AutoCAD Shortcuts & Commands - Complete Guide
AutoCAD · Shortcuts & Commands
Overview
Ninety percent of AutoCAD speed comes from the keyboard.
This page pulls together the essential commands (aliases) that deliver the biggest payoff in the field, the power-user commands most users never discover, the function keys (F1–F12) and Ctrl combinations, and a strategy for making shortcuts truly your own.
Once you master acad.pgp alias customization, instant reload with REINIT, and the Enter/Space rhythm, mouse travel is cut in half.
1. Essential Commands (80+)
The tables below group commands you'll use daily, organized by function. Aliases are designed so they can be operated with the left hand alone wherever possible.
Draw
| Command | Alias | Description | Field Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINE | L | Line | With F8 (Ortho) ON, motion is locked to horizontal/vertical. Combine with Dynamic Input and use direction + distance for continuous drawing |
| PLINE | PL | Polyline | Always use PLINE for outlines that need area/perimeter calculations. A switches to arc segments, W sets width |
| CIRCLE | C | Circle | The TTR (tangent-tangent-radius) option is invaluable for clearance design |
| ARC | A | Arc | Three-point by default. Hold Ctrl to reverse arc direction |
| RECTANG | REC | Rectangle | Set Fillet/Chamfer values beforehand to draw rounded rectangles in one shot |
| POLYGON | POL | Regular polygon | Choose inscribed or circumscribed. Commonly used for bolt-head symbols |
| ELLIPSE | EL | Ellipse | Serves as an isometric circle in Isoplane mode |
| SPLINE | SPL | Spline | Fit or CV. Use CV for easier editing of free-form curves |
| HATCH | H | Hatch | Use -H to switch to command-line entry |
| TEXT | DT | Single-line text | Fast for repetitive label text |
| MTEXT | T / MT | Multi-line text | For notes and annotations. Supports field and symbol insertion |
| BOUNDARY | BO | Boundary polyline | Extracting boundaries as polylines before hatching makes editing more stable |
| REGION | REG | Region object | Used for area calculations and boolean operations |
Annotate
| Command | Alias | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DIMLINEAR | DLI | Linear (horizontal/vertical) dimension |
| DIMALIGNED | DAL | Aligned dimension |
| DIMANGULAR | DAN | Angular dimension (two lines or three points) |
| DIMRADIUS | DRA | Radius dimension |
| DIMDIAMETER | DDI | Diameter dimension |
| DIMCONTINUE | DCO | Continued dimension (extends last extension line) |
| DIMBASELINE | DBA | Baseline dimension (shared origin) |
| QDIM | - | Quick dimension: pick multiple points at once |
| DIM | - | Smart dimension (2017+). Auto-detects context |
| MLEADER | - | Multileader (arrow + text/block) |
| TOLERANCE | - | GD&T Feature Control Frame |
Tip DIM (smart dimension) previews the appropriate dimension type as soon as you hover the cursor over an object. On 2017 and later, binding just DIM to a shortcut replaces separate DIMLINEAR/DIMALIGNED shortcuts and handles 90% of cases.
Modify
| Command | Alias | Description | Field Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERASE | E | Delete | Use ALL to select everything, then filter conditionally |
| COPY | CO / CP | Copy | Multi-copy by default |
| MOVE | M | Move | |
| ROTATE | RO | Rotate | R (Reference) option: specify current angle, then align to target angle |
| SCALE | SC | Scale | Use R to scale by actual length — essential for tracing |
| MIRROR | MI | Mirror | Keep MIRRTEXT=0 to prevent text from being flipped |
| OFFSET | O | Offset | T (Through) for through-point, L to control layer inheritance |
| TRIM | TR | Trim | In 2021+ Quick mode, click or Fence directly without pre-selecting boundaries |
| EXTEND | EX | Extend | Shift+click toggles to Trim |
| FILLET | F | Fillet | Radius 0 → extends/cuts two lines to their intersection (unmatched for closing corners) |
| CHAMFER | CHA | Chamfer | Distance-distance or distance-angle |
| STRETCH | S | Stretch | Crossing selection required. Standard tool for adjusting wall lengths |
| LENGTHEN | LEN | Change length | Accepts % input too |
| BREAK | BR | Break | To break at one point, enter the same coordinate for both points |
| JOIN | J | Join broken segments | Merges polylines |
| EXPLODE | X | Explode | Reduces blocks/hatches/dimensions to primitive objects |
| ARRAY | AR | Array | RECT/POLAR/PATH. Associative by default |
| MATCHPROP | MA | Match properties | Format painter |
Tip FILLET with radius 0 is the most frequently used hidden technique in practice. Whether two lines overshoot or fall short, they meet at the intersection in a single step — faster than hitting EXTEND/TRIM twice.
Blocks & Attributes
| Command | Alias | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BLOCK | B | Define internal block |
| WBLOCK | W | Export block as external DWG |
| INSERT | I | Insert block |
| ATTDEF | ATT | Define attribute tag |
| EATTEDIT | - | Edit attribute values (double-click also works) |
| BATTMAN | - | Block Attribute Manager |
| ATTSYNC | - | Sync attribute changes |
| BEDIT | BE | Enter block editor |
| REFEDIT | - | Reference edit (in-place) |
Layers & Properties
| Command | Alias | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LAYER | LA | Layer Manager |
| LAYMCUR | - | Make selected object's layer current (recommended shortcut) |
| LAYCUR | - | Move object to current layer |
| LAYISO | - | Isolate selected layers |
| LAYOFF | - | Turn off selected layer |
| LAYFRZ | - | Freeze selected layer (performance boost) |
| LAYON / LAYTHW | - | Turn all on / Thaw all |
| LAYDEL | - | Delete layer (also deletes objects, unrecoverable — caution) |
| LAYMRG | - | Merge layers |
| LAYERP | - | Restore previous layer state |
| PROPERTIES | PR / CH | Properties palette (Ctrl+1) |
| QSELECT | QSE | Condition-based quick selection |
Xref & Collaboration
| Command | Alias | Description |
|---|---|---|
| XREF | XR | External References palette |
| XATTACH | XA | Attach Xref |
| XBIND | - | Bind symbols inside an Xref to the current drawing |
| XCLIP | - | Display only part of an Xref |
| ETRANSMIT | - | Package Xrefs, fonts, and CTBs into a ZIP |
Layout & Output
| Command | Alias | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LAYOUT | LO | Manage layouts |
| MVIEW | MV | Create viewport |
| VPCLIP | - | Change viewport boundary |
| MSPACE / PSPACE | MS / PS | Enter/exit viewport |
| PAGESETUP | - | Page Setup Manager |
| PLOT | Ctrl+P | |
| PUBLISH | - | Batch plot (multi-sheet PDF) |
| VIEWPORTS | VPORTS | Create multiple viewports |
Display & Utility
| Command | Alias | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ZOOM | Z | Z E (Extents), Z A (All), Z P (Previous) |
| PAN | P | Pan view |
| REGEN | RE | Regenerate (when circles/arcs look faceted) |
| REGENALL | REA | Regenerate all viewports |
| UNITS | UN | Unit settings |
| DSETTINGS | DS / SE | Snap/grid/polar |
| OSNAP | OS | Object snap settings (F3 toggle) |
| PURGE | PU | Clean up unused definitions |
| AUDIT | - | Integrity check |
| DIST | DI | Measure distance |
| AREA | AA | Calculate area |
| LIST | LI / LS | Object info |
| ID | - | Coordinates |
| QUICKCALC | QC | Quick calculator (Ctrl+8) |
2. Power User Commands (30+)
These are the hidden commands that collapse three clicks into one to reach the same result.
Engineers with 5+ years of experience feel the productivity gap here most acutely.
| Command | Benefit |
|---|---|
| OVERKILL | Automatically removes overlapping lines and duplicate objects. Essential for cleaning up PDF-to-DWG conversions |
| FLATTEN | Forces Z coordinates to 0 for true 2D. Decisive for processing survey DWGs |
| ALIGN | Move + rotate + scale in one step with 2 or 3 points |
| SELECTSIMILAR | Select all objects of the same layer/type at once |
| ADDSELECTED | Add a new object with the same properties as the selection |
| COPYBASE | Ctrl+Shift+C. Copy with base point — preserves accuracy when pasting into other drawings |
| PASTEORIG | Paste at original coordinates (Xref coordinate sync) |
| PASTEBLOCK | Ctrl+Shift+V. Paste as a block |
| NCOPY | Copy objects inside blocks/Xrefs without exploding |
| CHSPACE | Move between Model and Paper space with automatic scale correction |
| SPACETRANS | Calculate scaled distances across spaces |
| BURST | Explode a block while preserving attribute values as plain text |
| SUPERHATCH | Use blocks/images as hatch patterns (Express) |
| TEXTMASK / TEXTUNMASK | Mask the background behind text |
| TEXTALIGN | Align text (2015+) |
| TEXTFIT | Stretch/compress text to fit a width |
| TCIRCLE | Automatic circle/rectangle around text |
| CLIPIT | Clip any object by a boundary |
| MPEDIT | Batch PEDIT on multiple polylines |
| LAYWALK | Walk through layers one at a time for review |
| LAYERSTATE | Save layer on/off presets |
| DWGCONVERT | Batch convert DWG versions |
| EATTEXT / DATAEXTRACTION | Extract attribute/object data → BOM |
| COUNT | Tally blocks/objects (2022+) |
| QUICKMEASURE | Instant measurements by hover (2020+) |
| BLOCKREPLACE | Batch block replacement |
| TRACE | Translucent overlay drawing (2022+) |
| VIEWBASE | Generate 2D views from a 3D model |
Tip QUICKMEASURE, once you try it, almost replaces DIST. Just hover over an object and the gap, angle, and radius to neighboring lines appear instantly as numbers.
Note BURST is not the same as EXPLODE. If you EXPLODE a block that contains attributes (a title block, a room tag), the filled-in values revert to tag strings. Use BURST to preserve the filled-in values as plain text.
3. Function Keys (F1–F12)
| Key | Function |
|---|---|
| F1 | Help |
| F2 | Text window (command history) |
| F3 | Toggle object snap |
| F4 | Toggle 3D object snap |
| F5 | Cycle Isoplane (isometric plane) |
| F6 | Toggle Dynamic UCS |
| F7 | Toggle grid |
| F8 | Toggle Ortho |
| F9 | Toggle Snap |
| F10 | Toggle Polar Tracking |
| F11 | Object snap tracking |
| F12 | Toggle Dynamic Input |
Tip F8 (Ortho) and F10 (Polar) do not conflict when both are on. Ortho handles the default horizontal/vertical, while Polar kicks in at configured angles — perfect for a workflow of orthogonal drafting with occasional 45°/30° diagonals.
4. Ctrl Combinations
| Combo | Function |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+0 | Clean Screen (full screen, hides ribbon/palettes) |
| Ctrl+1 | Properties palette |
| Ctrl+2 | DesignCenter |
| Ctrl+3 | Tool Palettes |
| Ctrl+4 | Sheet Set Manager |
| Ctrl+6 | DB Connect |
| Ctrl+7 | Markup Set Manager |
| Ctrl+8 | QuickCalc |
| Ctrl+9 | Toggle Command Line |
| Ctrl+A | Select all |
| Ctrl+B | Snap |
| Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V | Standard copy/paste |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy with base point (COPYBASE) |
| Ctrl+Shift+V | Paste as block (PASTEBLOCK) |
| Ctrl+D | Toggle coordinate display |
| Ctrl+E | Cycle Isoplane |
| Ctrl+G | Grid |
| Ctrl+H | Pickstyle (group selection toggle) |
| Ctrl+J | Repeat last command |
| Ctrl+K | Insert hyperlink |
| Ctrl+L | Ortho |
| Ctrl+N / O / S | New / Open / Save |
| Ctrl+Shift+S | Save As |
| Ctrl+P | Plot |
| Ctrl+Q | Quit |
| Ctrl+R | Cycle viewports |
| Ctrl+T | Tablet |
| Ctrl+X | Cut |
| Ctrl+Y / Z | Redo / Undo |
| Ctrl+Tab | Switch between drawings |
| Ctrl+Page Up/Down | Cycle layout tabs |
Note Confusing Ctrl+C with Ctrl+Shift+C leads to disasters. In civil or infrastructure drawings with large coordinate values, copying without a base point pastes relative to the origin (0,0), creating objects tens of kilometers away. As a rule, cross-drawing copies should always use Ctrl+Shift+C → Ctrl+Shift+V.
Tip Ctrl+0 (Clean Screen) hides all ribbons and palettes, giving roughly 30% more drawing area. Especially useful for presentations and reviewing oversized drawings.
5. Customizing acad.pgp Aliases
If the default aliases don't suit your fingers, you can edit acad.pgp directly to match your own vocabulary.
- Location:
%APPDATA%\Autodesk\AutoCAD 202x\R2x.x\enu\Support\acad.pgp - Format:
Alias, *FULL_COMMAND(comma, asterisk, then the full command)
Example:
CC, *COPY
XX, *EXPLODE
ZZ, *ZOOMAfter editing, run REINIT for immediate reload without restarting. Or use Express Tools → Command Alias Editor for a GUI.
Tip For staff transitioning from other CAD tools (such as MicroStation), cloning a matching
acad.pgp is the quietest way to preserve their muscle memory. Just remember: if it conflicts with company standards it creates collaboration chaos, so keep a "personal pgp" on personal PCs only.6. Shortcut Strategy
Ten left-hand commands: L, C, E, M, CO, S, TR, EX, F, O.
These account for 90% of drawing time. Keep the right hand fixed on the mouse and design your posture so the left hand never leaves the left side of the keyboard.
Space instead of Enter: The spacebar doubles as Enter for confirming or repeating commands. One thumb stroke creates rhythm.
Repeat command: Pressing Enter or Space with no command active re-runs the last command. No need to retype when repeating.
Disable rollover tooltips: If the popups near the cursor bother you, set ROLLOVERTIPS=0.
Toggle coordinate display: Ctrl+D hides/shows the status-bar coordinate readout. Handy for presentation screenshots.
Field Checklist
- Have you locked F3/F7/F8/F10/F11 to your preferred defaults?
- Have you added at least five personal aliases to
acad.pgp? - Have you assigned shortcuts to
LAYMCUR,LAYISO, andLAYOFF? - Have you made Ctrl+Shift+C/V your habitual cross-drawing copy workflow?
- Have you lowered
SAVETIMEto 5 and confirmedISAVEBAK=1? - Have you assigned two-letter aliases to your frequent DIM/MLEADER commands?
- Are PURGE, AUDIT, and OVERKILL chained in a weekly maintenance script?
- Have you settled on DIM smart dimension to cover linear, angular, and radial?
→ See also: command reference, AutoLISP, and macro automation: /cad-tips/autocad/automation → See also: dimension, text, and multileader style management: /cad-tips/autocad/drawing-print/