Top 50 AutoCAD Shortcuts You Need to Know

RULESURF. Quickly creates a surface between two predefined curves. · Importing Block Definitions. After the INSERT command and selecting the file ... Top50AutoCADShortcutsYouNeedtoKnowAutoCADisoneofthemostusedengineeringprogramsacrosstheglobe.Herearethetop50AutoCADtricksandshortcutsfromaroundtheweb.TrevorEnglish|Nov18,2019Created:Nov18,2019innovationfadyukhin/iStockAutoCADisoneofthemostusedengineeringprogramsacrosstheworld,andit'slikelythatyouhavecomeincontactwiththeprogramsometimeinyourcareer.Thisweek,wepolledourQ&ACommunitytodiscoverwhichprogramseverydayengineerswereusingthemost.OtherthanMicrosoftExcel,whichwealreadyhaveanextensiveshortcutslistabout,AutoCADwasnextinline.ForalltheAutoCADusersoutthere,fromnewtoexpert,herearethetop50AutoCADtricks,commands,andshortcutsfromacrosstheweb.CHSPACEAllowsyoutomoveobjectsinadrawingfromlayouttomodelspacebychoosingaviewporttopushthetextorobjectsinto.Thisworksinbothdirections.BURSTBURSTallowsyoutoexplodeablock/object withoutlosinganyofitsattributes.NCOPYCopieslineworkorobjectsfromanestedobjectintoyourcurrentdrawing.EspeciallyusefulforbringingXREFlineworkintocurrentdrawings.OOPSOOPSdoesexactlywhatyouthinkitdoes,itfixesyourmistake(aslongasit'sadelete)nomatterhowfarbackitwas.InsteadofusingCTRL-Z,OOPSundoesyourlasterasecommandwithoutaffectinganyworkyouhavedonesincethen.FILEDIASettingthisvalueto1allowsdialogboxestoopeninAutoCAD,settingitto0meanseverythingisdoneinthecommandline.APPLOADAllowsyoutosetwhichapplicationtoloadinconjunctionwithopeningAutoCAD.WorkwithImagesInsteadofscalingandrotatingimageseachtime,simplyinserttheimageintoablankdrawingandsetitsposition,scale,androtation.Afteryourimageishowyouwantit,savethedrawing.Thisletsyouinsertthatimageasadrawing,insteadoftheimage,andallsettingsarekeptthesame.Especiallyusefulforimageslikecompanylogos,etc.R/REDRAWRefreshesthedrawingintheviewport.DIMBASELINECreatesadimensionthatstartsfromabaselineofearlierdimensionsthatislinear,angularorcoordinate.IDDisplayspointcoordinatesthroughoutyourworksheet.AutoscaleSettingYoucanadjustyourdefaultscalefactorbysettingtheAuxiliaryscalefactortoPlotScaleorDimscale.OVERKILLDeletesanyduplicateoroverlappingitems.PerfectfortheAutoCADperfectionistsoutthere.QDIMQuickdimensioncreationafterobjectselection.RECOVERRecoversadamagedfile.DefaultNOPLOTLayerCreatesalayercalledDEFPOINTS.Anythingonthislayerwillshowupinmodelandpaperspace,butwon'tplot.Perfectforaddingnotes.TORIENTOrientstexttoaspecifiedangleormostreadableangle.AlsoworksonBlockAttributes.RULESURFQuicklycreatesasurfacebetweentwopredefinedcurves.ImportingBlockDefinitionsAftertheINSERTcommandandselectingthefile,presstheESCkeyatyourfirstprompt.Definitionswillbekeptinyourdrawingtoreferencelater.SPELLForallthoseengineersouttherethatcan'tspell,usethistospellcheckallyourtext.(Usesyourcomputerlanguagesettings)XCLIPTrimsablock'svisibleareausingaboundaryline.Usethecommandfirst,thensetordrawtheboundary.UAquicker"undo"thanCTRLZ.StopREGENAfterPANFordrawingsnotcreatedbyyou,AutoCADcansometimesautoregenafteryoupanaround.Tokeepthisfromhappening,usetheVIEWREScommandandtypeYEStofastzooms,thensetyourzoompercentto200.MATLIBImportsandexportsmaterialstoalibrary.WIPEOUTAllowsyoutosetboundariesontopoflinesandobjectsthat"wipesout"everythingbehindit.Likeareversehatch.It'sagoodideatoputallyourwipeoutsononelayersoyoucanturnthemonandoffasyouwish.OneKeyShortcutWanttoknowalloftheonekeyAutoCADshortcuts?Autodeskputtogetherthisquickguidethatassemblesthemallintoonesheet.YoucancheckitouthereontheAutodeskwebsite,orbelow. Source:Autodesk ChangeYourMTexttoLowerCaseorUpperCaseInsteadofretypingMTextifyouforgottocapitalizeit,right-clickandselectCHANGECASE. OruseCTRL+SHIFT+U orCTRL+SHIFT+L,foruppercaseandlowercaserespectively.DIMROTATEDAlignsdimensionstoobjectsthatarestaggeredwhereDIMALIGNEDfallsshort.BOXCreatesa3Dboxanddefinesheight,depth,andwidth.COLORChoosesalayercolorforfutureobjects/lines/blocks.DIMALIGNEDCreatesadimensionalignedwithanaxisoraline.LIGHTLet'syoumodifythelightingeffectson3Dmodels.MLEDITEditsmultipleparallellinesatonce.PAGESETUPAllowsyoutosetupyourpaperinpaperspace.Usefulforchangingyourdesignedplotpapersize.ThisisoneofmymostusedAutoCADtricks.SKETCHCreatesfreehanddrawinglines.TIMEDisplaysallofthestatisticsofyourcurrentDWGfilelikecreationdate,lastupdate,andedittimes.3DSOUTExportsafilecompatiblewith3DStudio[.3ds].PREVIEWSimilartoprintpreviewinotherprograms,allowsyoutoseehowyourpaperspacedrawingwillplotwentsenttoaplotter.PFACECreatesa3Dmeshvertexbyvertex.SAVEALL&CLOSEALLThebest2commandsanengineercanhitattheendofhisorherworkday.MENUBARTogglesyoutotheoldstylemenubar.Ctrl+RChangesviewportsinpaperspace.BATTMANDoesnotsignalBatman.Changestheorderandpropertiesofblockdefinitions.FACETRESAdjustthesmoothnessofcurvesonasolid.QLATTACHAttachesleaderlinetoMTEXT.XDWGFADECTLQuicklychangesXREFsettingsbacktonormalbysettingthevalueat0.Willfix"faded"XREFsinyourdrawing.[see-also]IMAGECLIPLet'syou"crop"animageinyourDWG.CLASSICXREFIfyoumisstheoldstyleofXREFs,thisisforyou.SETBYLAYERSetspropertiesofselectedorallobjectstoBYLAYER.QSELECTLet'syoufilteryourselectiontocertainobjectsbyobjecttypeorothercriteria.BO/BOUNDARYIfyouwanttosplitanobjectinhalf,simplydrawalinethroughitandusetheBOUNDARYcommandineachhalftocreatecorrectlysizedpolylinesanderasetheoriginalobjects.IfyouarenewwithAutocad,thesebooksmightbehelpful.Also,takealookatnewAutodeskpromotions,dealsanddiscounts. SHOWCOMMENT(1)ForYouhealthEngineeredcellstoutedtotreatthemostaggressivecancersintheworldDr.Shahexplainedhowheandhisteammadesignificantadvancesintranslationalcelltherapy,successfullydevelopingcellulartreatmentsforcancer.BabaTamim|8/22/2022scienceThefutureofenergyhasasurprising'bigproblem,'environmentalistCarlPoperevealsLoukiaPapadopoulos|8/25/2022innovationAsuperherocyborgcockroachcouldhelpinrescueoperations-here'showBabaTamim|9/5/2022MoreStoriesscienceScientistsgrowplantsinsoilsamplescollectedfromtheMoonRupendraBrahambhatt|5/12/2022innovationDarkFutures:CouldWorldWarIIIStillHappen?MatthewS.Williams|9/9/2022cultureTurkeyhas'launched'theworld'sfirstkebabtospace.Withaheliumballoon?DeryaÖzdemir|4/13/2022