AutoCAD commands list with shortcuts — every alias a drafter uses
This is the list of AutoCAD commands and their shortcut aliases that a drafter types every day — 98 of them, grouped the way you use them: draw, modify, text and dimensions, layers, blocks and references, view and plot, and 3D. Type the alias at the command line and press Enter or Space.
The last column says how each one behaves in IndoCAD, the free browser CAD inside CivilOS, which takes the same aliases. Where IndoCAD gives a letter to something else (ST is a stair there, D starts a dimension), the table says so, and the full command name still works.
Draw commands
| Alias | Command | What it does | In IndoCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | LINE | Straight lines, one after another | Same |
| PL | PLINE | One joined polyline of straight and arc pieces | Same |
| C | CIRCLE | Circle by centre and radius, 2P, 3P or TTR | Same |
| A | ARC | Arc by three points or start–centre–end | Same |
| REC | RECTANG | Rectangle from two corners | Same; R also works |
| POL | POLYGON | Regular polygon | Same |
| EL | ELLIPSE | Ellipse by axis and distance | Same |
| SPL | SPLINE | Smooth curve through points | Same |
| XL | XLINE | Construction line of infinite length | Same |
| PO | POINT | A point object | Same |
| DO | DONUT | Filled ring or dot | Same |
| H | HATCH | Fill a closed area with a pattern | Same |
| REG | REGION | Turn a closed shape into a region | Same |
| ML | MLINE | Parallel double lines | Double line |
| REVCLOUD | REVCLOUD | Revision cloud | Same (RC) |
Modify commands
| Alias | Command | What it does | In IndoCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| M | MOVE | Move objects | Same |
| CO / CP | COPY | Copy objects | Same |
| RO | ROTATE | Rotate about a base point | Same |
| SC | SCALE | Scale about a base point | Same |
| MI | MIRROR | Mirror about a line | Same |
| O | OFFSET | Parallel copy at a distance | Same |
| TR | TRIM | Trim to cutting edges | Same |
| EX | EXTEND | Extend to boundary edges | Same |
| F | FILLET | Round or square a corner | Same |
| CHA | CHAMFER | Bevel a corner | Same |
| AR | ARRAY | Rectangular, polar or path array | Same |
| X | EXPLODE | Break a block or polyline into parts | Same |
| J | JOIN | Join lines and arcs into one | Same |
| BR | BREAK | Break an object between two points | Same |
| S | STRETCH | Stretch with a crossing window | Same |
| E | ERASE | Delete objects | Same |
| LEN | LENGTHEN | Change the length of a line or arc | Same |
| AL | ALIGN | Move and rotate to match two points | Same |
| PE | PEDIT | Edit a polyline | Same |
| MA | MATCHPROP | Copy properties from one object to others | Same |
Text and dimensions commands
| Alias | Command | What it does | In IndoCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| T / MT | MTEXT | Paragraph text | Same |
| DT | TEXT | Single-line text | Same |
| ED | DDEDIT / TEXTEDIT | Edit text | Same |
| MLD | MLEADER | Leader with a note | Same |
| DLI | DIMLINEAR | Horizontal or vertical dimension | Same |
| DAL | DIMALIGNED | Dimension parallel to the object | Same |
| DAN | DIMANGULAR | Angle dimension | Same |
| DRA | DIMRADIUS | Radius dimension | Same |
| DDI | DIMDIAMETER | Diameter dimension | Same |
| DCO | DIMCONTINUE | Chain of dimensions | Same |
| DBA | DIMBASELINE | Dimensions from one baseline | Same |
| DOR | DIMORDINATE | Ordinate dimension | Same |
| DAR | DIMARC | Arc-length dimension | Same |
| D | DIMSTYLE | Dimension style manager | D starts a dimension; type DIMSTYLE or DST |
| ST | STYLE | Text style | ST draws a stair; type STYLE |
| SP | SPELL | Spell check | Same |
| TOL | TOLERANCE | Geometric tolerance frame | Same |
| TABLE | TABLE | Insert a table | Same (type TABLE) |
Layers and properties commands
| Alias | Command | What it does | In IndoCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA | LAYER | Layer manager | Same |
| LAYISO | LAYISO | Isolate the layers of selected objects | Same |
| LAYOFF | LAYOFF | Turn off a picked object's layer | Same |
| LAYFRZ | LAYFRZ | Freeze a picked object's layer | Same |
| LAYLCK | LAYLCK | Lock a picked object's layer | Same |
| LAYMCH | LAYMCH | Move objects to a picked object's layer | Same |
| LAS | LAYERSTATE | Save and restore layer settings | Same |
| PR / MO | PROPERTIES | Properties palette | Same |
| LT | LINETYPE | Linetypes | Same |
| LW | LWEIGHT | Lineweights | Same |
| LTS | LTSCALE | Global linetype scale | Same |
Blocks and references commands
| Alias | Command | What it does | In IndoCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | BLOCK | Define a block | Same |
| I | INSERT | Insert a block | Same |
| W | WBLOCK | Write a block to a file | Same |
| ATT | ATTDEF | Define an attribute | Same |
| ATE | ATTEDIT | Edit attribute values | Same |
| BE | BEDIT | Block editor | Opens REFEDIT (edit in place); no dynamic blocks |
| XR | XREF | External references palette | Same |
| XA | XATTACH | Attach a drawing as a reference | Same |
| XB | XBIND | Bind a reference into the drawing | Same |
View, enquiry and plot commands
| Alias | Command | What it does | In IndoCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z | ZOOM | Zoom | Z zooms to fit; ZW zooms to a window |
| P | PAN | Pan | Same |
| RE | REGEN | Regenerate the drawing | Same |
| V | VIEW | Named views | Same |
| DI | DIST | Distance between two points | Same |
| AA | AREA | Area and perimeter | Same |
| LI | LIST | List an object's data | Same |
| MEA | MEASUREGEOM | Measure distance, radius, angle, area | Same |
| CAL / QC | QUICKCALC | Calculator | Same |
| LO | LAYOUT | Paper-space sheet | Same |
| MV | MVIEW | Viewport on a sheet | Same |
| PLOT | PLOT | Plot the drawing | Same (PW plots a window) |
| PRE | PREVIEW | Plot preview and page setup | Same |
3D and constraints commands
| Alias | Command | What it does | In IndoCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXT | EXTRUDE | Extrude a closed shape into a solid | Same |
| REVOLVE | REVOLVE | Revolve a shape about an axis | Same (type REVOLVE; REV reverses a line) |
| UNI | UNION | Join solids | Same |
| SU | SUBTRACT | Subtract one solid from another | Same |
| IN | INTERSECT | Keep the common part | Same |
| SL | SLICE | Slice a solid with a plane | Same |
| PP | PRESSPULL | Push or pull a bounded area | Same |
| 3DO | 3DORBIT | Orbit in 3D | Same |
| GCON / GCH / GCV | GEOMCONSTRAINT | Geometric constraints | Same |
| AUTOC | AUTOCONSTRAIN | Constrain a shape automatically | Same |
| DCON | DIMCONSTRAINT | Dimensional constraint | Same |
| PAR | PARAMETERS | Parameters manager | Same |
Function keys and Ctrl shortcuts
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| F1 | Help |
| F3 | Object snap on/off |
| F5 | Next isoplane (while isometric drafting is on) |
| F7 | Grid on/off |
| F8 | Ortho on/off |
| F10 | Polar tracking on/off |
| F12 | Dynamic input on/off |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | Undo / redo |
| Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V | Copy, cut, paste |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy with a base point |
| Ctrl+Shift+V | Paste as a block |
| Ctrl+A | Select all |
| Ctrl+1 | Properties |
| Ctrl+O | Open a drawing |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| Ctrl+P | Plot |
| Ctrl+0 | Clean screen |
Tips that save the most time
- Space bar repeats the last command and also ends one, the same as Enter.
- Type coordinates instead of clicking:
@3000,0is 3 m to the right of the last point,@3000<90is 3 m straight up. - Override a snap for one pick by typing END, MID, CEN, INT, PER or NEA when a point is asked for.
- Learn the modify set first. M, CO, RO, O, TR, EX, F and MI are most of a day's drafting.
AutoCAD is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc. CivilOS and IndoCAD are not affiliated with Autodesk. The aliases listed are AutoCAD's standard ones; an office's own acad.pgp file can change them.
You can try every alias in this list without installing anything: IndoCAD opens in the browser on a Free plan, with a command line that completes and corrects what you type.
Open IndoCAD free and type L →Frequently asked questions
What is the shortcut for LINE in AutoCAD?
L. Type L at the command line and press Enter or Space, then pick or type the points.
What does the Space bar do in AutoCAD?
It acts as Enter: it ends the current command, and pressed at an empty command line it repeats the last command.
Which F-key turns on ortho?
F8. F3 toggles object snap, F10 polar tracking, F7 the grid and F12 dynamic input.
Do these commands work in IndoCAD?
Yes — IndoCAD uses the same aliases for nearly all of them, and the table marks the few letters it gives to something else. The full command name always works.