Last reviewed 16 Sept 2026 · 8 min read
Selecting objects
| Method | How | Selects |
|---|---|---|
| Pick (single) | Click on object | That object |
| Window | Drag from left to right (solid blue rectangle) | Objects completely inside the window |
| Crossing | Drag from right to left (dashed green rectangle) | Objects inside or touching (crossing) the boundary |
| Window/Crossing Polygon (WP/CP) | Type WP or CP at "Select objects" | Irregular polygon window/crossing |
| Fence (F) | Type F; draw a polyline | Objects crossed by the fence |
| Lasso | Click and drag (freeform) | Window or crossing lasso depending on direction |
| All (ALL) | Type ALL | All objects on thawed layers |
| Last (L) / Previous (P) | Type L / P | Last created / previous selection set |
| Remove | Shift + click (or R option) | Removes from selection |
| QSELECT | Dialog | Objects by type and properties (e.g. all circles on layer X) |
| SELECTSIMILAR | Right-click menu | Objects with similar properties |
Noun–verb selection (select first, then command) and verb–noun (command first) are both supported.
Basic modify commands
| Command | Function / key points |
|---|---|
| ERASE (E) | Deletes objects; OOPS restores the last erased set (even after other commands); UNDO/U reverses commands |
| MOVE (M) | Base point → second point (or displacement) |
| COPY (CO/CP) | Base point → second point; multiple copies by default; Array option for linear copies |
| ROTATE (RO) | Base point and angle (anticlockwise positive); Reference option — rotate from a known angle to a new angle; Copy option |
| SCALE (SC) | Base point and scale factor (>1 enlarges, <1 reduces); Reference option — reference length → new length (e.g. scaling a scanned plan); Copy option |
| MIRROR (MI) | Mirror line (two points); option to erase source. System variable MIRRTEXT = 0 keeps text readable (not reversed) |
| OFFSET (O) | Parallel copy at a distance or Through a point; options Erase source, Layer (current or source), Multiple; circles → concentric circles; polylines offset as a whole |
| STRETCH (S) | Moves vertices inside a crossing window while keeping connections; objects fully inside are moved; used to lengthen/shorten walls and change building dimensions |
| LENGTHEN (LEN) | Changes length of lines/arcs — Delta, Percent, Total, Dynamic |
| ALIGN (AL) | Moves, rotates and optionally scales objects using pairs of source/destination points |
| EXPLODE (X) | Breaks compound objects (polylines, blocks, dimensions, hatches, regions) into components |
| MATCHPROP (MA) | Copies properties (layer, colour, linetype, lineweight, text/dim styles, hatch) from a source object to others |
ARRAY
| Type | Description | Parameters |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular (ARRAYRECT) | Rows and columns (and levels in 3D) | Number of rows/columns, row spacing and column spacing (negative values go down/left) |
| Polar (ARRAYPOLAR) | Copies around a centre point | Number of items, angle to fill (360° default), angle between items, rotate items option |
| Path (ARRAYPATH) | Copies along a path (line, polyline, arc, spline) | Measure (spacing) or divide (count), align items to path |
- Arrays are associative by default — editable as a group (ARRAYEDIT); can be exploded.
- Uses: columns on a grid, bolt holes, stair treads, fence posts, chairs around a table, piles in a group.