Basic command list

Graphic menu systems are fundamentally flawed.  Can you imagine playing a piano using only a mouse to select keys? The Keys to MYCADKEYS success are a substantial reduction in required keystrokes plus the use of ten fingers instead of one mouse.  (Think of the pianist – not only play with one

A truly “complete” list of all AutoCAD commands would be overwhelming and not very useful in practice. What you actually need is a complete list of important commands—the ones professionals use daily. Here’s a well-organized, practical master list 👇

🧱 1. Drawing (Create Objects)

These are your foundation commands.

  • LINE (L) – Draw straight lines
  • POLYLINE (PL) – Connected line segments
  • CIRCLE (C) – Draw circles
  • ARC (A) – Draw arcs
  • RECTANGLE (REC) – Create rectangles
  • POLYGON (POL) – Multi-sided shapes
  • ELLIPSE (EL) – Ellipses
  • SPLINE (SPL) – Smooth curves
  • DONUT (DO) – Filled circles/rings
  • POINT (PO) – Place reference points

✏️ 2. Modify (Editing Tools)

Used constantly for adjusting drawings.

  • MOVE (M)
  • COPY (CO)
  • ROTATE (RO)
  • SCALE (SC)
  • STRETCH (S)
  • TRIM (TR)
  • EXTEND (EX)
  • OFFSET (O)
  • MIRROR (MI)
  • ARRAY (AR)
  • FILLET (F) – Round corners
  • CHAMFER (CHA) – Bevel edges
  • BREAK (BR)
  • JOIN (J)
  • EXPLODE (X)

📐 3. Annotation (Text, Dimensions)

For documentation and presentation.

  • TEXT (DT) – Single-line text
  • MTEXT (T) – Multi-line text
  • DIM – Smart dimension tool
  • DIMLINEAR
  • DIMALIGNED
  • DIMRADIUS
  • DIMDIAMETER
  • DIMANGULAR
  • LEADER / MLEADER
  • DIMSTYLE (D) – Dimension styles

📏 4. Layers & Properties

Essential for organizing drawings.

  • LAYER (LA) – Layer manager
  • PROPERTIES (PR) – Object properties
  • MATCHPROP (MA) – Match properties
  • LINETYPE (LT)
  • LINEWEIGHT (LW)
  • COLOR (COL)

🎯 5. Selection & Inquiry

Helps you measure and inspect.

  • DIST – Measure distance
  • AREA – Calculate area
  • ID – Get point coordinates
  • LIST – Object details
  • SELECT (SE)
  • QSELECT – Quick select

🧭 6. View & Navigation

Control how you see your drawing.

  • ZOOM (Z)
  • PAN (P)
  • REGEN (RE) – Regenerate display
  • VIEW (V)
  • UCS – User coordinate system
  • PLAN – Reset view

🧩 7. Blocks & References

Crucial for reusable components.

  • BLOCK (B) – Create block
  • INSERT (I) – Insert block
  • WBLOCK – Write block to file
  • EXPLODE (X)
  • XREF – External references

📄 8. Layouts & Printing

For final output.

  • LAYOUT
  • MODEL / PAPERSPACE (MS / PS)
  • PLOT (CTRL+P) – Print
  • PAGESETUP
  • MV (MVIEW) – Create viewports

⚙️ 9. Advanced Productivity

These save serious time.

  • OSNAP (F3) – Object snap
  • ORTHO (F8) – Straight-line mode
  • POLAR (F10) – Angle tracking
  • DYNMODE (F12) – Dynamic input
  • SNAP (F9)
  • GRID (F7)

🔧 10. Express & Power Tools (Very Useful)

Often overlooked but powerful.

  • OVERKILL – Remove duplicates
  • BOUNDARY (BO) – Create regions
  • REGION (REG)
  • WIPEOUT – Hide parts of drawing
  • TORIENT – Rotate text
  • FLATTEN – Convert to 2D

🧠 What to focus on

If you’re learning, prioritize:

  • Drawing + Modify commands first
  • Then Layers + Annotation
  • Then Blocks + Layouts

That core set (about 60–80 commands) covers 90% of real-world drafting work.

Scroll to Top