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AutoCAD Commands – The Essential List

Preview of PDF AutoCAD Commands List - AutoCAD Commands The Essential List

We probably don't have to tell you that AutoCAD is one of the leading CAD programs available on the market today. Whether computer aided design is in your life as a business or a hobby, it's likely you rank this particular software fairly highly (if not top) in terms of its design capabilities.

If you've taken the plunge and purchased it for yourself, you'll soon find that it takes time to get to grips with everything AutoCAD has to offer. The sophistication of the technology, advanced user interface and sheer range of available tools can, understandably, be a little overwhelming at first.

For this article we're going to assume that you've had the opportunity to play around with AutoCAD, get comfortable with the interface and establish which tools will be most useful for your particular line of work.

Got the basics firmly under your belt? Great! Now it's time to take advantage of the AutoCAD commands. Yes, the folks behind the software know that there's a lot to take in, so they created handy shortcuts that enable you to navigate the controls with ease. Once a few of these commands become second nature, you'll be producing work in the most efficient way possible.

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About AutoCAD
What are AutoCAD commands?
AutoCAD commands: The essentials
- Basic actions
- Drawing
- Modifying
- 3D
AutoCAD commands: Final thoughts

About AutoCAD

AutoCAD is the flagship product of the software company Autodesk. Created in 1982 to enable the production of high quality 2D and 3D technical drawings, it was actually the first CAD software developed for PCs.

Though initially designed to cater to the mechanical engineering industry, the capabilities of AutoCAD have since expanded to suit a wide range of professionals including architects and animators.

Today, AutoCAD is considered to be one of the leading design programs available and has grown to be the most widely used CAD software out there. With new applications facilitating mobile-friendly options and use of cloud storage services, the software continues to evolve by integrating technological advancements.

What are AutoCAD commands?

At the bottom of the drawing screen in AutoCAD, you'll find the command window. Trust us: this handy little box is a lifesaver when you have lots of work to do and you're up against a deadline.

Infographic of AutoCAD commands and shortcut keys

Examples of AutoCAD commands that come with shortcuts

In the most basic terms, commands and shortcuts are words or letters that you type into the command window to produce an action. For example, if you wish to draw an arc, rather than searching for an arc among the tools, you could just use a command. In this case, type 'ARC' or even 'A' into the command window, press Enter, and an arc will appear.

Some commands come with shortcuts (a single letter alternative), while actions that are a little less common tend to require a command that is 3 or more letters long. AutoCAD recognizes hundreds of commands and, once you get more advanced, you can even customize the toolbar—adding or prioritizing the commands you find to be the most useful.

AutoCAD commands: The essentials

As you can imagine, given the vast capabilities of AutoCAD, there are a lot of commands available. Whether you're sketching designs, drawing up blueprints, or producing 3D models, there will be commands available to make the job easier. In the interest of saving time and space, this guide includes the ones that we deem to be the most useful. So, let's get started!

Basic actions

Before getting into the nitty gritty of drawing and modifying commands, it's important to get to grips with basic actions you require from most computer software. From pasting to spell check, here's a selection of commonly required instructions:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
AUDIT	Check and remove errors from your work
CLOSEALL	Close all of the open windows in AutoCAD
CLOSEALLOTHER	Close all open windows except for the one you are currently working on
CO/ COPY	Copy objects or text
DI/ DISTANCE	Find the distance between two point in a drawing
I/ INSERT	Insert (existing block or drawing as a block)
LIST	Access the properties of the different objects within a drawing
MATLIB	Import or export materials from a 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	Open the options window (contains the settings for AutoCAD)
PASTECLIP	Paste copied objects from clipboard into your work
PREVIEW	See how your work will be presented when printed
QSAVE	Autosave the file you're working on
RECOVERALL	Recover and repair a corrupted or damaged drawing
RO/ ROTATE	Rotate an object
SAVEALL	Save all of the open drawings in AutoCAD
SP/ SPELL	Perform spell check on selected text
ST/ DDSTYLE	Open the text style window
TIME	Access information such as the date you created a certain piece of work, or time spent editing a drawing

Drawing

This software is specifically designed with technical drawing in mind, so you'll find a wide range of geometric shapes and sketching capabilities at your disposal when working in AutoCAD. To save yourself the time of scrolling through the library every time you need a particular line or solid, learn some of these commands:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
A/ ARC	Create an arc
AREA	Find the area of closed or open shapes in a drawing
AR/ ARRAY	Make a rectangle, 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
GROUP	Group multiple objects into a single unit
HIDEOBJECTS	Hide selected objects in a drawing
HIGHLIGHT	Highlight a selected object in a drawing
ISOLATE	Hide all objects in a drawing except the one you have selected
L/ LINE	Create a simple line
MI/ MIRROR	Produce a mirror copy of an object
MLINE	Create multiple parallel lines
PL/ PLINE	Make a polyline
PO/ POINT	Create a single point within a drawing
POL/ POLYGON	Produce a polygon (you select the number of sides, from 3 to 1024)
QSELECT	Make a particular selection from your drawing according to applied filters, i.e – select all lines below a particular length
REC/ RECTANGLE	Create a rectangle
SKETCH	Draw a freehand sketch within a piece of work

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Modifying

Your first draft is complete—now it's time to play around with the properties and tweak your designs where necessary. For this stage, the following commands are sure to come in handy:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
BASE	Alter the base point of a drawing without changing its origin
BREAK	Create a break (or gaps) in objects at one or two points
BURST	Explode a block but retain its attribute settings and layer definition
CHA/ CHAMFER	Add slanted edges to sharp corners of objects
COPYBASE	Copy an object according to a base point
DIVIDE	Divide objects into multiple equal parts
F/ FILLET	Add rounded corners to the sharp edges of objects
LA/ LAYERS	Open the Layer Properties Manage Palette (which allows you to tweak the settings for layers)
MA/ MATCHPROPERTIES	Copy the properties of one object onto another
MOCORO	Move, copy, rotate and scale an object in one command
OVERKILL	Remove overlapping or unnecessary objects from your work
PURGE	Remove unused objects from a drawing
SC/ SCALE	Change the scale of an object
SCALETEXT	Change the scale of text
TEXTFIT	Alter the size of a piece of text so that it fits into the required space
TEXTTOFRONT	Bring annotations to the front
TORIENT	Change the orientation of text
TR/ TRIM	Trim a shape or line
UNITS	Alter the unit settings of your drawing
X/ EXPLODE	Break up an object into its individual components—i.e., a polyline into simple lines

3D

Fear not—the commands are not exclusive to 2D work! If you're taking your AutoCAD project to another dimension, there are plenty of commands that can speed up the process. Here's a brief taster:

SHORTCUT/ COMMAND	DESCRIPTION
3DALIGN	Align a 3D object with another 3D solid
BOX	Create a 3D box
FLATSHOT	Convert a 3D drawing into a 2D image and view it from multiple angles
HELIX	Create a helix
IMPRINT	Imprint a 2D drawing onto the face of a 3D surface within your work
INTERFERE	Locate points in a drawing where 3D solids intersect with one another
POLYSOLID	Create a 3D wall-like object
SECTIONPLANE	Section 3D objects along different planes
SURFPATCH	Fill open areas of a surface
SURFTRIM	Trim surfaces within a piece of work

AutoCAD commands: final thoughts

There you have it—an introduction to some of the most useful AutoCAD commands. They really can transform your experience of working with this software and improve overall productivity significantly. Plus, if you reach the level where you're able to customize the quick access toolbar, you'll end up with a program tailored to your particular style of work. Mastering the commands is therefore one of the best ways to get the most out of your investment in AutoCAD.

While our list is fairly comprehensive, should you wish to find more, Autodesk include a full guide to shortcuts on their website.