Command reference — CadCraft help

Type a command name or an alias and press ReturnEnter or SpaceSpace. Case does not matter, and a leading _, -, . or ' is ignored. Type HELP (or ?) to print a short list of every command in the command line history; press F1F1 for this help.

How to read the prompts: options are in square brackets, and you choose one by typing its capital letters (D for Diameter). A default is in angle brackets; press ReturnEnter to accept it. Where a point is asked for, you can click or type any of the formats in Coordinate and distance entry. Where a distance is asked for, you can type a number or click two points.

Pressing ReturnEnter where a point or an object is required, and there is no default, ends the command. EscEsc cancels it. Whatever a command did is one undo step.

Draw

LINE

Aliases: L. Straight segments, each its own object.

Specify first point (Enter: start from the last point you gave)
Specify next point [Undo], repeated. After two segments: [Undo/Close].
U takes back the last segment, C closes to the first point and ends. Enter ends.

PLINE

Aliases: PL. One polyline of line and arc segments.

Specify start point
Specify next point [Arc/Close/Undo] (Close once there are two segments)
A switches to arcs: Specify endpoint of arc [Line/CLose/Undo]. Each arc continues tangent to the segment before. L goes back to lines, CL closes with an arc.
Enter ends; the polyline stays open.

CIRCLE

Aliases: C.

Specify center point for circle [3P/2P]
Specify radius of circle [Diameter] <last radius>; D asks Specify diameter of circle.
2P: two ends of a diameter. 3P: three points on the circle.

ARC

Aliases: A.

Specify start point of arc [Center], Specify second point of arc, Specify end point of arc: an arc through three points.
C: Specify center point of arc, Specify start point of arc, Specify end point of arc. The arc runs counterclockwise from start to end.

RECTANG

Aliases: REC, RECTANGLE. A closed polyline.

Specify first corner point, Specify other corner point. Type @width,height for the second corner.

POLYGON

Aliases: POL. A regular polygon as a closed polyline.

Enter number of sides <4> (3 to 1024)
Specify center of polygon
Enter an option [Inscribed in circle/Circumscribed about circle] <I>
Specify radius of circle: click or type a point; its distance sets the size and its direction turns the polygon.

ELLIPSE

Aliases: EL.

Specify axis endpoint of ellipse [Center], Specify other endpoint of axis, Specify distance to other axis
C: Specify center of ellipse, Specify endpoint of axis, then the distance to the other axis.

POINT

Aliases: PO. Point objects, one per click, until Enter.

Specify a point

TEXT

Aliases: T, DT, DTEXT, MTEXT, MT. Single-line text; each line is its own object.

Specify start point of text [Justify]
J: Enter an option [Left/Center/Right/Middle/TL/MC] <L>, then Specify insertion point of text
Specify height <current text height>
Specify rotation angle of text <0>
Enter text, repeated: each Enter starts the next line below. Enter on an empty line ends. SpaceSpace types a space here.

Modify

ERASE

Aliases: E, DELETE; or press fn DeleteDelete with objects selected.

Select objects (skipped when objects are already selected)

MOVE

Aliases: M.

Select objects
Specify base point [Displacement], Specify second point
D: Specify displacement, typed as dx,dy.

COPY

Aliases: CO, CP. Copies as many times as you give points.

Select objects
Specify base point [Displacement]
Specify second point [Undo], repeated until Enter. U takes back the last copy.

ROTATE

Aliases: RO.

Select objects, Specify base point
Specify rotation angle <last angle>: degrees, counterclockwise positive; or click a point to rotate toward it.

SCALE

Aliases: SC.

Select objects, Specify base point
Specify scale factor: type a factor such as 0.5 or 2. A clicked point gives its distance from the base point as the factor.

MIRROR

Aliases: MI.

Select objects
Specify first point of mirror line, Specify second point of mirror line
Erase source objects? [Yes/No] <N>

OFFSET

Aliases: O. Lines, arcs, circles and polylines.

Specify offset distance [Through] <last distance, or Through>
Select object to offset, then Specify point on side to offset (or, with Through, Specify through point), repeated until Enter.

TRIM

Aliases: TR. Every visible object is a cutting edge.

Select object to trim [Undo], repeated: click the piece to remove. Enter ends.

EXTEND

Aliases: EX. Every visible object is a boundary.

Select object to extend [Undo], repeated: click near the end to lengthen. Enter ends.

FILLET

Aliases: F. Two lines only.

Select first line [Radius]; R asks Specify fillet radius <0>.
Select second line. The corner is made and the command ends.

EXPLODE

Aliases: X. Polylines become lines and arcs, block references become their objects, dimensions become lines, arrowheads and text.

Select objects

Clipboard

CadCraft's own clipboard: it works within a drawing, between drawings and between CadCraft tabs in this browser. See Copy, paste and duplicate.

COPYCLIP

⌘CCtrl+C, or Copy in the Edit group. Copies objects to the clipboard, with the blocks and layers they use. The objects stay selected.

Select objects to copy (skipped when objects are already selected)

CUTCLIP

⌘XCtrl+X, or Cut in the More menu. Copies objects to the clipboard, then erases them (one undo step).

Select objects to cut (skipped when objects are already selected)

COPYBASE

Copies objects to the clipboard with a base point you pick; pasting places that point.

Specify base point
Select objects to copy

PASTECLIP

⌘VCtrl+V, or Paste in the Edit group. The copy follows the cursor, hanging from the lower-left corner of its extents (or its center, or the COPYBASE point; see CadCraft settings).

Specify insertion point

The pasted objects are selected. A block the drawing already has under the same name keeps this drawing's definition.

PASTEORIG

⇧⌘VCtrl+Shift+V, or Paste in place in the More menu. Pastes at the coordinates the objects were copied from. Asks nothing.

DUPLICATE

Aliases: DUP. ⌘DCtrl+D, or Duplicate and move in the More menu. A copy of the objects moves with the pointer from where it is; EscEsc leaves nothing. Does not use the clipboard.

Select objects to duplicate (skipped when objects are already selected)
Specify where the copy goes (Esc leaves nothing): click, type a point, @dx,dy (from where the pointer was), or a distance toward the cursor.

SELECTALL and DESELECT

SELECTALL (alias AI_SELALL, ⌘ACtrl+A) selects every object you can edit on the open tab. DESELECT (aliases AI_DESELECT, SELECTNONE; or EscEsc) clears the selection.

Dimensions

DIMLINEAR

Aliases: DLI, DIMLIN. Horizontal or vertical distance.

Specify first extension line origin [Select object] (Enter or S: Select object to dimension, then click a line, arc, circle or polyline segment)
Specify second extension line origin
Specify dimension line location [Text/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]. T asks for text (<> is the measured value), H and V fix the direction, R asks Specify angle of dimension line <0>.

DIMALIGNED

Aliases: DAL, DIMALI. The true distance between two points.

Origins as in DIMLINEAR, then Specify dimension line location [Text].

DIMANGULAR

Aliases: DAN, DIMANG.

Select arc, circle or line, or Enter for a vertex
Arc: its angle. Circle: Specify second angle endpoint. Line: Select second line. Enter: Specify angle vertex, Specify first angle endpoint, Specify second angle endpoint.
Specify dimension line location [Text]: click inside the angle to measure.

DIMRADIUS and DIMDIAMETER

Aliases: DRA, DIMRAD; DDI, DIMDIA.

Select arc or circle, then Specify dimension line location [Text].

DIMCONTINUE

Aliases: DCO, DIMCONT. Continues from the last linear or aligned dimension made (or asks Select linear or aligned dimension).

Specify second extension line origin [Undo], repeated until Enter.

DIMBASELINE

Aliases: DBA, DIMBASE. Like DIMCONTINUE, but every dimension starts from the first origin and is stacked further out.

DIMSCALE, DIMTXT, DIMASZ, DIMDEC, DIMGAP, DIMEXE, DIMEXO

No aliases. Each asks Enter new value for … <current> and sets that size for new dimensions: overall scale, text height, arrow size, decimal places (up to 8), gap round the text, extension beyond the dimension line, offset from the origin. See Set dimension sizes.

Parametric

See Constrain a drawing and Use parameters and equations. Constraints work on the Model tab.

GEOMCONSTRAINT and the GC commands

Alias GCON: Enter constraint type [Horizontal/Vertical/Perpendicular/PArallel/Tangent/Coincident/CONcentric/COLlinear/Symmetric/Equal/Fix] <Horizontal>, then that command's prompts.

GCHORIZONTAL, GCVERTICAL: Select an object [2Points] <2Points>.
GCPARALLEL, GCPERPENDICULAR, GCCOLLINEAR, GCCONCENTRIC, GCEQUAL, GCTANGENT: Select first object, Select second object (the second one moves).
GCCOINCIDENT: Select first point [Object/Autoconstrain] <Object>, Select second point [Object] <Object>.
GCFIX: Select point [Object] <Object>.
GCSYMMETRIC: Select first object [2Points] <2Points>, Select second object, Select symmetry line.

DIMCONSTRAINT and the DC commands

Alias DCON: Select associative dimension to convert [LInear/Horizontal/Vertical/ALigned/ANgular/Radial/Diameter/Convert] <ALigned>.

DCLINEAR, DCHORIZONTAL, DCVERTICAL: Specify first constraint point [Object] <Object>, Specify second constraint point, Specify dimension line location, Dimension text <d1=40> (a number, an expression, or name=expression).
DCALIGNED: as above, with [Object/Point & line/2Lines].
DCRADIUS, DCDIAMETER: Select arc or circle. DCANGULAR: Select first line or arc, Select second line.
DCCONVERT: Select dimensions to convert.

AUTOCONSTRAIN, DELCONSTRAINT, CONSTRAINTBAR, DCDISPLAY

AUTOCONSTRAIN: Select objects [Settings]. S asks the distance and angle tolerances.
DELCONSTRAINT (alias DELCON): Select objects; their constraints go.
CONSTRAINTBAR (alias CBAR): Select objects [Showall/Hideall], then [Show/Hide].
DCDISPLAY: Enter an option [Show/Hide].

PARAMETERS and -PARAMETERS

PARAMETERS (aliases PAR, PARAM) opens the Parameters panel. -PARAMETERS: Enter an option [New/Edit/Rename/Delete/?] <?>.

SWBOUT

Alias SWMACRO. Downloads a macro (.swb) that rebuilds the model as one constrained sketch in SolidWorks. See Move sketches to and from other part modelers.

Blocks

BLOCK

Aliases: B, BMAKE.

Enter block name. If it exists: Block "…" already exists. Redefine it? [Yes/No] <N>.
Specify insertion base point
Select objects. They are replaced by one reference to the new block.

INSERT

Aliases: I, DDINSERT.

Enter block name or [File/Library] <last block> (case does not matter). F asks for a DWG or DXF, then the whole drawing or one of its blocks; a name already used asks Keep existing or Rename. L opens the library panel.
Specify insertion point [Scale/Rotate]. S asks Specify scale factor, R asks Specify rotation angle; both are remembered.
Then Enter <prompt> (<TAG>) <default> for each attribute the block asks for. See Block attributes.

LIBRARY

Aliases: LIB. Opens the library panel: place items, check for updates, library credits. No questions. See Insert from a file or the library.

PURGE

Aliases: PU. Removes block definitions that nothing uses. No questions.

Sheets and plotting

LAYOUT

Aliases: LO, NEWLAYOUT; or the + button under the drawing. A new sheet with a border, a title block and one viewport, on ISO A3 (or Tabloid for drawings in inches or feet). No questions.

MVIEW

Aliases: MV, VPORTS. On a sheet only.

Specify corner of viewport, Specify opposite corner. The viewport shows the whole model at a standard scale.

VPVIEW

No aliases. On a sheet only.

Select viewport (skipped if one is selected), then on the model: Specify first corner of the window to show, Specify opposite corner.

PLOT

Aliases: PRINT, PUBLISH, EXPORTPDF; or ⌘PCtrl+P. Opens the Plot to PDF dialog. See Plot to PDF.

Inquiry

DIST

Aliases: DI; or Measure in the toolbar.

Specify first point, Specify second point. Prints distance, angle, Delta X and Delta Y.

ID

No aliases. Specify point; prints its X and Y.

LIST

Aliases: LI, LS. Select objects; prints each object's type, layer and main measurements.

View, file and other

ZOOM

Aliases: Z.

Specify corner of window [Extents/All/Window]. Click two corners for a window. E, A or Enter: the whole drawing.

UNDO and REDO

Aliases: U for UNDO; REDO has none. Also ⌘ZCtrl+Z and ⌘YCtrl+Y.

LAYER

Aliases: LA. Jumps to the Layers panel.

NEW, OPEN, SAVE, SAVEAS, DXFOUT

NEW starts an empty drawing. OPEN opens a DWG or DXF. New and Open ask first when there are unsaved changes.

SAVE (alias QSAVE, also ⌘SCtrl+S) downloads a copy in the drawing's format: DWG if it was opened from a DWG, DXF if from a DXF. A new drawing uses the format last chosen in Save as in this browser, else DWG.

SAVEAS (also ⇧⌘SCtrl+Shift+S) opens the Save a copy as dialog: choose DWG (AutoCAD 2000) or DXF R12, then Save. The choice sticks for this drawing and for new drawings in this browser.

DXFOUT always downloads a DXF R12 copy, without changing the format SAVE uses.

See Files: what opens, what saves.

HELP

Aliases: ?. Prints every command, its aliases and a one-line description in the command line history. It does not open this help: press F1F1 or click Help for that.

Select objects prompt

At any Select objects prompt: click objects, drag windows (left to right) and crossings (right to left), ⇧Shift+click to remove, type ALL for everything or L for the last object, and press ReturnEnter to finish.