erase the last object you created you can type L at the "Select objects" prompt.
The last object will be highlighted and you can then select more objects or to end the command.
See the "Object Selection" tutorial for more information on selecting objects.

Top of page

The Copy Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Copy

Keyboard COPY short-cut CP

The Copy command can be used to create one or more duplicates of any drawing object or objects
which you have previously created. Copy is a very useful and time-saving command because you can
create very complex drawing elements and then simply copy them as many times as you like.

Command Sequence

Command: COPY
Select objects: (pick object to copy, P1)
Select objects: (to end selection)
Specify base point or displacement, or [Multiple]: (pick P2 or M for multiple copies)
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as
displacement>: (pick P3)
The multiple option allows you to create additional copies of the selected object(s) by picking as many
new points as you like. To end a multiple copy, just hit the key.

Notice that the "Base point", P2 and the "Second point", P3 do not have to be picked on or near the
object. The two points are simply used to indicate the distance and direction of the copied object from
the original object.

Top of page

The Mirror Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Mirror

Keyboard MIRROR short-cut MI

The Mirror command allows you to mirror selected objects in your drawing by picking them and then
defining the position of an imaginary mirror line using two points.

Command Sequence

Command: MIRROR
Select objects: (pick object to mirror, P1)
Select objects: (to end selection)
Specify first point of mirror line: (pick P2)
Specify second point of mirror line: (pick P3)
Delete source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: (for No to keep the original object)

Notice that in the command sequence above, pressing the key when asked whether to "Delete
source objects?" resulted in a "No" response. This is because "No" is the default option. AutoCAD
always shows the default option within triangular brackets, in this case "<N>". Many AutoCAD
commands offer default options. They are usually the most commonly used and you need only right-
click and select "Enter" from the menu or press on the keyboard to accept them.

In order to create perfectly horizontal or vertical mirror lines use Ortho. For more information on the
use of Ortho and other drawing aids, see the "Drawing Aids" tutorial.

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The Offset Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Offset

Keyboard OFFSET short-cut O

Offset is probably one of the most useful commands for constructing drawings. The Offset command
creates a new object parallel to or concentric with a selected object. The new object is drawn at a user
defined distance (the offset) from the original and in a direction chosen by the user with a pick point.
You can offset lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, 2D polylines, xlines, rays and planar splines.

Command Sequence

Command: OFFSET
Specify offset distance or [Through] <1.0000>: 10 (specify distance)
Select object to offset or <exit>: (select object, P1)
Specify point on side to offset: (pick direction, P2)
Select object to offset or <exit>: (to end or select another object to offset)

In the illustration below, a line (cyan) has been offset to the right through a distance "Offset" by picking
a point to the right of the original line. The result is a new line (red) to the right of the original.
Circles can be offset inside or outside of themselves to create a new circle which is concentric (has the
same centre point) with the original circle. In the illustration, a new circle (red) has been created
outside of the original by picking a point outside of the original circle. The radius of the new circle is the
offset distance "Offset" plus the radius of the original circle.

In the illustration above, the new objects and original objects are shown in different colours for clarity.
In reality, offset objects inherit theirobject properties from the original object. See the "Object
Properties" tutorial for details.

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The Array Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Array

Keyboard ARRAY short-cut AR

The Array command makes multiple copies of selected objects in a rectangular matrix (columns and
rows) or a polar (circular) pattern. This command has been completely transformed in AutoCAD 2000i.
It is now completely dialogue box driven with the option to see a preview of the array before it is
created. You can also now create rectangular arrays at a user specified angle angle. This constitutes a
major improvement in usability.

The Rectangular Array

The illustration on the right shows the results of a rectangular

array with two columns an three rows. The distance between rows is indicated with the
dimension DR and between columns withDC. When creating rectangular arrays it is important to
remember that new rows are created above the original object and new columns are created to the
right of the original object. The resulting array is, therefore, always created with the original object in
the bottom left hand position with respect to the current co-ordinate system. In the illustration, the
original object is shown in cyan and the new objects in red. It is possible to create arrays which do not
align with the World Co-ordinate System by setting a User Co-ordinate System first. See
the UCS tutorial for details.

Try creating this array yourself. First, draw a rectangle 20 drawing units wide and 10 drawing units tall.
To do this, start the rectangle command Draw Rectangle from the pull-down menu. When you are
prompted to pick a point, pick somewhere in the lower left quarter of the drawing area. Then, when
you are prompted for a second point, enter the relative cartesian co-ordinate @20,10. You have now
drawn a rectangle at the right size. See the Using Co-ordinates tutorial for more information on
drawing with co-ordinates.

Now start the Array command.First of all, make sure that the Rectangular Array radio button is
selected and that you are looking at the Rectangular Array dialogue box and now follow the steps
below:

1. Click the Select objects button. The dialogue box will temporarily disappear enabling you to
select the rectangle you just drew. Press the Return button on your keyboard to complete the
selection. You are now returned to the dialogue box and the message immediately below the
Select Objects button should read "1 objects selected".
 2. Enter the number of rows required in the Rows edit box. For this example, enter the value "3".
Notice that the schematic preview on the right hand side of the dialogue box updates to reflect
the values you are entering.
3. Enter the number of columns required in the Columns edit box. Enter the value "2".
4. Enter the row offset in the Row Offset edit box. This is the distance DR in the illustration
above. Note that tis is not the distance between rows. In this example, our rectangle is 10
units high and we will enter a row offset of 15. The result will be a 5 unit gap between
rectangles.
5. Enter the column offset in the Column Offset edit box. The same parameters apply as for the
row offset. Enter a value of 25 to give a 5 unit gap between our rectangles.

6. Click on the Preview button. Once again, the

dialogue box disappears and the specified array is temporarily drawn so that we can preview
it. We are now offered 3 choices. If the array isn't quite right, click the Modify button to return
to the Array dialogue box. If you are happy with the array, click the Accept button, the array will
be permanently drawn and the command is ended.

You should now have an array that looks similar to the one in the illustration above consisting of 6
rectangles arranged in 3 rows and 2 columns. As you can se, this command is very powerful and can
save lots of time if used carefully.

The Polar Array

The polar array works in a similar way to the rectangular array. The main difference is that rather than
specifying the number and offset for rows and columns, you must specify a center point and the total
number of objects in the array (including the original object).
You can try this for yourself by drawing another rectangle as described above. This time, though,
locate the rectangle in the centre top half of the drawing area. Now, start the Array command, click the
Polar Array radio button and follow the steps below:

1. Click the Select objects button. The dialogue box will temporarily disappear enabling you to
select the rectangle you just drew. Press the Return button on your keyboard to complete the
selection. You are now returned to the dialogue box and the message immediately below the
Select Objects button should read "1 objects selected".

2. Specify the center point for the array. This is the point C in the illustration below. You can do
this by entering x and y co-ordinates into the appropriate edit boxes if you know what these
values should be. However, this is rarely the case and most often you will want to click the
Pick Center Point button to pick a point from the drawing area. Pick a point somewhere below
the rectangle you have just drawn.
3. Enter a value for the total number of items. For this example, enter the value "6". Notice that
once again, the schematic preview updates to reflect the values you have entered.
4. Make sure that the Rotate items as copied checkbox is checked.

5. Click on the Preview button. Once again, the

dialogue box disappears and the specified array is temporarily drawn so that we can preview
it. We are now offered 3 choices. If the array isn't quite right, click the Modify button to return
 to the Array dialogue box. If you are happy with the array, click the Accept button, the array will
be permanently drawn and the command is ended.

The array you have just drawn should look something like the one illustrated below, left. Take some
time to play around with the other options in the Array dialogue box to see what they can do.

The illustration above shows the results of a polar array using an original rectangle (cyan) copied six
times about a centre point C, through an angle of 360 degrees (full circle). The only difference
between the array on the left and the one on the right is that the Rotate items as copied checkbox
was not checked in the right hand example.

All new objects created with the Array command will inherit the object properties of the original object.
See the "Object Properties" tutorial for information on object properties.

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The Move Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Move

Keyboard MOVE short-cut M

The Move command works in a similar way to the Copy command except that no copy is made, the
selected object(s) is simply moved from one location to another.
Command Sequence

Command: MOVE
Select objects: (pick object to move, P1)
Select objects: (to end selection)
Specify base point or displacement: (pick P2)
Specify second point of displacement or <use first point as
displacement>: (pick P3)

Note that as with the Copy command, the two pick points, P2 and P3 are used only to indicate the
distance and direction of movement.

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The Rotate Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Rotate

Keyboard ROTATE short-cut RO

The Rotate command allows an object or objects to be rotated about a point selected by the user.
AutoCAD prompts for a second rotation point or an angle which can be typed at the keyboard.
Command Sequence

Command: ROTATE
Current positive angle in UCS: ANGDIR=counterclockwise ANGBASE=0
Select objects: (pick object to rotate, P1)
Select objects: (to end selection)
Specify base point: (pick base point, P2)
Specify rotation angle or [Reference]: (pick second point, P3 or enter angle)

Remember, by default, AutoCAD angles start at 3 o'clock and increase in an anti-clockwise direction.
The "ANGDIR" and "ANGBASE" variables remind you of this. If you want to rotate in a clockwise
direction you can enter a negative angle by using a minus sign.

Note: You can change the angle direction and the base angle using the Units command, Format
Units… from the pull-down menu. Click the "Clockwise" check box to change the direction and click
the "Direction…" button to set the base angle.

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The Scale Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Scale

Keyboard SCALE short-cut SC

The Scale command can be used to change the size of an object or group of objects. You are
prompted for a pick point about which the selection set will be scaled. Scaling can then be completed
by picking a second point (not always easy because it can sometimes be difficult to precisely control
the scaling) or by entering a scale factor at the keyboard. For example a scale factor of 2 will double
the size of the objects in the selection set and a factor of 0.5 will half them.

Command Sequence

Command: SCALE
Select objects: (pick objects to be scaled, P1)
Select objects: (to end selection)
Specify base point: (pick base point, P2)
Specify scale factor or [Reference]: (pick second point, P3 or enter scale factor)

In the example shown above, the original tree symbol has been enlarged by dynamically scaling it
using pick points to determine the change in scale. If you want to scale an object precisely, it is much
easier to enter a scale factor using the keyboard.

Note that the position of the new sized tree symbol is determined by the location of the base point. The
base point, P2 has been picked to the upper right of the centre of the tree which resulted in the centre
of the tree shifting to a lower left position. If the base point had been picked in the centre of the tree
symbol, the tree would have remained in the same position. In theory the base point can be any point
in the drawing area but for ease of control it is best to choose a known point so that the results are
obvious.

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The Stretch Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Stretch

Keyboard STRETCH short-cut S

The Stretch command can be used to move one or more vertices of an object whilst leaving the rest of
the object unchanged. In the example below, a rectangle has been stretched by moving one vertex to
create an irregular shape.

Command Sequence

Command: STRETCH
Select objects to stretch by crossing-window or crossing-polygon...
Select objects: (pick first point of crossing window)
Specify opposite corner: (pick second point of window)
Select objects: (to end selection)
Specify base point or displacement: (pick base point)
Specify second point of displacement: (pick second point)

To select vertices to stretch, you must use a crossing window or polygon. See the "Object Selection"
tutorial for details of these selection methods.

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Stretching with Grips

Although the Stretch command can be very useful, it has largely been superseded by the use of
"Grips" which allow this sort of modification to be made much more intuitively.

To stretch an object using grips, simply select the object by clicking on it (you can do this without
starting a command). The object becomes highlighted and small square grips appear at each vertex
and various snap points, depending upon the object type. Click a grip to activate it and click again to
reposition it. When you have completed your modifications, use the Escape key (Esc) at the top left of
your keyboard to deselect the object and release grips.

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The Lengthen Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Lengthen

Keyboard LENGTHEN short-cut LEN

The Lengthen command can often be used instead of either the Trim or Extend commands. Indeed
the end result is exactly the same. The Lengthen command can be used to either lengthen or shorten
Lines, Arcs, open Polylines, elliptical Arcs and open Splines without the use of cutting or boundary
edges.

Command Sequence

Command: LENGTHEN
Select an object or [DElta/Percent/Total/DYnamic]: DY
Select an object to change or [Undo]: (select a line or arc)
Specify new end point: (pick new end point)
Select an object to change or [Undo]: (to end)

The command sequence above demonstrates the use of the Dynamic Lengthen option which is
probably the most useful for general purpose drafting. However, the other options are worth getting to
know because they can save lots of time and effort.

The Total option allows you to change the total length of a line to any value that you specify. The
Percent option allows you to change a line length using a percentage. For example, a value of 50 will
result in a line one half the length of the original and a value of 200 will result in a line twice the length
of the original. The Delta option can be used to extend or reduce the endpoint of a line by a given
distance. The endpoint affected by the change is the one closest to the pick point when the object
selection is made.

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The Trim Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Trim

Keyboard TRIM short-cut TR

The Trim command can be used to trim

a part of an object. In order to trim an object you must draw a second object which forms the "cutting
edge". Cutting edges can be lines, xlines, rays, polylines, circles, arcs or ellipses. Blocks and text
cannot be trimmed or used as cutting edges. The illustration on the right shows the Trim command in
action. The red square and circle have been drawn using the Polygon and Circle commands
respectively. In order to trim these objects, a line has been drawn (cyan in the illustration), this forms
the cutting edge. The Trim command, unlike most other modify commands requires that two
separate object selectionsare made. The cutting edges are selected first (there can be one or more)
and then the objects to be trimmed are selected. In the example above, the line is selected first
because it forms the cutting edge and then the square and circle are selected.

The Trim command is slightly more complicated than many other modify commands. To get a better
understanding of how it works, draw a square, circle and line as illustrated above and then follow the
command sequence below. Don't forget to watch the AutoCAD command line at each stage of the
process.

Command Sequence

Command: TRIM
Current settings: Projection=UCS Edge=None
Select cutting edges ...
Select objects: (select the cutting edge, P1)
Select objects: (to end cutting edge selection)
Select object to trim or shift-select to extend or [Project/Edge/Undo]:(pick

the part of the square which you want to trim, P2)

Select object to trim or shift-select to extend or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick

the circle, P3)

Select object to trim or shift-select to extend or [Project/Edge/Undo]:

(to end)

Notice that at each trimming step you are given the option to undo the previous trim. This can be very
useful if you inadvertently pick the wrong object.

In the above example, when the objects were trimmed, both pick points were made to the right of the
cutting edge, resulting in the removal of that part of the objects to the right of the cutting edge.
Obviously, the portion of square and circle to the left of the cutting edge could have been removed by
picking to the left of the cutting edge. Also, you may not have noticed it, but by trimming a circle you
have created an Arc object. This makes no visible difference but the object type has changed.

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The Extend Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Extend

Keyboard EXTEND short-cut EX

This command extends a line,

polyline or arc to meet another drawing object (known as the boundary edge). In the illustration on the
right, two lines (red) are extended to meet another line (cyan) which forms the boundary edge. This
command works in a similar way to the Trim command, described above. Two selections are made,
one for the boundary edge(s) and one for the object(s) to extend.

Lines and other objects can be extended in one of two directions. In the
illustration on the right, the red line could be extended either to the right or to the left. You can tell
AutoCAD in which direction to extend by picking a point to the right or left of the midpoint respectively.
AutoCAD does not intuitively know where the boundary edge lies so you must explicitly indicate the
direction of extension by picking either one side or other of the midpoint.

Draw the lines as shown in the illustration and follow the command sequence below.

Command Sequence

Command: EXTEND
Current settings: Projection=UCS Edge=None
Select boundary edges ...
Select objects: (select the boundary edge, P1)
Select objects: (to end boundary edge selection)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick

the object which you want to be extended, P2)

Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick

another object which you want to be extended, P3)

Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]:

(to end)

Sometimes you may get the message "Object does not intersect an edge" or "No edge in that
direction". If this happens it means that you are either picking the wrong end of the object or the object
you are trying to extend will not meet the boundary edge. The solution is either to pick near the end
you want to extend or to move the boundary edge so that the extended line will intersect with it.

Using Edgemode
If the line you are trying to extend does not intersect with the boundary line, you can use the "Edge"
option to toggle Edgemode to "Extend" (the default is "No Extend"). When the Extend command is set
to Extend Mode, the objects being extended will extend to an imaginary line through the boundary
edge, irrespective of whether the extended object actually intersects with the boundary edge. This is
particularly useful and can save lots of time.

The illustration on the left

shows the result of extending a line (red) to a boundary edge (cyan) with Edgemode set to "Extend".
The same process would have resulted in an error message if Edgemode had been set to "No
Extend". To get a better understanding of how this works, draw the two lines as shown in the
illustration and try to extend them using the default settings. When you have done that, follow the
command sequence below.

Command Sequence (Edgemode)

Command: EXTEND
Select boundary edges: (Projmode = UCS, Edgemode = No extend)
Select objects: (select the boundary edge, P1)
Select objects: (to end boundary edge selection)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: E (to

use the Edge option)

Enter an implied edge extension mode [Extend/No extend] <No extend>: E (to set

Edgemode to Extend)
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]: (pick

the object to be extended, P2)

Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or [Project/Edge/Undo]:

(to end)

Notice that the current value of Edgemode is always displayed on the command line when you start
the Extend command. The Edge option can also be used with the Trim command to enable trimming
to cutting edges which do not actually intersect the object to trim. Edgemode is a system variable, so
any change to its value will affect both the Trim and Extend commands.

See the Lengthen command for more ways to extend and trim objects.

Shift Selection with Trim & Extend

You may have noticed during the command sequences for the Trim and Extend commands that you
have the option to "shift-select". This feature is new to AutoCAD 2000i and it enables you to extend
while using the Trim command and to trim while using the Extend command. These two commands
are very closely related and you often need to trim and extend objects at the same time. If you are a
beginner with AutoCAD it may be a good idea to avoid this feature initially, the Trim and Extend
commands can be tricky to get to grips with in any case. However, do remember this feature because
it is a great time saver.

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The Break Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Break

Keyboard BREAK short-cut BR

The Break command enables you to break (remove part of) an object by defining two break points. In
the illustration below, a corner of a rectangle has been removed. The Break command can be used
with lines, polylines, circles, arcs ellipses, splines, xlines and rays. When you break an object, you can
either select the object using the first break point and then pick the second break point, or you can
select the object and then pick the two break points.

Command Sequence

Command: BREAK
Select objects: (select the object using the first break point, P1)
Specify second break point or [First point]: (pick the second break point, P2)

The section of the object is removed and the command ends.

Sometimes you may want to select the object first and then specify the two break points. If this is the
case, use the "First point" option to specify the first break point. By default, AutoCAD assumes that the
point used to select the object is the first break point. This is often confusing for new users.

It may sometimes be necessary to break a line into two without removing any part of it. In this case,
simply pick the first and second break points in the same position.

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The Chamfer Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Chamfer

Keyboard CHAMFER short-cut CHA

The Chamfer command enables you to create a chamfer between any two non-parallel lines as in the
illustration below or any two adjacent polyline segments. Usually, the Chamfer command is used to set
the chamfer distances before drawing the chamfer. Follow the command sequence below where the
chamfer distances are changed to 20 before the chamfer is made.

Command Sequence

Command: CHAMFER
(TRIM mode) Current chamfer Dist1 = 10.0000, Dist2 = 10.0000
Select first line or [Polyline/Distance/Angle/Trim/Method]: D (to set distances)
Specify first chamfer distance <10.0000>: 20 (enter required distance)
Specify second chamfer distance <20.0000>: (first distance value or enter a different

value)
Select first line or [Polyline/Distance/Angle/Trim/Method]: (pick P1)
Select second line: (pick P2)

The chamfer is made and the command ends.

Notice from the command sequence that there are a number of options which can be used to control
the way the Chamfer command behaves. The Polyline option can be used to chamfer all vertexes of a
polyline simultaneously. The Distance option allows you to specify the two chamfer distances. Angle
allows the angle between the first line and the chamfer to be specified. Trim is used to control whether
the original lines are trimmed to the chamfer or remain as they are. Finally, Method is used to toggle
the command between Distance and Angle mode. When Angle mode is used, the chamfer is defined
using one distance and an angle rather than two distances.

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The Fillet Command

Toolbar Modify
Pull-down Modify Fillet

Keyboard FILLET short-cut F

The Fillet command is a very useful tool which allows you to draw an arc between two intersecting
lines or adjacent polyline segments. You first need to use the command to set the required radius and
then a second time to select the two lines.

Command Sequence

Command: FILLET
Current settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 10.0000
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: R
Specify fillet radius <10.000>: 25
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: (pick P1)
Select second object : (pick P2)

The Fillet command can also be used to fillet

arcs and circles. The "Polyline" option also allows you to fillet all vertices of a polyline with a single
command. It's worth experimenting with this command, it can save you lots of time and enables you to
construct shapes which otherwise would be quite difficult.

For example, you can easily create the lozenge

shape shown on the right from a simple rectangle. Since AutoCAD rectangles are just closed polylines,
you can use the Polyline option of the Fillet command to fillet all polyline vertexes simultaneously. Try
this for yourself; draw a rectangle and then follow the command sequence below.
Command Sequence

Command: FILLET
Current settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 10.0000
Select first object or [Polyline/Radius/Trim]: P
Select 2D polyline: (pick P1)
4 lines were filleted

Tip: Make sure that the radius you specify will fit the objects you select, otherwise the fillet command
will not work.

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The Explode Command

Toolbar Modify

Pull-down Modify Explode

Keyboard EXPLODE

The Explode command is used to "explode" single objects back to their constituent parts. In other
words, the command is used to return blocks, polylines etc. (which may be composed of a number of
component objects) back to their individual component parts. The change has no visible effect.

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Tips & Tricks

 Always look at the command line for guidance when you are learning new AutoCAD
commands. The command line will prompt you for information and this is the easiest way to
find out how a new command works. This is especially true for the more complicated
commands like Trim and Extend.

 The command line window displays 3 lines of text by default. You can change this by clicking
and dragging the top of the window frame. When you are starting with AutoCAD you may like
to see more than 3 lines. The illustration below shows the command line window increased in
size to 6 lines.
  The command line can also be displayed as a floating text window. The AutoCAD text window
is displayed by pressing the F2 key on the keyboard. See Function Keys on the Drawing Aids
tutorial for more details.

 You can control the way text is mirrored using the MIRRTEXT variable.

 You can use the Fillet command with a

radius of zero to trim intersecting lines back to their intersection. Of course, you could also
achieve this effect with the Trim command but if you have a number of operations to complete,
the Fillet method is much quicker.
 When using the Trim and Extend commands, hitting when prompted to "Select cutting
edges" and "Select boundary edges" respectively will automatically select all valid cutting or
boundary edges on the screen. This can be a real time saver if you have a complicated set of
edges to select.

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http://www.glue.umd.edu/afs/glue.umd.edu/system/info/olh/Engineering/Autocad/edit
<font size=+1>
<pre>
Edit and Inquiry commands in Autocad :

Editing an entity or group of entities in Autocad requires the entity or

the
group to be selected. There are three ways of doing this :

1) Autocad can be set to allow the user to select the objects first, and
then accept commands to process them. This is called noun/verb selection.
This mode of operation can be enabled/disabled using the DDSELECT command
which opens up a dialogue box.

2) The commands can be given first, and the objects can be specified when
the user is prompted for them.

3) The SELECT command can be used to select a specific selection set, which
can be referred to in subsequent editing operations.

Editing with grips :

Selected objects can be edited by manipulating grips that appear on the

selected entity. The Grips mode can be enabled with the DDGRIPS command
which opens up a dialogue box. The editing operations possible using grips
are :
Stretch, Move, Rotate, Scale and Mirror

Erasing unwanted objects and retrieving accidentally removed ones :

The ERASE command permanently removes specified objects. To erase only the
drawn object, enter "L" at the 'select oblects' prompt.

The OOPS command restores only the most recently erased objects.

Copying and Moving :

The commands available are :

MOVE, COPY, ROTATE, SCALE, MIRROR, STRETCH and ARRAY

The MOVE and COPY commands are for recreating the object at another place.
The COPY command retains a copy in the original place while the MOVE
command does not.

The SCALE command allows the size of objects to be changed. It scales the
object about a reference point, by expanding/shrinking it equally in all
directions. SCALE can be used to rescale an entire drawing in one go.

The ARRAY command creates multiple copies of entities in a rectangular

or polar pattern. To change the orientation of the array, use SNAP Rotate
command or SNAPANG system variable.

Changes, Cuts and Constructions :

These commands allow you to change properties of objects (like color,

layer,etc.) and modify objects by trimming /extending their ends, and
cutting sections out of them. They can also be used to draw fillet arcs,
chamfer lines, parallel lines, offset curves, and construction markers.

The available commands are :

CHANGE, DDEDIT, BREAK, TRIM, EXTEND, FILLET, CHAMFER, OFFSET, DIVIDE,
and MEASURE

The CHANGE command is used to change the following :

color, elevation, layer, linetype, thickness

Characteristics other than the above can also be changed by specifying a

point instead of choosing one of the above properties. Then this "change
point" is used to modify the object depending on whether the object is a
line or a circle, etc. The "change point" method works for multiple
entities also.

Variations of the CHANGE command are : DDCHPROP and CHPROP

The DDEDIT command allows editing of both text and attribute definitions.
The command can be used either in paper space or in model space, whichever
is active when the command is issued. It cannot be used on text attributes
that are part of a block.

The BREAK command erases part of a line, trace, circle, arc or 2D polyline
The end points of the part are specified by the user.

The TRIM command is used to trim objects such that they end exactly at
cutting edges defined by other intersecting objects.

The EXTEND command is the complement of the TRIM command because it lets
you extend an object till it meets another object.

The FILLET command connects two lines, arcs or circles by means of a

smoothly fitted arc of specified radius.

The CHAMFER command is similar : it trims two intersecting lines a

specified
distance from the intersection and connects the trimmed ends with a new
line
segment.

The OFFSET command constructs an entity parallel to the specified one,

either through a given point or at a given distance.

The DIVIDE command lets you divide an entity into several equal-length
parts, placing markers along the object at the dividing points.

The MEASURE command is similar to the DIVIDE command : it measures an

entity and places markers at specified intervals.

Polyline, Mesh, and Block Editing :

There are two basic commands for this : PEDIT and EXPLODE

PEDIT is used to edit 2D and 3D polylines, and 3D polygon meshes.

The EXPLODE command breaks up a complex entity as follows :

A Block or associative Dimension is replaced with copies of simple entities
comprising the Block or Dimension. Polylines are replaced with simple
and arcs; 3D polygon meshes with 3D faces and polyface meshes with 3D
faces,
lines and points.

Undoing commands :
U command : causes the most recent command to be undone.

REDO command : reverses the effect of the most recent U command.

UNDO command : can undo several commands simultaneously.

Inquiry commands are commands which allow the user to inquire into
locations and relationships into entities.

Inquiry commands available in Autocad are :

LIST : lists data for an entity.
DBLIST : lists data for every entity in the drawing.
ID : gives co-ordinates of a point specified in the graphics window.
DIST : measures angle and distance between two points.
AREA : finds are of specified enclosure.
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