Top 10 AutoCAD Commands Every Drafter Should Know

AutoCAD is full of powerful commands that every drafter should become familiar with. These commands can save you time and help you work more efficiently. Here’s a list of the Top 10 AutoCAD commands every drafter should know:

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1. LINE (L)

What it Does:

The LINE command allows you to draw straight lines between two points.

How to Use:

• Type L and press Enter.
• Click to specify the starting point, and then click again to specify the endpoint.
• Continue clicking to create additional line segments, or press Enter to end the command.

Why It’s Important:
It’s the most basic and widely used drawing command in AutoCAD.

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2. CIRCLE (C)

What it Does:

The CIRCLE command creates circles by specifying a center point and a radius or diameter.

How to Use:

• Type C and press Enter.
• Specify the center point of the circle by clicking in the drawing area or typing coordinates.
• Enter the radius or click a point to define the radius.

Why It’s Important:
It’s essential for drafting circular elements like pipes, wheels, or circular layouts.

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3. TRIM (TR)

What it Does:

The TRIM command trims or shortens objects to meet the edges of other objects.

How to Use:

• Type TR and press Enter.
• Select the cutting edge (the object you want the other objects to trim to).
• Select the objects you want to trim, and AutoCAD will automatically trim them to the cutting edge.

Why It’s Important:
It allows you to quickly clean up your drawing and remove unwanted parts of lines, arcs, or polylines.

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4. EXTEND (EX)

What it Does:

The EXTEND command extends objects to meet the edges of other objects.

How to Use:

• Type EX and press Enter.
• Select the boundary edge (the object you want the other objects to extend to).
• Select the objects you want to extend.

Why It’s Important:
It’s often used to elongate lines or curves to meet other elements in your drawing.

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5. COPY (CO)

What it Does:

The COPY command duplicates objects, creating a new copy at a specified location.

How to Use:

• Type CO and press Enter.
• Select the objects you want to copy.
• Specify a base point, then specify a second point or click to place the copy where needed.

Why It’s Important:
It’s useful for creating repeated elements such as windows, doors, or fixtures.

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6. MOVE (M)

What it Does:

The MOVE command allows you to move selected objects from one location to another.

How to Use:

• Type M and press Enter.
• Select the objects to move.
• Specify a base point, then select the destination point to move the objects.

Why It’s Important:
It’s a fundamental tool for rearranging objects within your drawing.

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7. OFFSET (O)

What it Does:

The OFFSET command creates parallel copies of objects at a specified distance.

How to Use:

• Type O and press Enter.
• Select the object you want to offset.
• Specify the distance to offset (positive or negative).
• Click to place the offset object.

Why It’s Important:
Great for creating parallel elements such as walls, roads, or offset curves.

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8. DIMLINEAR (DIMLIN)

What it Does:

The DIMLINEAR command creates a linear dimension between two points.

How to Use:

• Type DIMLIN or DIM and press Enter.
• Click the first and second points to measure the distance.
• Specify a location for the dimension line.

Why It’s Important:
It’s essential for adding measurements to your drawing to communicate the size and scale of objects.

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9. ZOOM (Z)

What it Does:

The ZOOM command allows you to zoom in or out on your drawing for better detail or a broader view.

How to Use:

• Type Z and press Enter.
• You can choose to zoom to specific areas (window), extents, or previous views.
• Alternatively, use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out.

Why It’s Important:
It helps you navigate the drawing area, whether you need to focus on details or get an overall view of the project.

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10. POLYLINE (PL)

What it Does:

The POLYLINE command creates a connected sequence of line segments or arcs as a single object.

How to Use:

• Type PL and press Enter.
• Click to specify the first point.
• Continue clicking to add vertices, or type C to close the polyline.

Why It’s Important:
Polylines are useful for creating continuous boundaries or complex shapes, and they’re easily editable.

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These 10 commands are some of the most commonly used and important in AutoCAD. Mastering them will help you improve your efficiency and speed as a drafter. As you gain more experience with AutoCAD, you’ll discover additional commands and tools, but these 10 are foundational for every drafter to know.