Summary of all AutoCAD commands

What are the basic commands in CAD ? This article will summarize all AutoCAD commands for you .

AutoCAD is a useful software for creating designs, especially in 2D format. It supports various commands and shortcuts to implement various procedures and draw objects efficiently. Mastering AutoCAD commands is the key to creating quality complex designs. These commands will help users to sketch, model and customize the necessary tasks easily.

What is AutoCAD?

AutoCAD is a 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, most technical drawing software at that time was used on graphics terminals connected to mainframe computers or workstations.

Summary of all AutoCAD commands

What are AutoCAD commands?

At the bottom of your AutoCAD drawing screen, you'll find the command window. This handy little box is a lifesaver when you have a lot to do and a deadline approaching.

In the most basic terms, commands and shortcuts are words or letters that you type into the command window to perform 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, type 'ARC' or even just 'A' into the command window, press Enter , and an arc will appear.

Some commands come with shortcuts (one-character replacements), while less common actions tend to require commands that are three 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 the vast capabilities of AutoCAD, there is a huge list of AutoCAD commands that users can use to make their work easier when using the software. Whether you are drafting a design or creating a 3D model, there are commands available to make your work easier. This guide provides a list of AutoCAD commands that are considered to be the most basic and useful in AutoCAD.

Basic AutoCAD Commands

Before we dive into the specifics of the commands used in drawing and editing, 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’s a selection of commonly used commands:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND DESCRIBE
AUDIT Check and remove errors from your work
BEDIT/ BE Open block definition in Block Editor
BCLOSE/ BC Close Block Editor
CLOSEALL Close all open windows in AutoCAD
CLOSEALLOTHER Close all open windows except the one you are working on.
CO/ COPY Copy object or text
COLOR/ COL Set color for new object
DI/ DISTANCE Find the distance between two points in the figure
ERASE/E Delete objects from 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 to cancel)
OOPS Restore the last object you deleted
OP/ OPTIONS Open the options 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 save the file you are working on
RECOVERALL Restore and repair a damaged drawing
RO/ ROTATE Rotate an object
SAVEALL Save all open drawings in AutoCAD
SP/ SPELL Perform a spell check on selected text
ST/ DDSTYLE Open text style window
TIME Access information like the date you created a certain piece or how long 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 particular line or stroke, learn some of these commands:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND DESCRIBE
A/ ARC Create an arc
AREA Find the area of ​​the 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 major and minor axes
GROUP Group multiple objects into one unit
HIDEOBJECTS Hide selected objects in the drawing
HIGHLIGHT Highlight a selected object in the drawing
ISOLATE Hide all objects in the drawing except the object you selected
L/ LINE Create a simple line
MI/ MIRROR Create a mirror copy of an object
MLINE Create multiple parallel lines
PL/ PLINE Create a polyline
PO/ POINT Create 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 in a piece
SPLINE Creates a smooth curve that passes through or near specified points
XLINE/XL Create a line of infinite length

Modify

Your first draft is complete - now it's time to experiment with the properties and tweak the design as needed. During this stage, the following commands will definitely come in handy:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND DESCRIBE
ADCENTER/ADC Insert or manage content like blocks, hatch patterns, and xrefs
ALIGN/AL Align objects with other objects in 2D and 3D
BASE Change the origin of a drawing without changing its origin
BPARAMETER/ PARAM Add a parameter with grips to the dynamic block definition
BREAK Create a breakpoint (or gap) in objects at one or two points
BSAVE Save current block definition
BURST Remove a block but keep the property settings and layer definition
CHAMFER Add bevels to sharp corners of objects
COPYBASE Copy an object by a base point
DIVIDE Divide an object into equal parts
F/ FILLET Add rounded corners to sharp edges of objects
LA/ LAYERS Open the Layer Properties Manage Palette (allows you to adjust settings for layers)
MA/ MATCHPROPERTIES Copy properties of one object to another object
MOCORO Move, copy, rotate, and scale objects in one command
OVERKILL Remove overlapping or unnecessary objects from your artwork
PURGE Remove unused objects from the drawing
SC/ SCALE Change the scale of an object
SCALETEXT Change the scale of text
TEXTFIT Resize a paragraph of text so that it fits the required space
TEXTTOFRONT Bring captions to the front
TORIENT Change the direction of text
TR/ TRIM Cut a shape or line
UNITS Change the drawing unit settings
X/ EXPLODE Divide an object into individual components - that is, a polyline into simple lines
XBIND/ XB Link the definition of named objects in the xref to the current drawing

3D

Don't worry - the commands aren't specific to 2D work! If you're planning on taking your AutoCAD project into another dimension, there are plenty of commands that can speed up the process. Here's a quick rundown:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND DESCRIBE
3DALIGN Align a 3D object with another 3D block
BOX Create 3D box
FLATSHOT Convert 3D drawings to 2D images and view them from multiple angles
HELIX Create a spiral
IMPRINT Print 2D drawings onto 3D surfaces in artwork
INTERFERENCE Locate points in the drawing where 3D blocks 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 photorealistic images of 3D surface or solid models
SECTION PLANE Slice 3D objects along different planes
SOLID/ SO Create special quadrilaterals and triangles
SUBTRACT/ SU Combine or assemble selected 2D or 3D blocks, surfaces, or regions together by removing anything in between them
SURFPATCH Fill open areas of a surface
SURFTRIM Cutting surfaces in a work

Text and annotations

SHORTCUT/COMMAND

Full name

Describe

DT

Text

Create textbox to enter sentence

DRM

Drawing Recovery Manager

Now previous projects, in progress but unsaved 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 cad command, do the following:

Go to the Tool menu, select Customize Edit program parameters (here you will also see a list of shortcut commands).

For example:

COPY command: the shortcut is CO/CP, now if you want to change the word to something else: OC/PC for example (note that it must not be the same as the existing commands), find the COPY command line in the list, delete CO/CP, replace it with OP/PC, then Save in the command line Command : type the command REINIT SELECT pgp FILE OK

Now you type OC/PC as the copy command.

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