4.

0 Editing Commands

4.1 Selecting Objects

To activate the editing command first you need to select the object. AutoCAD gives you several
methods to select the objects some of the very important methods explained as follows.

• By pointing – When “Select objects”, is prompted, a small square is appeared on the screen instead
crosshairs. What you have to do is just give a mouse click on which the object to be selected. Then
the object will be selected and appears in dashed lines.

Select A only
• By a Window – If you reply with “W” then you will be asked to give two opposite corners of a
window. Using this method you have to select the window such a way that the object is totally
enclosed by the window.

Selects D & E
• By a crossing Window – If you reply with “U” then you will be asked to give two opposite corners
of a window. Here, any object which enclosed or touched by the window will be selected.

Selects A,C,D,E
• Remove – Suppose you want to remove an object while you are selecting the objects. Then you can
remove that object by simply typing “R” and deselect the object by clicking on it.
• Add – After removing objects, you can return to select object prompt by typing “A”
• Fence – By typing “F” you can specify a fence. All the objects which crossed by the fence will be
selected. The fence is specified by giving points.
• Undo - Deselect the last selected object
• Last – Selects the last object drawn.
4.2 ERASE

Modify » Erase
This allows you to remove the selected objects from the AutoCAD drawing.
Command: _erase
Select objects: Pick an object to delete
Select objects: Pick an object or  to terminate the command

4.3 OOPS
This command restores the objects which have been erased by last ERASE command.

Command: oops

4.4 UNDO (cont+z)

This command simply undoes the previously executed command.

4.5 REDO (cont+y)

This command will activate after undo have been performed.

4.6 COPY

Modify » Copy
This command will enable user to create duplicates of the object without changing the original object.
(Without changing the position, dimension, properties, etc)
Command: _copy
Select objects: Select object to copy
Select objects: 
Specify base point or [Displacement] <Displacement>: Specify a base point
Specify second point or <use first point as displacement>: Specify the destination
Specify second point or [Exit/Undo] <Exit>: 

Copied objects
Base Point

4.7 MOVE

Modify » Move
This command will enable you to move selected objects after you specified the source and destination.

Command: _move
Select objects: Use one of the object selection method
Select objects: 
Specify base point or [Displacement] <Displacement>: Use one of the points fixing
method or displacement
Specify second point or <use first point as displacement>: Use one of the points
fixing method or press 
4.8 ROTATE

Modify ► Rotate
In two dimensional drawings, ROTATE command is used to rotate the objects about a specified angle.

Command: _rotate
Current positive angle in UCS: ANGDIR=counterclockwise ANGBASE=0
Select objects: Select the object
Select objects: 
Specify base point: Select a base point
Specify rotation angle or [Copy/Reference] <0>: Enter required angle

D C

A D

B A B
C
Original Object After rotating 90 deg

Base Point B
Angle of Rotation = 90
4.9 MIRROR

Modify ► Mirror
At times we need to create objects that are symmetrical about a particular axis. In such cases MIRROR
command comes in handy. Here you can either keep the original object or erase.

Command: _mirror
Select objects: Select the object
Select objects: 
Specify first point of mirror line: Use one of the points fixing method
Specify second point of mirror line: Use one of the points fixing method
Erase source objects? [Yes/No] <N>: choose your option or 
A A
C C F

AB = Mirror Line
Mirror Image = FGH

G
D E D E H
B B

Original Object
Mirror Image and
Original Object
4.10 OFFSET

Modify ► Offset
Offset creates a new object at a specified distance from a existing object or through a specified point.
The selected objects such as polygons, which are closed, might be get scaled up or down uniformly.

Command: _offset
Current settings: Erase source=No Layer=Source OFFSETGAPTYPE=0
Specify offset distance or [Through/Erase/Layer] <Through>: Specify a distance
Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <Exit>: Pick the object to offset
Specify point on side to offset or [Exit/Multiple/Undo] <Exit>: pick a point
Select object to offset or [Exit/Undo] <Exit>: 

4.11 BREAK

Modify ► Break
This command allows you to remove part of an object or break at a point.

Command: _break
Select object: select the object to be break
Specify second break point or [First point]: f 
Specify first break point: Use one of the point fixing methods
Specify second break point: Use one of the point fixing methods

P1 P2
Before break

4.12 SCALE After break

Modify ► Scale
Scale command enlarges or reduces the selected objects in the X, Y and Z directions.

Command: _scale
Select objects: Use one of the object selecting method
Select objects: 
Specify base point: Use one of the point fixing method
Specify scale factor or [Copy/Reference] <1.0000>: Enter scale factor

Scale Factor 0.5 Original Object

Scale Factor 2
4.13 ARRAY

Modify ► Array…
When you need to make multiply copies of an object ARRAY command comes in handy. After you
invoke the command it displays array dialog box where you can set the number of rows, number of
columns etc. Also it allows you to preview and modify the data set, prior to committing to the array.

Command: array

4.14 TRIM

Modify ► Trim
Using this command you can cut and erase objects (straight lines, arcs etc.) across the specified points
on that objects. This is useful when you want to ensure one object touches with the other one.

Command: _trim
Current settings: Projection=UCS, Edge=None
Select cutting edges...
Select objects or <select all>: Use one of the object selection method
Select objects: 
Select object to trim or shift-select to extend or
[Fence/Crossing/Project/Edge/eRase/Undo]: Select the object to be trimmed 

Objects to
Trim

Cutting
Edges

Before Trim After Trim

4.15 EXTEND

Modify ► Extend
EXTEND command elongates an object to a boundary. This command facilitates you to extend an
object to a boundary defined by other objects.

Command: _extend
Current settings: Projection=UCS, Edge=None
Select boundary edges...
Select objects or <select all>: Use one of the object selection method
Select objects: 
Select object to extend or shift-select to trim or
[Fence/Crossing/Project/Edge/Undo]: Select object to be extend 

4.16 STRETCH

Modify ► Stretch
Sometimes we encounter the situations where it is required to change the size of an object in one
direction only. In such situations, AutoCAD provides a command called STRETCH which stretches or
compresses the selected objects according to the user’s preference.

Command: _stretch
Select objects to stretch by crossing-window or crossing-polygon...
Select objects: Select objects by any crossing object selection method
Specify base point or [Displacement] <Displacement>: Use one of the points fixing
method
Specify second point or <use first point as displacement>: Use one of the points
fixing method

4.17 FILLET

Modify ► Fillet
This command allows you to create rounded edges between two objects. When you invoking the fillet
command you must remember to set the fillet radius by selecting the “Radius” option. Also you have to
decide whether you trim the edges by selecting “Trim” option.

Command: _fillet
Current settings: Mode = TRIM, Radius = 2.0000
Select first object or [Undo/Polyline/Radius/Trim/Multiple]: Select first object
Select second object or shift-select to apply corner: Select second object

4.18 CHAMFER

Modify ► Chamfer
This command is used to create bevel corners formed by two non parallel lines.

Command: _chamfer
(TRIM mode) Current chamfer Length = 2.0000, Angle = 60
Select first line or [Undo/Polyline/Distance/Angle/Trim/mEthod/Multiple]: Select
first object
Select second line or shift-select to apply corner: Select second object
4.19 JOIN

Modify ► Join
This command helps you to join the individual segments of lines, arcs, elliptical arcs and splines into a
single object.

Joining a line
Command: _join P1 P2
Select source object: Select the first object (P1)
Select lines to join to source: 1 found
Select lines to join to source: Select the second object (P2) Before
1 line joined to source Join

Joining an arc After

Command: _join Before
Select source object: Select the arc Join
Select arcs to join to source or [cLose]: L
Arc converted to a circle.

After
4.19 EXPLODE

Modify ► Explode
This command helps you to breaks a compound object into its component objects.

Command: _explode
Select objects: Select the object to be exploded
Select objects: 