Basic commands in CAD What is that? This article will summarize everything for you AutoCAD commands.
AutoCAD is a useful software in creating designs, especially in 2D format. It supports various commands and keyboard shortcuts to implement many procedures and draw objects efficiently. Mastering AutoCAD commands is key to creating quality complex designs. These commands will help users sketch, create templates and customize necessary tasks easily.
What is AutoCAD?
AutoCAD is CAD application software for drawing (creating) technical drawings using 2D vectors or 3D surfaces, developed by Autodesk corporation. With the first version released in late 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first technical drawing programs to run on personal computers, especially IBM computers. In contrast, much of today's technical drawing software is used on graphics terminals connected to mainframes or workstations.
What are AutoCAD commands?
At the bottom of the drawing screen in AutoCAD, you will find the command window. This handy little box is a lifesaver when you have a lot of work to do and a deadline is approaching.
In the most basic terms, commands and shortcuts are words or letters that you type into the command window to create an action. For example, if you want to draw an arc, instead of searching for an arc among the tools, you can simply use a command. In this case, enter 'ARC' or even just 'A' Go to the command window, press Enter and an arc will appear.
Some commands come with keyboard shortcuts (one character substitution), while slightly less common actions tend to require a command 3 or more characters long. AutoCAD recognizes hundreds of commands, and as you get more advanced, you can even customize the toolbar – adding or prioritizing the commands you find most useful.
Summary of all commands in Auto CAD
As you can imagine, with AutoCAD's vast capabilities, there is a huge list of AutoCAD commands that users can use to make their work easier when using the software. Whether you're sketching a design or creating a 3D model, there are commands available to make the job easier. This guide provides a list of AutoCAD commands that are considered the most basic and useful in AutoCAD.
Basic AutoCAD commands
Before diving into the details of the commands used in drawing and modifying, it's important to first grasp the basic AutoCAD commands you'll need to get started with the software. From pasting to spell checking, here is a selection of commonly used commands:
SHORTCUT/ ORDER | DESCRIBE |
AUDIT | Check and remove errors from your work |
BEDIT/ BE | Open the block definition in the Block Editor |
BCLOSE/ BC | Close the Block Editor |
CLOSEALL | Close all open windows in AutoCAD |
CLOSEALLOTHER | Close all open windows except the one you are working in |
CO/ COPY | Copy object or text |
COLOR/ COL | Set the color for the new object |
DI/DISTANCE | Find the distance between two points in the drawing |
ERASE/E | Delete objects from the drawing |
ETRANSMIT/ZIP | Create a self-extracting or compressed file |
I/ INSERT | Insert (existing block or drawing as block) |
LIST | Access properties of different objects in the drawing |
MATLIB | Import or export documents from the library |
MULTIPLE | Repeat any command without having to press Enter each time (Press Esc key to cancel) |
OOPS | Restore the last object you deleted |
OP/ OPTIONS | Opens the preferences window (contains settings for AutoCAD) |
PASTECLIP | Paste copied objects from the clipboard into your work |
PREVIEW | See how your work will appear when printed |
QSAVE | Automatically saves the file you're working on |
RECOVERALL | Restore and repair a damaged drawing |
RO/ ROTATE | Rotate an object |
SAVEALL | Saves all open drawings in AutoCAD |
SP/SPELL | Perform a spell check on the selected text |
ST/ DDSTYLE | Open the text style window |
TIME | Access information such as the date you created a certain work or the time a drawing was edited |
Draw
This software is specifically designed for technical drawing, so you'll find a wide variety of geometric shapes and sketching capabilities at your disposal when working in AutoCAD. To save time scrolling through the library every time you need a special line or stroke, learn some of these commands:
SHORTCUT/ ORDER | DESCRIBE |
A/ ARC | Create an arc |
AREA | Find the areas of closed or open shapes in the drawing |
AR/ ARRAY | Create a rectangular, polar, or path array |
B/ BLOCK | Create a block |
BCOUNT | Count the number of blocks in your drawing |
C/ CIRCLE | Create a circle |
DS/ DDOSNAP | Open the Drafting Settings window |
ELLIPSE |
Create an ellipse with a major axis and a minor axis |
GROUP | Group multiple objects into one unit |
HIDEOBJECTS | Hides selected objects in the drawing |
HIGHLIGHT | Highlight a selected object in the drawing |
ISOLATE | Hides all objects in the drawing except the object you selected |
L/ LINE | Create a simple line |
MI/ MIRROR | Creates a mirror copy of an object |
MLINE | Create many parallel lines |
PL/PLINE | Create a polyline |
PO/ POINT | Creates a single point in the drawing |
POL/ POLYGON | Create a polygon (with optional number of sides from 3 to 1024) |
QSELECT | Make a specific selection from the drawing according to the applied filters, i.e. – select all lines below a specific length |
REC/ RECTANGLE | Create a rectangle |
SKETCH | Draw a freehand sketch within a composition |
SPLINE | Creates a smooth curve that passes through or near specified points |
XLINE/XL | Creates a line of infinite length |
Modify
Your first draft is complete – now it's time to test out the attributes and tweak the design if needed. During this period, the following commands will definitely come in handy:
SHORTCUT/ ORDER | DESCRIBE |
ADCENTER/ADC | Insert or manage content such as blocks, hatch patterns and xrefs |
ALIGN/AL | Align objects with other objects in 2D and 3D |
BASE | Change the drawing's origin without changing its origin |
BPARAMETER/ PARAM | Add a parameter with grips to the dynamic block definition |
BREAK | Create a break (or gap) in objects at one or two points |
BSAVE | Saves the current block definition |
BURST | Remove a block but keep the layer definition and property settings intact |
FATHER/ CHAMFER | Add slanted edges to the object's sharp corners |
COPYBASE | Copies an object by a base point |
DIVIDE | Divide the object into equal parts |
F/ FILLET | Add rounded corners to the object's sharp edges |
LA/ LAYERS | Open the Layer Properties Manage Palette (allows you to adjust settings for layers) |
MA/ MATCHPROPERTIES | Copy properties of one object to another |
MOCORO | Move, copy, rotate, and scale objects in one command |
OVERKILL | Remove overlapping or unnecessary objects from the composition |
PURGE | Remove unused objects from the drawing |
SC/SCALE | Change the scale of an object |
SCALETEXT | Change the scale of the text |
TEXTFIT | Change the size of a piece of text so that it fits in the required space |
TEXTOFRONT | Bring captions to the front |
TORIENT | Change the direction of the text |
TR/ TRIM | Cut a shape or line |
UNITS | Change the drawing's unit settings |
X/ EXPLODE | Divide an object into individual components – that is, a polyline into simple lines |
XBIND/ XB | Links the definition of named objects in the xref to the current drawing |
3D
Don't worry – the commands are not specific to 2D work! If you plan to take your AutoCAD project to another dimension, there are many commands that can speed up the process. Here is a brief summary:
SHORTCUT/ ORDER | DESCRIBE |
3DALIGN | Align a 3D object with another 3D block |
BOX | Create 3D boxes |
FLATSHOT | Convert 3D drawings into 2D images and view it from multiple angles |
HELIX | Create a spiral |
IMPRINT | Print 2D drawings onto 3D surfaces in the work |
INTERFERE | Locate points in the drawing where 3D volumes intersect each other |
POLYSOLID | Create a 3D wall-like object |
REVOLVE/ REV | Create a 3D solid or surface by scanning/rotating a 2D object around an axis |
RENDER/RR | Create realistic images of 3D surface or solid models |
SECTIONPLANE | Cut 3D objects along different planes |
SOLID/SO | Create solid quadrilaterals and triangles |
SUBTRACT/SU | Combine or gather together selected 2D 3D solids, surfaces, or regions by removing anything in between them |
SURFPATCH | Fill in open areas of a surface |
SURFTRIM | Cut surfaces in a composition |
Text and captions
SHORTCUT/COMMAND |
Full name |
Describe |
DT |
Text |
Create a textbox to enter sentences |
DRM |
Drawing Recovery Manager |
Now previous projects, in progress but not saved due to system errors, work like an automatic drawing recovery tool. |
J |
Join |
Join objects together to create a new object by overlapping existing objects. |
JPGOUT |
JPEG Output |
Save AutoCAD drawings in .jpeg format. |
ME |
Measure |
Measure the size of the object. |
SP |
Spell Check |
Check the spelling of all words inside the drawing. |
T |
Text |
Insert multiline text into the drawing. |
To create a shortcut for a certain CAD command, do the following:
Go to the menu Tools select Customize Edit program parameters (Here you will also see a list of shortcut commands).
For example:
COPY command: the short command is CO/CP. Now if you want to change the word to another word: OC/PC for example (note that it cannot be the same as existing commands), then find the COPY command line in the list to delete CO/CP and replace it with OP/ PC then Save at the command line Command: type REINIT command SELECT pgp FILE OK
Now you type OC/PC as the copy command.