AutoCAD: The most important commands at a glance

With AutoCAD you have a powerful drawing and planning tool. Use it particularly effectively if you know the right commands. We explain what you need to know.

The main commands for AutoCAD

To activate a command, simply enter it in the input line and confirm by pressing the [Enter] key. Conveniently, instead of the actual command, a short form is sufficient - instead of pushing S, for example, which you then also confirm with [Enter].

• pan (P) - Your mouse pointer turns into a mobile phone symbol, which you can use to move the image section while holding down the left mouse button.
• slide (S) - With "slide" you move the selected objects in any direction.
• rotate (DH) - Select a central pivot around which you can rotate the selected objects.
• zoom (ZO) - With "Zoom" you enlarge or reduce the view of the working surface with your mouse wheel.
• scale (V) - scaling, on the other hand, changes the size of the selected objects.
• Mirror (SP) - Mirror an object via a mirror axis that you have defined.
• line (L) - With "Line" you create a straight line.
• circle (K) - This creates a circle accordingly.
• rectangle (RE) - This command creates a rectangle.
• delete (LÖ) - Remove the selected objects using the "Delete" command.
• copy (KO) - With "Copy" you can multiply selected objects as often as you like.
• mtext (MT) - Creates a text field for multi-line text. For a simple line you only have to enter "text".
• Clean Up (BE) - When you clean up a drawing, you remove unnecessary objects that strain the database.
• regen (RG) - It may always be necessary to recalculate or regenerate the graphic output with this command after changes.
• distance (AB) - It is important to know the scale, especially when drawing from other people. This can be easily found with a distance and two reference points.

It is best to implement these commands directly in practice. We'll explain the AutoCAD practice options.