AutoCAD Basic Drawing Tools in 40 Characters

Chapter 7
The
Basic
Drawing
Tools
In
AutoCAD
Unit 1
Basic Drawing Commands ______________
Introduction
The Draw commands are used to create objects such as lines, circles,
and rectangles. Most drawings created in AutoCAD are composed
from these basic components. It is important to have a good
understanding of the Draw commands due to the efficient use of it
in AutoCAD. This lesson covers the most frequently used Draw
commands when working on a drawing, such as Line, Polyline, and Circle, as well as the other draw
commands. As you can see the names of the commands are easily understandable. All of these drawing
tools are available from the Draw Panel.
Specific Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
- Explain the basic draw commands used in AutoCAD.
- Understand and learn how Draw commands assist in the creation of objects in AutoCAD.
Duration: 4 hours
Lesson Proper
1. Line
• Create a series of contiguous line segments. Each segment
is a line object that can be edited separately.
• The line in AutoCAD is drawn by specifying the starting
and ending point through the cursor.
• The line command is the most basic of the draw tools and one of the most frequently used
ones in the drawing workflow.
• When you move your cursor and you will notice that the line will follow the movement of
the cursor and it will stretch with the cursor, too. This line is called a rubber bending line,
which follows your cursor.
A. Methods to Activate Line Command:

• Click the Line icon from the draw panel.
• Type L or Line on the command line then press Enter.
B. Line: Command Sequence

• Type a command:
L or LINE [Enter↲]
• LINE Specify first point:
(Specify the first point by using absolute cartesian coordinate, or relative
cartesian coordinate)
• LINE Specify next point or [Undo]:
(Specify the next point by using absolute cartesian coordinate, relative
cartesian coordinate, or relative polar coordinates.)
• LINE Specify next point or [Close Undo]:
(Press ESC to exit the line command.)
Take Note: The following prompts are displayed.
• Specify first point – It sets
the starting point for the line.
Click a point location. With
object snaps or grid snap
turned on, the points will be
placed precisely. You can also
enter coordinates. If instead, you press Enter at the prompt, a new line starts from the
endpoint of the most recently created line, polyline, or arc. If the most recently created
object is an arc, its endpoint defines the starting point of the line. The line is tangent to
the arc.
• Specify next point – It specifies the endpoint of the line segment. You can also use
polar and object snap tracking together with direct distance entry.
➢ Using a Specific Coordinate
o If dynamic input is on: Type the pound sign (#) followed by the X-value,
a comma, then the Y-value, for example #4.0,6.75
o If dynamic input is off: Type the X value, a comma, then the Y value,
for example 4.0,6.75
Take Note: When dynamic input is on, relative coordinates are the
default. When dynamic input is off, absolute coordinates are the default.
Press F12 to turn dynamic input on or off.
➢ Using a Relative Coordinate – It specifies the distance and direction from

the previous coordinate.
o If dynamic input is on: Type the X-value, a comma, then the Y-value,
for example 4.0,6.75
o If dynamic input is off: Type the at sign (@) followed by the X-value, a
comma, then the Y-value, for example @4.0,6.75
• Close – It connects the first and last

segments.
• Undo – It removes the most recent
segment of a line sequence.
C. Line Command Options

There are three options or features that can be used in the line command. The continue,
close and undo options.
1. Continue Option – is used to draw

another line starting from the point where the
previous line ended.
Example:
The following is the prompt sequence for the
Continue option:
1. Type a command: LINE or L [Enter↲]
2. LINE Specify first point:
Pick first point of the line.
3. LINE Specify next point or [Undo]:
Pick second point.
Press [Enter↲]
5. Type a command:
LINE or L (Or select Repeat Line from the shortcut menu.)
(Press Enter/Spacebar or right-click to continue the line from the last line.)
7. LINE Specify next point or [Close Undo]:
Pick second point of second line (third point from the Figure/image.)
Press [Enter↲]
(Press Enter/Spacebar or Esc to exit or end LINE command.)
2. Close Option – it can be used to join the current point with the initial point of the
first line when two or more lines are drawn in continuation.
Example:
The following is the prompt sequence for the
Close option for the figure:
1. Type a command:
LINE or L [Enter↲]
Pick first point.
Pick second point.
Pick third point.
Pick fourth point.
C [Enter↲]
3. Undo Option – If you made a mistake or an error when you are drawing a line, you
can remove the line using the Undo option.
Example:
The following example illustrates the use of the
Undo option for the figure:
1. Type a command:
LINE or L [Enter↲]
Pick first point (Point 1 in the Figure).
Pick second point (Point 2).
Pick third point.
Pick fourth point.
U [Enter↲]
Take Note: (This removes the last line from point 3 to point 4.)
U [Enter↲]
Take Note: (This removes the last line from point 2 to point 3.)
(Press Enter/Spacebar or Esc to exit or end LINE command.)
D. Example/s
Let's understand by few examples:
Example 1:
The steps are listed below:
1. Select the Line icon from the ribbon panel or
type L or Line and press Enter on the
command line.
2. Specify the starting point and endpoint using the cursor on the workspace or drawing
area, as shown in the right.
Take Note: We can also continue the line segments by specifying the endpoints.
3. Then press Enter or Esc to exit.
Example 2:
Creating a line using Coordinates.
The steps to create a line by specifying the
coordinates are given below:
1. Select the Line icon from the ribbon panel
or type L or Line and press Enter on the
command line.
2. Type the coordinate value 3,4 for the first
point then press Enter.
3. Now, type the coordinate value 10,6 for
the second point or endpoint then press Enter.
4. Press Enter or Esc to exit the command.
Example 3:
Creating a line using angle.
1. Select the Line icon from the ribbon
panel or type L or Line and press Enter
on the command line.
2. Specify the first point by typing 4,5 then
press Enter.
3. Then enter the polar coordinates value
by typing 7<55 then press Enter.
4. Press Enter or Esc to exit the command.
Example 4:
Creating a line using relative coordinates
1. Select the Line icon from the ribbon panel
or type L or Line and press Enter on the
command line.
2. Specify the first point, type in 4,3 then
Enter.
3. Specify the endpoint as the relative
coordinate, type in @3, 3 then Enter.
4. The line will appear as shown in the right.
5. Then press Enter or Esc to exit the
command.
2. Polyline
• Polyline or PLINE creates a 2D polyline.
• A 2D polyline is a connected sequence of segments
created as a single planar object.
• You can create straight line segments, arc segments, or
a combination of the two.
A. Methods to Activate Polyline Command:

• Click the Polyline icon from the modify panel.
• Type PL or PLINE on the command line then press
Enter.
B. PLINE: Command Sequence

• Type a command: PL or PLINE[Enter↲]
• PLINE Specify first point
(Specify the first point by using absolute cartesian coordinate, or relative
• PLINE Specify next point or [Arc Close Halfwidth Length Undo Width]:
(Specify the next point by using absolute cartesian coordinate, relative
cartesian coordinate, or relative polar coordinates.)
• PLINE Specify next point or [Arc Close Halfwidth Length Undo Width]:
(Press ESC to exit the line command.)

• Arc – it creates an arc segments tangent to the previous segment.
• Close – it connects the first and last segments to create a closed polyline.
• Halfwidth – it specifies the width from the center of a wide segment to an edge.
• Length – it creates a segment of a specified length at the same angle as the previous
segment. If the previous segment is an arc, the new line segment is tangent to that arc
segment.
• Undo – it removes the most recently added segment.
• Width – it specifies the width of the next segment.
C. Example/s
Example 1:
Creating a Polyline with Uniform Width.
Prompt Sequence:
1. Type a command:
PL or Polyline [Enter↲]
2. PLINE Specify first point:
(Pick any point for Point A.)
Current line-width is 0.0000
3. PLINE Specify next point or [Arc Close Halfwidth Length Undo Width]:
(Click Width from the command line) or (Type the shortcut key W on your
keyboard, then press Enter/Spacebar.)
4. PLINE Specify starting width:
(Type 10, then press Enter/Spacebar.)
5. PLINE Specify ending width:
(Type @50<0, then press Enter/Spacebar.)
(Press Enter/Spacebar or Esc to exit or end Polyline command.)
Example 2:
Creating a Polyline with Non-Uniform Width.
Prompt Sequence:
1. Type a command:
7. Specify next point or [Arc Close Halfwidth Length Undo Width]:
(Press Enter/Spacebar or Esc to exit or end Polyline command.)
Example 3:
Creating a Polyline with Uniform & Non-Uniform Width.
Prompt Sequence:
1. Type a command:
(Click Width from the command line) or (Type W on your keyboard, then
press Enter/Spacebar.)
8. PLINE Specify starting width: (Type 20, then press Enter/Spacebar.)
9. PLINE Specify ending width: (Type 0, then press Enter/Spacebar.)
(Then Press Enter/Spacebar or Esc to exit or end Polyline command.)
Example 4:
Creating a Polyline with Width and an Arc segment.
Prompt Sequence:
1. Type a command:
(Arc or A, then press Enter/Spacebar.)
8. PLINE [Angle Center Close Direction Halfwidth Line Radius Second pt Undo Width]:
(Type @20,-20, then press Enter/Spacebar.)
9. PLINE [Angle Center Close Direction Halfwidth Line Radius Second pt Undo Width]:
(Click Line from the command line) or (Type the shortcut key letter L on your
(Then Press Enter/Spacebar or Esc to exit or end Polyline command.)
3. Circle
• Circle creates a circle based on a center point and a radius or diameter value.
• The circles are widely used in design and drawings.
• The circle command is used to draw a circle by specifying the center point and radius.
A. Methods to Activate Circle Command:

• Click the Circle icon from the modify panel.
• Type C or CIRCLE on the command line then press
Enter.
B. Circle: Command Sequence

• Type a command:
C or Circle [Enter↲]
• CIRCLE Specify center point for circle or [ 3P 2P Ttr (tan tan radius)]:
(Click point 1 for the center point.) Or (Specify the center point by using
absolute cartesian coordinate, or relative cartesian coordinate)
• CIRCLE Specify radius of circle or [Diameter]
(Click point 2 for the radius/diameter.), Or (Specify the radius/diameter by
using absolute cartesian coordinate, or relative cartesian coordinate)
C. Types of Circles
There are six types of circle command features that can be used when drawing circles.
• Center, Radius – It creates a circle using a center point and a radius.
• Center, Diameter – It creates a circle using a center point and a diameter.
• 2-point – It creates a circle using two endpoints of the diameter.
• 3-point – It creates a circle using three points on the circumference.
• Tan, Tan, Radius – It creates a circle with a specified radius tangent to two
objects.
• Tan, Tan, Tan – It creates a circle tangent to three objects.
D. Example/s
• Center, Radius or Center, Diameter
Example 1:
The steps to create a circle are given below:
1. Click on the Circle icon on the Ribbon Panel, or type Circle or C on the command
line and press Enter.
2. Specify the center point of a circle on the workspace or viewport.
3. Specify the radius of the circle, or to specify the diameter of the circle, type D and
then press Enter.
4. Press Enter.
Example 2:
Creating a circle randomly.
2. Specify the center point of a circle on the workspace or viewport.
3. Specify the endpoint of the radius through the cursor.
• 2-Point
Example 1:
The steps to create a two-point circle are listed below:
1. First create two short lines that will serve as the first and second endpoint of the
circle.
3. Type 2P and press Enter.
4. Click on the first endpoint of the first line for the first endpoint of the circle’s
diameter. Then click on the first endpoint of the second line for the second endpoint
of the circle’s diameter, as shown in the below image on the left.
Take Note: We can specify the endpoints according to the requirements.
5. Then the circle will be created, as shown in the image below on the right.
• 3-Point
Example 1:
The steps to create a three-point circle are listed below:
1. First create three edges.
3. Type 3P and press Enter.
4. Click on the first point, second point, and the third point.
5. The three points are shown in the below image on the left:
6. The circle will be drawn, as shown in the below image on the right.
• Tan, Tan, Radius
Example 1:
The steps to create a Ttr (Tangent tangent radius) circle are listed below:
1. Draw two lines in the viewport, as shown in the below image on the left.
3. Type Ttr and press Enter.
4. Click on the first point on the first tangent, and the second point on the other
tangent.
5. Specify the radius of the circle, type 4 and press Enter.
6. The circle will be drawn on the two tangents, as shown in the below image on the
right.
Take Note: The circle will be adjusted according to the specified radius.
Example 2:
Creating a circle inside a triangle.
The steps to create a circle inside a triangle are listed below:
1. Draw a triangle in the viewport, as shown in the below image on the left.
3. Type Ttr and press Enter.
4. Click on the first point on one side of the triangle.
5. Click on the second and third points on the other side of the triangle.
6. The circle will be drawn inside the circle, as shown in the below image on the right.
• Tan, Tan, Tan
Example 1:
The steps to create a (Tangent tangent tangent) circle are listed below:
1. Draw three lines on the viewport, as shown in the below image on the left.
2. Select the Tan, Tan, Tan circle option from the drop-down list of the circle.
3. Click on the first point on the first tangent.
4. Click on the second point on the second tangent.
5. Click on the third point on the third tangent.
6. The circle will be drawn on the three tangents, as shown in the below image on
the right.
4. Arc
• Arc creates an arc and the default is 3 points.
• The arc is defined as the smooth curve formed by joining two or more points.
• The arc of a circle is defined as the portion of the circumference of a circle.
• By default, the arc is drawn counter-clockwise. We are required to press the Ctrl key to
change the direction of the arc in the clockwise.
• 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.
A. Methods to Activate Arc Command:

• Click the Arc icon from the modify panel.
• Type A or ARC on the command line then press Enter.
B. Arc: Command Sequence

• Type a command:
A or ARC [Enter↲]
• ARC Specify start point of arc or [Center]
(Click point 1 for the starting point.) Or (Specify the starting point by using
• ARC Specify second point of arc or [Center End]
(Click point 2 for the starting point.) Or (Specify the starting point by using
• ARC Specify end point of arc:
(Click point 3 for the ending point.) Or (Specify the starting point by using
C. Types of Arcs
There are 11 types of arc command features that can be used when drawing arcs.
• 3-Point – it creates an arc using three points.
• Start, Center, End – it creates an arc using the start point, center, and endpoint.
• Start, Center, Angle – it creates an arc using a start point, and an included angle.
• Start, Center, Length – it creates an arc using a start point, center, and the length
of a chord.
• Start, End, Direction – it creates an arc using a start point, endpoint, and a
tangent direction at the start point.
• Start, End, Radius – it creates an arc using start point, endpoint, and a radius.
• Center, Start, End – it creates an arc using center, start point, and endpoint
• Center, Start, Angle – it creates an arc using center, start point, and an included
angle.
• Center, Start, Length – it creates an arc using center, start point, and the length
of a chord.
• Continue – it creates an arc tangent to the last line or arc drawn.
D. Example/s
• 3-Point
Example 1:
Creating an arc on two intersecting lines.
Here, we need to specify three points to create an arc.
The steps to create a 3-point arc are listed below:
1. Create two intersecting lines, as shown in the below image on the left.
2. Select the Arc icon from the ribbon panel, or type A on the command line and
press Enter.
3. Specify first, second, and the third point over the top of two lines, as shown in the
below image on the middle:
Take Note: We can change the position of points accordingly.
4. The arc is shown in the below image on the right:
• Start, Center, End

Example 1:
Creating an arc on a rectangle
The steps to create an arc are listed below:
1. Create a rectangle. Here, we have created a rectangle with length 3 and width
5, as shown in the below image on the left.
2. Select the Arc icon from the ribbon panel, or type A on the command line and
press Enter.
3. Specify the starting, center, and end point of the arc on the rectangle, as shown
in the below image on the middle:
4. The arc on the rectangle is shown in the below image on the right:
• Start, Center, Angle

Example 1:
The steps to create an arc are listed
below:
1. Select the Arc icon from the
ribbon panel, or type A on the
command line and press Enter.
2. Specify the starting, and the
center point of the arc, as shown
on the right.
3. Then specify the included angle by
typing 135 and press Enter.
4. Then the arc will be created
counter-clockwise from the start
point, as shown on the right.
Take Note: Make sure to hold the Ctrl key to switch the direction of the arc.
• Start, Center, Length

Example 1:
The steps to create an arc are listed
below:
1. Select the Arc icon from the
ribbon panel, or type A on the
command line and press Enter.
2. Specify the starting, and the
center point of the arc, as
shown on the upper left.
3. Then specify value of the length
of the chord by typing 5 and
press Enter.
4. Then the arc will be created counter-clockwise from the start point, as shown in
the above image on the right.
5. Ellipse
• Creates an ellipse or an elliptical arc.
• The Ellipse is defined as a curve surrounding two focal points.
• The shape of the ellipse is determined by two of its axes, which defines the length and
width.
• The Ellipse is a general command to create ellipse on the AutoCAD display. We can create
the ellipse by specifying the two-point on an axis and the endpoint on another axis.
• The first axis and the second axis of the Ellipse can be determined either as minor or major
axis, depending on the specification.
A. Methods to Activate Ellipse Command:

• Click the Ellipse icon from the Draw panel.
• Type EL or ELLIPSE on the command line then press
Enter.
B. Ellipse: Command Sequence
• Type a command:
EL or ELLIPSE [Enter↲]
• ELLIPSE Specify center of ellipse:
(Click Point 1 for the center of the ellipse.)
Or
(Specify the center point by using absolute cartesian coordinate, or relative
• ELLIPSE Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc Center]:

(Click Point 2 for the axis endpoint of the ellipse.)
Or
(Specify the axis endpoint by using absolute cartesian coordinate, or relative
• ELLIPSE Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]:

(Then specify the distance of the other axis of the ellipse.)
C. Types (Methods to use Ellipse)

There are 3 types of ellipse command features that can be used when drawing ellipses.
Center, Axis, End, and Elliptical Arc.
1. Center
In this method, the first axis is determined by the center point and
endpoint, while the second axis is determined by the length. We
can either determine the point or distance value to create such
ellipse.
2. Axis, End
The Ellipse is formed by defining the three points similar to above.
3. Elliptical Arc
The Elliptical Arc command is used to create an elliptical arc.
C. Example/s
Example 1:
Creating an Ellipse using Center Option.
1. Click on the Ellipse icon on the ribbon panel and choose Center from the drop-down
list of the Ellipse, or type EL or ellipse on the command line or command prompt and
press Enter, or type C on the command line and press Enter.
2. Specify the center of the Ellipse on the

viewport.
3. Specify endpoint of the first axis, as shown on

the right.
Take Note:
• We can either specify the point or the distance value.
The distance will be calculated from the center to the
endpoint of the first axis, such as 3.
• We can also choose the vertical axis as the first axis,
as shown on the right.
4. Press Enter.
5. Specify the endpoint or distance value of the second axis.
Type 4 and press Enter.
6. The Ellipse will be created, as shown in the below image on the left. But if the vertical
axis was chosen as the first axis, the ellipse so formed is shown in the below image on
the right:
Example 2:
Creating an Ellipse using Axis, End Option.
1. Click on the Ellipse icon on the ribbon panel and choose Axis, End from the drop-
down list of the Ellipse.
2. Then specify the first axis endpoint.
3. Next, specify the second axis endpoint
of the ellipse. Type 30 then press
Enter.
Take Note: We can also create an ellipse vertically.

4. Then specify the distance of the other axis by typing 10 and press Enter.
5. Then the ellipse will be created as shown in the image below:
Take Note: Use Dimlinear for checking the measurement of the major and minor axes.
Example 3:
Creating an Ellipse using Elliptical Arc Option.
1. Click on the Ellipse icon on the ribbon panel and
choose Center from the drop-down list of the
Ellipse, or type EL or ellipse on the command line
or command prompt and press Enter, or type A or
Arc on the command line and press Enter.
2. Specify the endpoint or the center of the elliptical

arc.
3. Specify endpoint of the axis, as shown on the right.
4. Specify endpoint of other axis, as shown on the right.
5. Specify the start angle. Type 30 and press Enter.
6. The created elliptical arc is shown on the right.

6. Rectangle
• Creates a rectangular polyline.
• Rectangle creates a rectangular polyline from the
specified the rectangle parameters (length, width,
rotation) and the types of corners (fillet, chamfer, or
square).
A. Methods to Activate Rectangle Command:

• Click the Rectangle icon from the Draw panel.
• Type REC or RECTANGLE on the command line then
press Enter.
B. Rectangle: Command Sequence

• Type a command:
REC or RECTANGLE [Enter↲]
• RECTANG Specify first corner point or [Chamfer Elevation Fillet Thickness Width]:
(Click on any point for the first corner point(P1) of the rectangle.)
Or
(Specify the first corner point by using absolute cartesian coordinate, or
relative cartesian coordinate)
• RECTANG Specify other corner point or [Area Dimensions Rotation]:
(Click on any point for the other corner point(P2) of the rectangle.)
Or
(Specify the corner point by using absolute cartesian coordinate, or relative

• First Corner Point – It specifies a corner point of the rectangle.
o Other Corner Point – It creates a rectangle using the specified points as
diagonally opposite corners.
o Area – It creates a rectangle using the area and either a length or a width. If
the Chamfer or Fillet option is active, the area includes the effect of the
chamfers or fillets on the corners of the rectangle.
o Dimensions – It creates a rectangle using length and width values.
o Rotation – It creates a rectangle at a specified rotation angle.
• Chamfer – It sets the chamfer distances for the rectangle.
• Elevation – It specifies the Z-value for the rectangle. The default is 0.0.
Take Note: This value becomes the default for the active drawing until you enter a
different value.
• Fillet – It specifies the fillet radius of the rectangle.

• Thickness – It specifies the distance that the sides of the rectangle appear to be
extruded. The default is 0.
Take Note: This value becomes the default for the active drawing until you enter a
different value.
• Width – It specifies the polyline width of the rectangle to be drawn.

C. Example/s
Example 1:
To draw rectangles randomly.
The steps are given below:
1. Select the rectangle command from the ribbon panel, or type Rec or Rectangle in
the command line and press Enter.
2. Specify the first corner point on the viewport.
3. Specify the second corner point (diagonally opposite to the first point) on the viewport.
Example 2:
To draw a rectangle by specifying the length and width.
2. Specify the first corner point on the viewport.
3. Specify the length and breadth of the rectangle in the form of @length, width. Type in
@4,5 then press Enter.
Example 3:
Rectangle with round corners.
2. Type F or Fillet and press Enter.
3. Specify the fillet radius for the rectangle. For the fillet radius,
type 1 and press Enter.
4. Specify the first corner point of rectangle on the viewport.
5. Specify the length and breadth of the rectangle in the form of
@length, width. Type @6,6 and press Enter.
6. The rectangle formed is shown on the right.
Take Note: We can also type Elevation or E instead of Fillet to create rounded
corners.
Example 3:
Rectangle with slanted corners
2. Type C or Chamfer and press Enter.
3. Specify the first chamfer distance for the rectangle. For the
first chamfer distance, type 1 and press Enter.
4. Specify the second chamfer distance for the rectangle. For
the second chamfer distance, type 1 and press Enter.
5. Specify the first corner point of the rectangle on the viewport.
6. Specify the length and breadth of the rectangle in the form
of @length, width. F. Type @7,6 and press Enter.
7. The rectangle formed is shown on the right.
Take Note: The chamfer distance for both sides should be the same to create regular
shape. We can also change the shape according to the requirements.
Example 4:
Rectangle with increased width
2. Type W or Width and press Enter.
3. Specify the line width for the rectangle. For the line width, type
1 and press Enter.
5. Specify the length and breadth of the rectangle in the form of
@length, width. Type @5,5 and press Enter.
6. The rectangle formed (represented by blue lines for better
visibility) is shown on the right.
Take Note:
• We can perform multiple functions on a rectangle by specifying the value for each
property.
• To remove particular property (ex. Width/chamfer), we need to specify the value 0
to the corresponding property of the rectangle.
Example 5:
Rectangle with increased thickness
2. Type T or Thickness and press Enter.
3. Specify the thickness of the rectangle. For the thickness, type 1 and press Enter.
5. Specify the length and breadth of the rectangle in the form of @length, width. Type
@6,5 and press Enter.
Take Note: The thickness will be in the Z direction and visible in 3D only.
7. Polygon
• Polygon creates an equilateral closed polyline.
• You can specify the different parameters of
the polygon including the number of sides.
The difference between the inscribed and
circumscribed options is shown.
• The categories of the polygon are triangle, quadrilateral, pentagons, hexagon,
heptagon (or septagon), octagon, etc. The triangle is a figure with three sides, and an
octagon is a figure with eight sides.
• The maximum number of lines available to create a polygon is 1024.
• There are two types of polygon: Inscribed and Circumscribed.
A. Methods to Activate Polygon Command:

• Select Polygon icon from the arrow-down beside the Rectangle
options from the Draw option panel.
• Type POL or POLYGON on the command line then press Enter.
B. POLYGON: Command Sequence

• Type a command:
Pol or Polygon [Enter↲]
• POLYGON _polygon Enter number of sides <3>:
(Type in the required no. of sides on your keyboard then press
Enter/Spacebar.)
• POLYGON Specify center of polygon or [Edge]:
(Specify the center of polygon on the workspace.) or (Type E to define by edge
length)
• POLYGON Enter an option [Inscribed in circle Circumscribed about circle] <I>:
(Enter I or C for Inscribe or Circumscribe.)
• POLYGON Specify radius of circle:
(Specify the radius value on your keyboard then press Enter/Spacebar.)

• Number of sides – It specifies the number of sides in the polygon (3-1024).
• Center of polygon – It specifies the location of the center of the polygon and whether
the new object is inscribed or circumscribed.
➢ Inscribed in circle
o It specifies the radius of a circle on which all vertices of the
polygon lie.
o Specifying the radius with your pointing device determines
the rotation and size of the polygon. Specifying the radius with a value
draws the bottom edge of the polygon at the current snap rotation angle.
➢ Circumscribed about circle
o It specifies the distance from the center of the polygon to the
midpoints of the edges of the polygon.
o Specifying the radius with your pointing device determines
the rotation and size of the polygon. Specifying the radius
with a value draws the bottom edge of the polygon at the
current snap rotation angle.
• Edge – It defines a polygon by specifying the endpoints of the first edge.
C. Types (Methods to use Polygon)

There are two types of the polygon, which are given below:
1. Inscribe in Circle
The polygon formed will be drawn inside the circle. The command is best used when
we want to create any polygon with its vertices or corners touching the circle. The
shortcut command for inscribing is I.
2. Circumscribe about Circle

The polygon formed will be drawn outside the circle. The shortcut command for
circumscribing is C.
Take Note: A polygon can also be drawn inscribe or circumscribe without the circle.
D. Example/s
Example 1:
Creating a Pentagon
The steps to create a pentagon (polygon with five sides) are listed below:
1. Select Polygon from the drop-down list of the Rectangle
present on the ribbon panel, or type POL on the command line
and press Enter.
2. Specify the number of sides of a polygon. Here, we are creating
a pentagon, so we will enter 5 then press Enter.
3. Specify the center of polygon on the viewport or workspace.
4. Enter I or C for Inscribe or Circumscribe. Then press Enter.
5. Then specify the radius of the polygon. Type in 4 then press
Enter.
6. The polygon will be drawn, as shown on the right.
Example 2:
Creating a Heptagon
The steps to create a heptagon (polygon with seven sides) are given below:
1. Select Polygon from the drop-down list of the Rectangle present on the ribbon panel,
or type POL on the command line and press Enter.
2. Specify the number of sides of a polygon. Here, we are
creating a pentagon, so we will enter 7 then press Enter.
3. Specify the center of polygon on the viewport or workspace.
4. Enter I or C for Inscribe or Circumscribe. Then press
Enter.
5. Then specify the radius of the polygon. Type in 5 then press
Enter.
Example 3:
Creating a Pentagon using the edge option.
The steps to create a heptagon (polygon with seven sides) are given below:
1. Select Polygon from the drop-down list of the Rectangle present on the ribbon panel,
or type POL on the command line and press Enter.
2. Specify the number of sides of a polygon. Here, we are
creating a pentagon, so we will enter 7 then press Enter.
3. Type E or Edge and then press Enter.
4. Specify the first point of the edge by clicking anywhere on
the workspace or typing in any given coordinates.
5. Then specify the second point of the edge by typing in
@20<0 then press Enter.
References/Additional Resources/Readings
• Shoukry, Y. and Pandey, J. (2020) Practical Autodesk AutoCAD 2021 and AutoCAD LT 2021.
Packt Publishing Ltd. Livery Place, 35 Livery Street, Birmingham, B3 2PB, UK.
• Microcadd Institute Inc. (2018) Comprehensive AutoCAD 2019 Student Laboratory Manual.
• https://www.javatpoint.com/autocad-line-command
• https://www.javatpoint.com/autocad-circles-and-ellipse-command
• https://www.javatpoint.com/arc-in-autocad
• https://www.javatpoint.com/ellipse-in-autocad
• https://www.javatpoint.com/autocad-rectangle-command
• https://www.javatpoint.com/autocad-polygon-command

AutoCAD Basic Drawing Tools in 40 Characters

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AutoCAD Basic Drawing Tools in 40 Characters

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Chapter 7

A. Methods to Activate Line Command:

B. Line: Command Sequence

➢ Using a Relative Coordinate – It specifies the distance and direction from

• Close – It connects the first and last

C. Line Command Options

1. Continue Option – is used to draw

A. Methods to Activate Polyline Command:

B. PLINE: Command Sequence

Take Note: The following prompts are displayed.

A. Methods to Activate Circle Command:

B. Circle: Command Sequence

Take Note: We can specify the endpoints according to the requirements.

A. Methods to Activate Arc Command:

B. Arc: Command Sequence

Take Note: We can change the position of points accordingly.

4. The arc is shown in the below image on the right:

• Start, Center, End

• Start, Center, Angle

• Start, Center, Length

A. Methods to Activate Ellipse Command:

• ELLIPSE Specify axis endpoint of ellipse or [Arc Center]:

• ELLIPSE Specify distance to other axis or [Rotation]:

C. Types (Methods to use Ellipse)

2. Specify the center of the Ellipse on the

3. Specify endpoint of the first axis, as shown on

Take Note: We can also create an ellipse vertically.

5. Then the ellipse will be created as shown in the image below:

2. Specify the endpoint or the center of the elliptical

3. Specify endpoint of the axis, as shown on the right.

4. Specify endpoint of other axis, as shown on the right.

5. Specify the start angle. Type 30 and press Enter.

6. The created elliptical arc is shown on the right.

A. Methods to Activate Rectangle Command:

B. Rectangle: Command Sequence

Take Note: The following prompts are displayed.

• Fillet – It specifies the fillet radius of the rectangle.

• Width – It specifies the polyline width of the rectangle to be drawn.

A. Methods to Activate Polygon Command:

B. POLYGON: Command Sequence

Take Note: The following prompts are displayed.

C. Types (Methods to use Polygon)

2. Circumscribe about Circle

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