TIPSAutoCAD Keyboard Modifiers

Even as Autodesk works to make AutoCAD more interactive, the company is also adding more keyboard modifiers. Trolling the Web, I came across two that I didn't know about:

Ctrl+Shift

Credit Autodesk's Heidi Hewitt for this shortcut that acts like AutoCAD 2007's PressPull command:

1. Draw a closed 2D object, like a circle, and then change to a 3D viewpoint.
2. Move the cursor inside the circle.
3. Hold down Ctrl+Shift. (Notice that AutoCAD highlights the circle; on the command line, it reports "1 loop extracted. 1 Region created.")
4. Move the cursor. (Notice that the circle turns into a 3D solid cylinder.)

Notice that this key combo automatically creates a region of the circle.

Ctrl for Increments

The Ctrl key is used for several different things in AutoCAD, and credit CAD Tutor's Michael Beall for uncovering yet another one: setting an increment distance during copying by grips editing. Effectively, these steps create linear and "random" arrays:

1. Draw an object, like a circle.
2. Select it to show the grips; select a grip to make it hot (red).
3. Press the spacebar to get to Move mode.
4. Press C to switch to copy mode.
5. Move the cursor to show the direction.
6. Enter a number to specify the copy distance.
7. Hold down the Ctrl key.
8. Move the cursor. Notice that the object jumps (moves in increments).
9. Click to place the object.
10. Repeat: move cursor and click.
11. When done, press Esc.

Notice that you are not limited to linear copies, but can place the copies in any direction.

Visio has a similar increment feature, but operates more easily: after you copy an object, press F4. Visio makes another copy at the same distance and direction; repeat pressing F4 for as many copies as you need. This makes it easy to quickly place lots of objects that are evenly spaced apart.

Comments

[Rick]

In ADT it's Cntrl + Alt for the press-pull function