Most Useful AutoCAD Commands

In a nutshell, AutoCAD

Without CAD software, it's difficult to envision the architectural and technical marvels of recent memory. These days, CAD software is utilized to build nearly anything, and one of the most popular among architects and designers is AutoCAD. AutoCAD has transformed the design and engineering disciplines, with features and functionalities that outperform the competition. It may be used in practically any business.

The software, like many other things, is only as good as the hands who use it. To get the most out of AutoCAD, beginners must first learn how to utilize it effectively. Learning the most helpful keyboard shortcuts and instructions is a good start.

Commands versus. Shortcuts

Shortcuts and commands are two distinct concepts that are yet linked. The keyboard shortcuts and function key toggles are examples of shortcuts. These allow you to use AutoCAD to perform an operation or function without having to input anything. All you have to do is hit the keys in the right order, and the function will run.

Commands are a collection of words that perform a certain task. Unlike a shortcut, you must type the command in its entirety to run it. They're usually generally named for the function that they'll run. As a result, it's more convenient to use than shortcuts because you don't have to memorize certain combinations.

Uses

Using commands and shortcuts in AutoCAD is mostly for the aim of increasing productivity. They make it easier to complete tasks since you don't have to browse through the full AutoCAD interface for the necessary tool. Simply input the command and the function window will appear.

In AutoCAD, there are over 150 different shortcuts and instructions, and the sheer amount of them might be intimidating. As a result, we've developed a list of the most crucial ones for beginners to master. We'll be looking at several unique instructions that are incredibly useful in the design process, unlike other tutorials on the web that cover line, circle, and other very basic commands.

Shortcuts

The keyboard shortcuts are the most crucial shortcuts to be aware of. These combinations increase productivity and make it easier to use AutoCAD's interface. They also eliminate the tedious task of controlling your activities using the mouse.

Key Combinations

  • CTRL + 0 - When you press CTRL + 0 while viewing your drawing, you will be free of any distractions. By concealing all the pallets and tabs, it frees up more screen area. If you have a small screen, you should utilize this to view your drawings.
  • CTRL + N - In AutoCAD, use CTRL + N to start a new drawing. It may be used to start a new project at any point in the drawing. When you need to work on many drawings or models inside the same project but want individual windows for each, this shortcut comes in helpful.
  • CTRL + S - The shortcut CTRL + S should be used as much as feasible. It's a game-changer (in this case, drawing saver). Nobody wants to waste hours of sketching time due to a system upgrade gone wrong or any other accident. It's a good habit to develop to save the sketch after a few stages.
  • CTRL + O accesses previously saved drawings. It will help you save time by presenting drawings on your computer rapidly.
  • CTRL + SHIFT + C - A unique copy shortcut is CTRL + SHIFT + C. Unlike the standard copy command, which only enables you to replicate pieces of your drawing inside a single project, this shortcut allows you to copy drawings, blocks, and models across several projects.
  • CTRL + P - Your print settings are accessed by pressing CTRL + P. It may be used in any view on any design, and it will bring up the Plot Dialog box. It's typically utilized at the conclusion of a project when there are a lot of drawings to print.
  • CTRL + Q closes all of the AutoCAD drawings you've made. This shortcut allows you to exit directly to your desktop rather than closing each tab individually. It's especially helpful when you have a lot of drawings open in different tabs and want to finish up.
  • CTRL + A selects all of your drawing's components at once. If you're moving your drawing, duplicating it, or adding adjustments to it all at once, you should utilize it.

Commands

The command bar at the bottom of the screen is where you'll type your commands. AutoCAD proposes comparable commands that begin with the same characters as you write them in. Let's start with a few fundamental instructions that will assist you with the AutoCAD drawing interface.

Basic

  • AUDIT: Auditing your drawings on a regular basis can assist you avoid any unintentional errors that might later ruin your designs. This command should be used at frequent intervals to review any problems and remedy them immediately.
  • CLOSEALL: This command closes all of the open tabs and windows in your AutoCAD workspace. Unlike the previous shortcut, this one does not return you to the desktop but instead brings you to the AutoCAD main interface.
  • COPY: You don't need me to tell you how important this command is in all of your drawings. Use this one if you need to copy objects.
  • DIST: Dimensioning everything in your drawing isn't always doable. As a result, you can rapidly calculate the distance between two points in your design by using this command.
  • ARCTEXT: You can use this command to write in an arc shape. It may be used to add text to an existing arc or to make unusual appearances. This is one you should try!
  • CAL: It's nearly hard to sketch any drawing without first calculating some fundamental arithmetic. Often, the measurements you have are insufficient to create a great drawing. So, you can accomplish these things using AutoCAD without needing to use a calculator or switching windows. Simply type this command, and you'll be able to do simple tasks right on the command line.
  • OOPS: We've all had the experience of mistakenly deleting a whole drawing and doing a variety of operations on it. The UNDO command can be used; however it only reverses a limited amount of activities. Instead, the OOPS command may be used to quickly recover the whole artwork.
  • PREVIEW: Knowing how your drawing will be portrayed after it's done is always a smart idea. It is an excellent technique to examine the outcome if you preview it. It provides you a glimpse into the future, and you may change any components in the painting depending on that.
  • RECOVERALL: This command works similarly to the AUDIT command in that it allows you to recover the file as well as any other external references (xrefs) in your drawing. It's a useful command for correcting mistakes and restoring your drawing.
  • SAVEALL: Saving your continuing work is a smart habit to have. However, switching tabs and saving each sketch is tedious. As a result, to save you time (pun intended), this command saves all of the drawings and tabs in a project. You may be comfortable that all of your work is preserved this way, and you won't have to worry about it.
  • SPELL: In AutoCAD, we often use text to mark measurements, objects, and photos, among other things. While writing may be an instructive tool to tell the reader about the details of a painting, no one likes spelling mistakes. As a result, when you execute this command, it spell-checks the selected text and highlights any problems.
  • TIME: This command displays the amount of time you've spent on a painting. It displays all of the information about the drawing, from the time it was created to the time it was last changed. It's a useful tool for gathering data about your AutoCAD performance. This is also extremely beneficial when quoting a project's completion date.
  • LIST: This command displays information about a drawing element's numerous qualities, such as its length, radius, area, and center point.

Modifications

The following instructions will assist you in being more productive when sketching. They'll let you swiftly alter components of your artwork. Rather than manually picking each piece in the list, you just input a command to do the task.

  • CHAMFER: In AutoCAD designs, chamfer is one of the most regularly utilized features. It's used to draw an angled edge in the design, giving the model a more aesthetic appearance while also removing any harsh edges. This command can be used in both 2D and 3D graphics.
  • FILLET: Use the fillet command whenever you need a rounder corner in a design. This allows you to rapidly add a fillet to any of the selection's edges.
  • SCALE: One of AutoCAD's underappreciated but yet often utilized features is scale. In AutoCAD, you must constantly scale your drawings, xrefs, PDFs, and many other objects for a variety of reasons.
  • ALIGN: An often-overlooked tool, ALIGN will rapidly align the surfaces of two chosen objects instead of choosing and dragging them manually to a point. When you wish to line a couch chair to the edge of the wall, this command comes in handy.
  • BREAK: Use this command if you need to break off a specific chunk of a segment from a line. It allows you to select the line's breakpoints. As a result, rather than deleting the full line, BREAK simply deletes the specified piece.
  • ERASE: It's more frequent than you would think to sketch something and then erase it. This time-saving function allows you to delete whole components from drawings in a single operation.
  • EXTEND: You no longer need to drag the endpoint of one line to meet the endpoint of another line if you wish to link the edges of one line to the edges of another line. Simply choose the two lines and they will be linked immediately. The key advantage is that you may stretch numerous lines to meet a surface at the same time.
  • MIRROR: In symmetrical designs, this is useful. You can save a lot of time and ensure accuracy by just drawing one half and then mirroring the other half!
  • SCALETEXT: Unlike the usual SCALE command, which scales whole drawings and objects, this command just scales a drawing's text. It's generally a good idea to match your text's scale to the scale of your artwork.
  • GROUP: There are instances when you just need to copy, move, or change a little portion of a design on a regular basis. By grouping them all together, you may work on them all at once, saving you the time of having to choose each part individually.
  • TEXTFIT: This command automatically adjusts your text to fit within a certain space. You don't have to switch scales or check if the text fits in a box. Simply use this command to fit your content within the borders you choose.
  • TRIM: Shortens a line or removes any unnecessary edges. It's commonly used to remove any projecting lines and retain the drawing's bounds. The whole line in a drawing will be clipped up to the nearest edge when you execute this command.
  • PURGE: When working in AutoCAD, you could find yourself entering a lot of components and objects that you didn't utilize in the drawing. These items may generate unneeded errors as well as raise the file's total size. You can use this command to remove all of these components at once.
  • OVERKILL: It's really easy to stack many lines on top of one another. This is inefficient and may result in inaccuracies in the drawing's final output. Manually picking and removing each overlapping line might result in more mistakes and take a long time. This command allows you to eliminate any overlapping parts in your design while also informing you of the lines that have been removed.
  • LAYER: Layers are one of AutoCAD's many distinguishing characteristics. They essentially allow designers to create a drawing on several layers. A layer for dimensions, a layer for furniture, a layer for a floor plan, and so on might be created, for example. This command allows you to quickly access the Layer Properties Manager, which is essential for proper layer management.

Dimensions

We now go on to the dimensioning instructions after navigating and sketching. We all understand how important dimensioning is in a drawing. So, let's make things easy and save time by using these incredible instructions.

  • QUICKCALC: When dimensioning, the necessity to add, subtract, or multiply units frequently occurs. The calculator is the most important tool for every designer in instances like these. As a result, when you use this command, AutoCAD opens a new window with a built-in calculator.
  • DIMSTYLE: This command allows you to customize the appearance of the dimensions in your drawing.
  • DIMALIGNED: This command aligns the origin points of a line with a dimension. As a result, instead of a vertical height, you may dimension an inclined line's inclined height.
  • DIMANGULAR: Use this command whenever you need to enter angular dimensions in a design. It allows you to pick an angle's vertex and edges before displaying the angle's dimension.
  • DIMARC: This command, like the others, tells you the dimensions of an arc or a polyline. It's especially used in drawings to indicate the length of an arc.
  • DIMDIAMETER: I'm sure you've figured it out by now. This command allows you to give any circle in the design dimensions, precisely the diameter of the circle you've selected.
  • DIMEDIT: You can use this command to change existing dimensions, such as the position and orientation of dimensions you've assigned to an element. This is particularly useful for last-minute changes.