Understanding Autocad 2d commands is central to working with the software. There are several methods of issuing commands in Autocad – we explore them all in our Autocad 2d courses.
Everything in Autocad is achieved by issuing a command. There are four ways to do this: by using a tool from the toolbar; by choosing from the pull-down menus at the top; by typing a command word or letter in the Command line, and by right-clicking in the drawing window. In the end, it’s a matter of preference which method you use, although some commands may only be entered in the Command line at the bottom of the screen.
Situated at the bottom of the screen, the Command window (or Command Line) is an extremely important feature. Its origins are from Autocad’s beginnings as an MS-DOS program. All commands can be executed here by simply typing in the blue capitalized letter of the prompt, for example “L” for Line or “C” for Circle. And all commands must be followed by hitting Enter. Autocad then asks for data like “where do you want to start the line from?” or “what is the radius of the circle?” Or you may press Enter to apply a default which is in square brackets. Commands may be cancelled by hitting the Escape key at the top left of your keyboard. You may also complete a command by pressing the right-hand mouse button and choosing “Enter”. Note that the Command Line is not case-sensitive. Even if you use a menu item or toolbar button to initiate a command, a response or option may still be required on the Command line.
For a fast and efficient workflow, some important functions may be accessed using the modifier F and Alt keys: F1 for the Help section, F2 for the Text Screen, F3 for Object Snap, F5 for scrolling through isoplanes, F7 for Grid, F8 for Orthogonal drawing, F9 for Snap to Grid, F12 for Dynamic Input Entry. The Alt+key shortcuts open up the Menu choices, eg.Alt+F for the File menu, etc. The following commands may be entered into the Command window. You can type in the whole word or simply the abbreviated letters, followed by Enter: L for Line; C for Circle; A for Arc; E for Erase; M for Move; CP for Copy; O for Offset; TR for Trim; F for Fillet; C for Close; MI for Mirror; ID to find a point’s coordinates. Most of these shortcuts are the same on a Mac; some are slightly different.
More information on all features of Autocad can be found at the AutoDesk website. And see many examples of our clients’ work on our Facebook page.
Other related Autocad 2d Blog Posts:
Autocad 2d commands
Jul26