Tips & Tricks

• You will have noticed that many of the draw commands require the key on the keyboard to be pressed to end them. In AutoCAD, clicking the right mouse key and selecting "Enter" from the context menu has the same effect as using the key on the keyboard. Using the right-click context menu is a much more efficient way of working than using the keyboard.
• You can also use the key or right mouse click to repeat the last command used. When a command has ended, you can start it again by right clicking and selecting "Repeat command" from the context menu rather that entering the command at the keyboard or selecting it from the pull-down or toolbar. By this method it is possible, for example, to repeat the line command without specifically invoking it. The command sequence might be something like the one below.

Command Sequence

Command: LINE
Specify first point: (pick P1)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (pick P2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (right-click and select Enter)
Command: (right-click and select Repeat Line)
Specify first point: (pick P1)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (pick P2)
Specify next point or [Undo]: (right-click and select Enter)
Command: (right-click and select Repeat Line)…

You could continue this cycle as long as you needed, using only the mouse for input.

• You can change the Linetype of any of the objects created in the above tutorial. By default all lines are drawn with a linetype called "Continuous". This displays as a solid line. However, lines can be displayed with a dash, dash-dot and a whole range of variations. See the Object Properties tutorial for details.