Mouse Controls in AutoCAD

The computer mouse has an important role in AutoCAD. There are three essential parts of a mouse, namely, the left
button, right button, and a scroll wheel.

The image of a mouse displaying its three basic parts is shown in the given image:

The above image displays the role of each part of a mouse. Let's discuss the role of each part in detail.

Scroll Button - The scroll button in AutoCAD performs two functions, which are given below:

1. ZOOM

When we scroll up the button, it 'zoom out' the screen. When we scroll down the button, it 'zoom in' the screen.
We can also perform this task by using other commands.

There are two ways to perform this task using the commands, which are discussed below:

a. Right-click on the drawing screen of the AutoCAD. A box will appear as the given image:
Select the Zoom option as marked in the above image.

The zoom button will appear on the screen. We need to continue press the left button of the mouse and drag
up to zoom in and drag down to zoom out.

b. The second option is to select the ZOOM option given on the navigation bar, as shown in the side image:

Click on the small arrow below the zoom button on the navigation bar. A box will appear as shown in the below image:

You can select any option according to the requirements. The more you click on the button, the more you zoom

2. PAN

To implement PAN using the mouse, we need to press and hold the scroll wheel and then drag. Some mouse comes
with a center button allowing Panning without pressing the scroll wheel. The example of such type of mouse
is CadMouse.

The PAN Button on the screen will appear as the given image:

When we select the area to PAN and drag, the symbol appears as the given image:

We can also control the Panning through the PAN Button on the navigation bar, which will look like the
given image:

After selecting the symbol, we need to click on the area to PAN, click on the left mouse button, and drag it to a suitable
area or space according to the requirements.

We can also select the PAN option by right-clicking on the screen of AutoCAD.

Left Button
The left button of a mouse in AutoCAD plays the most important role from selecting the object to the completion of a
drawing. In every step of creating either 2D or 3D drawings or models, the role of the left button will be the prior option.

Right Button
The right button of the mouse in AutoCAD is used for customization; to increase drawing
productivity. The right button is also used as a shortcut menu. Let's understand with an
example.
When we right-click on the screen of the AutoCAD, a dialogue box opens as shown in the
given image:

The 'Options...' is widely used in the 2D and 3D drawings or models in AutoCAD.

After selecting, a dialogue box appears as shown in the below image:

The categories
under the 'Options...' display the various profiles, which will be used further for multiple purposes.

The other purposes related to the right-click are discussed below:

a) We can change the customization setting of Time-sensitive right-click.

We can use this method to set a quick click equal to the 'Enter'.

If we right-click quickly before the 250 milliseconds duration, it works equivalent to pressing Enter. If we take longer
time, then it will open the shortcut menu.

The steps to change such setting are listed below:

o Click on the Application menu on the top left corner

shown as.

o Select the 'Options' at the bottom of the box. A dialogue

box will appear as the given image:

o Select the 'User Preferences' and click on the option 'Right-click Customization…' as shown in the above
image. A dialogue box will appear as the given image:
 o You can turn on the setting according to the requirements. The default time is 250 milliseconds.
o Click on 'Apply & Close'.

b) We can also turn off the shortcut menus in the drawing area.

The steps are listed below:

o Click on the Application menu on the top left corner shown as.

o In the dialogue box click on 'Options' , then select the 'User Preferences' and clear the shortcut menus in
the drawing area as shown in the below image:

o Click on, OK.

AutoCAD Units
The units are used to represent the dimensions in AutoCAD. The units are categorized
into length, angle, insertion scale, and lighting. We can change the units according to
the requirements.
We can access the units in AutoCAD using two ways, as discussed below:

1. First way:

The steps for the first method are listed below:

o Click on the Application Menu button, which will look like the given image:

o Select the Drawing Utilities and then select Units.

o The dialog box of units will appear on the screen.

2. Second way:

The steps for the second method are listed below:

o Type Units or UN on the command line or command prompt.

o Press Enter or Spacebar.
o The dialog box of units will appear on the screen.

The Units dialog box will look like the given image:

Let's discuss the Units dialog box in detail.

Length Type
The drop-down list under Length type will look like the
below image:

o Architectural Units
The architectural units are based on the feet and inches. It uses fractions to represents
the partial inches. It displays feet and inches in the format of decimals and fractions. For
example, 4'- 5 1/2".
Here, single quotes (') signifies feet and double quotes (") signifies inches.
 o Decimal Units
The decimal units can be represented as an inch, meter, millimeter, or any other unit.
o Engineering Units
The engineering units are like architectural units, but they represent the feet and inches
in the format of the decimal. For example, 4'5.5000".
o Fractional Units
The fractional units are the unitless decimal units, which display the value in fractions
rather than decimals. For example, 5/2.
It also represents whole numbers or whole numbers with fractions. For example, 5 ½.
o Scientific Units
The scientific units are used to display the units in the form of the decimal value raised to
a power. It displays the value of exponents. For example, 2.600E + 04. It is used to
display large values.

Angle Type
The angle type consists of the units such as radians, minutes, seconds, etc. We can select
these units according to the requirements.

The drop-down list under angle type will look like the below image:

Let's discuss each type in detail.

o Decimal Degrees
It displays the angle value in decimals.
o Deg/Min/Sec
AutoCAD uses d for representing degree because there is no keyword for the degree on
the keyboard of the computer. For example, 10d20'21". Here, single quotes (')
signifies minutes and double quotes (") signifies seconds.
o Grad and Radians
The Grads and Radians are the mathematical units.
Since Circumference = 2*pi*r.
So, in a full circle there are 2 pi radians.
1 radian = 63.66 grad = 57.3 degrees
 o Surveyor's Units
The surveyor's units are similar to the grad and radians but use quadrants instead of a
full circle.

Angle Measure
To measure the angle clockwise, click on the clockwise box to activate it. The option is
present under the angle. It will look like the given image:

It measures the angle in the clockwise direction, instead

of the counter-clockwise direction

Precision
The precision value in AutoCAD determines the number
of decimal places displayed in the corresponding unit.
The decimals are round off to the specified precision
value.

The drop-down list under precision will look like the

below image:

We can select the precision value according to the requirements.

Insertion Scale
The insertion scale consists of the units to insert in the content. We can
select the units from the drop-down list according to the requirements.

The drop-down list under Insertion Scale will look like the given image:

AutoCAD Background Color

We can change the background color of the AutoCAD display. The default color is black,
in which we create drawings. Irrespective of the background color, the output pdf will be
in white color only.

We can create drawings in different colors using LAYERS, which we have already
discussed.

Let's discuss the steps to change the background color of the AutoCAD display.

1. Click on the Application Menu button on the top left corner of the screen, as shown below:

2. A dialog box will appear. It is shown below:

3. Click on the 'Options' button at the bottom, as shown.

4. A dialog box will appear.It is shown below:

5. Click on the 'Display' option > click on the 'Colors…' button, as shown above.
6. A dialog box will appear.It is shown below:

4. Click on the arrow near the Color, as shown above.

5. A drop-down list of the Color will appear, as shown below:

6. Choose any color. Here, we have chosen

the Cyan color, as shown below:

7. Click on 'Apply & Close' at the bottom.

8. The background color of the AutoCAD display will

be changed to Cyan.
Object Snap
The Object Snap is used to specify a precise location on the objects.

It displays the points on the objects, such as midpoints, center point, quadrant point,
insertion point, endpoint, etc., which make the drafting and drawing process effective.

For example,

o Center point

o Quadrant

o Nearest point

Note: The points in AutoCAD will appear green in color.

The points are used when we need to:

o Connect a line to the center/quadrant of a circle.

o Draw a line to the intersection point.
o To draw a tangent
 o To find the geometric center.
o To find the endpoints of a figure or a line.

Similarly, we can use them in different ways.

To open,

Right-click on the Object snap icon present on the status bar at the bottom > click on Object
Snap Settings, as shown below:

Or
Press Ctrl button > right-click >
select Osnap Settings, as shown:

A dialog box will appear, as shown below:

o We can select or deselect the desired points, according to the requirements.

Icons of AutoCAD 2D Display
o AutoCAD stands for Autodesk Computer-Aided Design. It is a drafting and
design software application. The AutoCAD software is used in industries, by
architects, designers, graphic designers, and other professionals worldwide.

o The screen of AutoCAD displays various icons used to create 2D, 3D drawings and
models.

o Most of the icons of AutoCAD are present on the Ribbon Panel and on the Status
bar.

o There is also a drop-down list with most of the icons, which includes further types
and design of that particular category.

o The ribbon panel of the AutoCAD 2D, looks like the below image:

o As shown, the icons on the ribbon panel of the 2D are divided into several groups
or categories.

o The 2D interfaces are listed below:

o Draw
o Modify
o Annotation
o Layers
o Block
o Properties
o Groups
o Utilities
o Clipboard
o View
The drop-down list will appear for each interface, which will appear like the given image:

1. Draw

The name of each of the icon in the above image is given as:

2. Modify

The name of each of the icon in the above image is given below:
 3. Annotation 8. Utilities

4. Layers

9. Clipboard

5. Block

10. View

6. Properties

7. Groups
The steps to select the 2D display are given below:

o Click on the  option given on the status bar at the bottom of the AutoCAD screen and
select 'Drafting and Annotation' option as shown in the below image:

o The display will be a 2D display after selecting the Drafting and Annotation option.

NOTE: The dialogue box is the box, which appears when we place the cursor
on the particular icon.

The icons on the ribbon panel of the 2D display are given below:

Line
Icon:

The line command is used to create a line. We need to specify the endpoints of a line
either by mouse or by determining the distance. With the help of the line command, we
can also create multiple line segments.

The dialogue box for Line in AutoCAD will

look like the given image:
Polyline
Icon:

A polyline is defined as the connected

sequence of line segments treated as a single
object. We can use polyline for joining arcs
and two or more lines. We can also connect
segments to make it a closed polyline.

The dialogue box for Polyline in AutoCAD

will look like the given image:

Circle
Icon:

The circle command is used to draw a circle by specifying the

center point and radius.

The dialogue box for Circle in AutoCAD will look like the given
image:

It also consists of the drop-down list, which contains types of

circles by specifying the points. The list will appear as the below
image:
Arc
Icon:

The arc can be drawn by specifying the starting point,

center, and the endpoint.

We can also draw an arc by determining the angle,

radius, and direction. We need to press ctrl to switch the
direction of the arc.

The dialogue box for Arc in AutoCAD will look like the
given image:

It also consists of the drop-down list, which contains

types of arcs specified by the points. The list will appear
as the below image:

Rectangle
Icon:

The rectangle command is used to create a rectangle using the

specified points as the diagonally opposite corners. We can also
create a rectangle by specifying the area, length, and width.

The dialogue box

for Rectangle in
AutoCAD will look like
the given image:

It also consists of the drop-down list, which

includes the polygon. The list will appear as the
below image:
Ellipse
Icon:

The Ellipse is a general command to create ellipse on the AutoCAD display. We can create
the ellipse by specifying the two-points on an axis and the endpoint on another axis.

The dialogue box for Ellipse in AutoCAD will look like the given image:

It also consists of the drop-down list, which includes other options such
as Elliptical Arc, etc. The list will look like the given image:

Hatch
Icon:

The hatch command is used to draw the hatch

pattern in an enclosed area or selected objects.
There are different styles to fill the hatch pattern
in the selected objects or an enclosed area.

The dialogue box for Hatch in AutoCAD will look

like the given image:
It also consists of the drop-down list, which consists of the types of pattern. The
list will appear as the below image:

When we click on the hatch icon, the ribbon

panel will look the given image:

We can select any particular hatch pattern

from the drop-down list.

Move
Icon:

The move command is used to move the

objects at a specified distance or direction.
We need to select the object and move that
object to a specific place. We can also use
coordinates, grid and object snaps, tools, etc.
to move the objects with precision.

The dialogue box for Move in AutoCAD will

look like the given image:

Copy
Icon:

The copy command is used to copy the objects at a specified distance or direction. It
creates copies of the original object. We need to use the drag-drop method to copy the
objects in our drawing.

The dialogue box for Copy in AutoCAD will look like the given image:
Stretch
Icon:

It is used to stretch an object. To stretch an object, we

need to select that, specify the base point, and then
stretch it, according to the specified distance or in a
particular direction.

The objects that are partially enclosed by a crossing

window can be stretched. The objects such as circle,
ellipse, etc. cannot be stretched.

The dialogue box for Stretch in AutoCAD will look like

the given image:

Rotate
Icon:

The rotate command is used to rotate an object. We need

to select the object, mark the base point and rotate by
specifying the angle or points.

The dialogue box for Rotate in AutoCAD will look like the
given image:

Mirror
Icon:

The mirror commands create a mirror image of the

selected object. We need to specify the first and second
points of a mirror line to create a mirror image.

The dialogue box for Mirror in AutoCAD will look like

the given image:
Scale
Icon:

The Scale command is used to increase or decrease the

size of the object by a specified factor. If we specify the
value 0 to 1, the size of the object will scale down by that
factor. If we want to increase the size of the object, we
need to specify the value more than 1.

The proportion of the object remains the same after

scaling.

The dialogue box for Scaling in AutoCAD will look like

the given image:

Trim
Icon:

It is used to trim the objects and project the cutting

edges. We need to select the particular object to trim.

The dialogue box for Trim in AutoCAD will look like the
given image:

It also consists of the drop-down list, which includes

theExtend icon. The list will appear as the below image:

The Extend command is used to extend the

objects to meet the edges of other objects.

The dialogue box for Extend in AutoCAD will look like

the given image:
Fillet
Icon:

The fillet is defined as a curves transition between the two

surfaces or adjacent faces of an object in 3D. The fillet
command is used to round and fillet the edges of the
objects in 2D.

The dialogue box for Fillet in AutoCAD will look like the
given image:

It also consists of the drop-down list, which includes different types to

modify the edges. The list will appear as the below image:

The dialogue box for Chamfer in AutoCAD will look like the
given image:

A chamfer is defined as the transitional edge between the

two faces of an object.

The dialogue box for Blend Curves in AutoCAD will look

like the given image:

It is used to create the smooth curve lines between the two

endpoints of two open curves.
Erase
Icon:

The erase command is used to remove or erase the

selected objects from the drawing. We can also erase
faces, meshes, etc., in 3D.

We need to enter L to erase the last object

drawn and P to erase the previous selection set.

The dialogue box for Erase in AutoCAD will look like the
given image: