AutoCAD LT tools and functions

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The command line is one of the most

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unique and recognizable components of the interface.

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The command line is where you will

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see instructions and options when using commands,

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for example, on the home ribbon

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in the draw panel, click the line tool

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on the command line. The program prompts you to specify the first point of the line.

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Once you click to pick that point,

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the prompt changes

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now on the command line, it states specify next point or undo

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and notice that the word undo is inside square brackets,

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click to pick some additional points.

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Once you have drawn two line segments,

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the prompt in the command line changes.

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It still states specified next point,

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but inside the square brackets it now states close undo

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and those words have a gray background.

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The words inside the square brackets are options

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And most commands display one or more options.

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When options are available,

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you can choose one of those options by either typing the capital letter in this case,

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C.

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Or you

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by right clicking and choosing the desired option from the shortcut menu.

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By pressing the down arrow key and choosing the desired option

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or by clicking the option right in the command line.

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For example, click the close option

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to create one more line segment from the end point of the

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second line back to the starting point of the first line segment.

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This also ends the line. Command.

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The command line is actually a command window

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that is initially anchored to the bottom of the drawing area.

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You can click and drag this window and anchor

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it at the top or bottom of the drawing window

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when anchored.

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If you drag the file tab to float the drawing window,

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the command window stays with the act of drawing window.

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You can also drag the command window so that it becomes a floating window.

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When floating.

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The command window maintains its position. When you change the Act of drawing

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right click the drawing title bar and select move to file tab

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to return the floating drawing window back to the file tabs

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again. Since the command window is floating, it maintains its position,

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drag the command window and anchor it back at the bottom of the Act of drawing window.

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You can also dock the command window

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to do this,

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drag the command window to the bottom of the program window

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when you do

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the command window expands,

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it now displays three lines of information and takes

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up space that could otherwise be used by the drawing

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note that you can also dock the command window to the top of the program window,

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drag the command window so that it is once again floating

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and then anchor it back to the bottom of the drawing window.

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When floating or anchored.

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The command window displays just a single line

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which helps maximize the drawing area.

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Most users prefer this arrangement,

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although the command window now shows just one line of information

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as you use various commands. You see multiple lines of command prompts

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as a semi transparent extension without affecting the drawing area.

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For example when you start the line tool,

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the current prompt appears in the command window,

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but as you select points,

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those previous prompts scroll up into the semi transparent area.

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Once you end the command,

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the prompt history eventually fades away.

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You can press the F two key or click the arrow at the right most edge

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of the command window to expand the command

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line to see additional command line history,

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you can then scroll forward and back within this command history,

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press F to

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click the arrow again or click anywhere else in the program window

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to collapse the command window,

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you can also anchor the command window to the right or

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left edge of the program window or to a docked palette.

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For example on the home ribbon in the layers panel,

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click the layer properties button to open the layer, Properties Manager palette,

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right click the palette title and choose anchor left,

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then

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drag the command window and anchor it to the edge of the palette.

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When you move the cursor over the palate,

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the palate expands and covers the command line.

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Right click the palette title and turn off auto hide.

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Now the command line remains snap to the edge of the palate.

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If you resize the palette,

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the command line stays snap to the edge of the palette.

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When you close the palette,

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the command line snaps to the edge of the program window,

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drag the command window and anchor it back to the bottom of the drawing area.

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A quick glance at the command line indicates whether a command is active or not.

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When no command is active,

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the command line states type a command.

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When a command is active, the command name appears along with its command icon,

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for example, click the line tool again to start the line command

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on the command line, you can see the name of the command and its command icon.

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You can click the command icon to view and launch. The most recently used commands

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press escape to cancel the command.

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Even when no command is active,

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you can still access the most recently used commands.

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You can also close the command line window by clicking the close button. When you do

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the program displays a warning dialog asking if you

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really want to close the command line window.

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It also tells you that you can display

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the command line window again by pressing control nine

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click yes to close the command line.

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Although you closed the command line window,

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there is still a separate command line text window that you can access at any time.

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By pressing the F2 key

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In this window.

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You see the command line as well as up

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to 400 lines of previous commands and command prompts.

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You can select text within this window,

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copy it to the Windows, clipboard

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and then paste that text back to the command line or even into a word document.

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Press F two to close the text window or simply click it's close button,

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Then

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press control 9

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to restore the command line window to its previous location.

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If you wish,

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you can lock the user interface to prevent the command line from being relocated.

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The tools for locking the user interface appear on the status bar,

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but by default,

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these tools are not initially visible

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on the status bar, expand the customization menu

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and select lock Ui

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to add the lock ui tool to the status bar,

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then click away from the menu to close it.

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The lock user interface tool now appears on the status bar

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but is initially toggled off,

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click the arrow adjacent to the lock user interface tool

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to display its shortcut menu.

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The Menu has four options.

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Floating toolbars slash panels prevents you

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from moving any toolbar or ribbon panel

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that is currently floating

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docked toolbars, slashed panels

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prevents you from moving any toolbar or ribbon panel

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that is currently docked

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floating windows prevents you from moving any palette that is currently floating

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and docked Windows prevents you from moving any palette

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that is currently docked or angered

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in the shortcut menu. Select floating windows and docked windows

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so that check marks appear adjacent to those options

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and then click away from the menu To close it,

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notice

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that the lock user interface tool is now

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toggled on as indicated by its blue background

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when you move the cursor over the tool.

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The tool tip also shows you that lock user interface is on.

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Now try to move the command line window

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when you do you see a small red circle with a line through it

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indicating that you cannot undock the palate.

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When the Ui is locked

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and docked Windows is selected,

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you cannot undock a docked window

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however, you can temporarily unlock a window,

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Press the control key and then try to drag the command line window.

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As long as you press the control key, you can move it

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now that the command line window is floating.

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Release the control key and try to move it

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again. You see the icon indicating that you cannot relocate the window

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when the Ui is locked and floating window is selected,

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you cannot move a floating window.

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But again you can press the control key

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to temporarily unlock the Ui and then relocate the window.

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You can toggle off lock user interface

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in order to move any user interface element freely.

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Or you can leave lock user interface enabled

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but toggle off floating windows and docked windows

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so that you can once again relocate any window without restriction.

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In this case on the status bar, toggle off lock user interface,

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then expand the customization menu and click lock Ui

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to toggle off the display of the lock user interface tool

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being able to lock the user interface helps ensure

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that various tools remain where you have placed them

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but it does not completely prevent them from being moved.

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you can zoom in and out within a drawing

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zooming in and out does not change the size of the objects in the drawing,

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it changes only the magnification of the view.

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Perhaps the easiest way to zoom is to use the roller wheel on the mouse,

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move the mouse to position the cursor over a point in the drawing

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and then roll the wheel.

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When you roll the wheel up or away from you,

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you zoom in.

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When you roll the wheel down or towards you, you zoom out.

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Each click of the roller wheel changes the magnification by a preset increment.

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You can also use the roller wheel to move or

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pan around in the drawing without changing the current magnification.

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Press and hold the wheel and then move the cursor

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to move around within the drawing

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to zoom back out so that you can see the entire drawing.

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Double click the roller wheel.

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The program immediately zooms out to the drawing extents so

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that the entire drawing fits within the drawing window.

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You can adjust the behavior of the roller

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wheel by adjusting the zoom wheel system variable

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type zoom wheel

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and press enter.

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When the zoom wheel value is zero.

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Rolling the wheel forward or away from you zooms in

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and rolling the wheel backwards or toward you zooms out.

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If you change the zoom wheel value to one,

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this is reversed

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with a zoom wheel value of one, rolling the wheel forward or away from you zooms out,

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whereas rolling the wheel backwards or toward you zooms in.

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Typically you should leave the zoom wheel value set to zero,

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but in autodesk inventor,

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the behavior of the wheels reversed

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an inventor rolling the wheel toward you, zooms in

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and rolling it away from you, zooms out.

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If you often use inventor,

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you may want to change the behavior of the roller wheel to match that of inventor.

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Otherwise,

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simply leave the Zoom wheel value set to zero.

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when you create objects,

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it is important to distinguish how the properties of the objects are assigned

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the current properties for any new object that you create

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are shown in the properties panel on the home ribbon.

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The first control determines the color,

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which is typically set to bi layer.

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The second control determines the line weight,

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which is also typically set to bi layer.

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The current line type is set to bi layer

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and the current transparency is also set to buy layer,

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objects created with their properties set to by

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layer will take on the color line weight,

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line type and transparency assigned to the layer on which they are created.

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If you set these properties to anything other than by layer

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then that property will be assigned to the object explicitly.

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In other words,

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the property will not be controlled by the layer on which the object is created.

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So

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when you create an object,

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you can determine when you create it whether you want its color

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line type, line,

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weight and transparency assigned based on the property of the layer

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or by choosing from one of these property dropdowns,

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you can assign a particular color

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line weight

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line type or transparency explicitly to the object.

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Typically you should assign color line weight line type and transparency by layer

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so that the objects you create take on the properties

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assigned to the layer on which they are created.

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But if you wish, you can assign these properties explicitly

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to the object,

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in which case the color

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line weight

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line type or transparency assigned to the object overrides that

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of the layer on which the object is created.