Top 20 AutoCAD Tips & Tricks

Accidentally deleted something a few steps back but don't want to undo all your recent drawing progress? Type OOPS to restore the last erased object without undoing your other commands.

Select your entire drawing and run OVERKILL. It automatically deletes duplicate lines, arcs, and polylines that are perfectly stacked on top of each other, drastically reducing file size.

Never use EXPLODE on blocks with text attributes, as it reverts the text to default tags. Use BURST instead—it explodes the block but converts all attributes into normal, readable text.

When using the FILLET or CHAMFER command, hold down the SHIFT key before selecting the second line. This temporarily forces a radius of zero, instantly creating a perfectly sharp corner.

Select one object (like a specific dimension or a block), type SELECTSIMILAR, and AutoCAD will instantly grab every identical object in the drawing. Great for massive global edits.

If you just moved or copied a complex group of objects and need to rotate or edit them immediately after, start your new command and type 'P' when prompted to select objects. It re-selects your last group.

If you hit "Save As" or "Open" and AutoCAD asks for the file path in the command line instead of opening a normal pop-up window, type FILEDIA and set the value to 1.

Need to move a title block from Model Space to Paper Space (Layout) or vice versa? Use CHSPACE to push objects through the viewport while automatically scaling them to match.

Want to copy a single line out of an XREF or a Block without exploding the entire thing? Use NCOPY (Nested Copy) to grab individual internal elements.

Typing PURGE opens the menu, but typing -PURGE (with the dash) and selecting 'Regapps' cleans deep background registry bloat that the standard purge misses. It cures laggy files.

Stop counting manually. Select an area (or the whole drawing) and type BCOUNT. AutoCAD will generate a clean list in your command history showing exactly how many of each block exist.

Got a bunch of disconnected, single-line text items? Select them all and run TXT2MTXT. It fuses them all together into a single, highly editable MText paragraph.

Never send a broken file again. ETRANSMIT automatically bundles your main .dwg file along with all attached XREFs, plot styles, and custom fonts into one neat ZIP file for your client.

Opens the Design Center. This allows you to browse inside other unopened DWG files on your computer and drag their layers, dimension styles, or blocks directly into your current drawing.

Opens a dialog box listing all your layers. Clicking a layer instantly hides everything else and shows only what is on that layer. Perfect for finding stray lines on the wrong layer.

Type FS and click a single line. AutoCAD will automatically select that line AND every single other object that is physically touching it.

Don't use the Move, Rotate, and Scale commands separately. ALIGN lets you pick two source points and two destination points, matching the object perfectly in one smooth move.

Need to run the FILLET or CIRCLE command 50 times? Type MULTIPLE, then type your command. It will automatically re-run the command endlessly until you hit the Escape key.

Have terrible block names like "Block_014"? Type REN to open the global rename window. You can bulk-rename blocks, layers, and linetypes to keep your project organized.

Use DIVIDE to place point nodes evenly into a set number of parts along a line. Use MEASURE to place points exactly at specific distance intervals (e.g., every 5 feet).