Chapter 1 Introduction to AutoCAD
45
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
list as you type. Type additional letters to narrow the search, with the best-matched
command listed fi rst. Figure 1-24A shows the results of typing a lowercase letter l. The
lowercase
l
changes to the preferred format of an uppercase
L
by default.
The suggestion list identifi es commands by alias followed by the command name
in parentheses, such as
L (LINE)
shown in Figure 1-24A. If you type a word that does
not exist as a command, AutoCAD references a list of synonyms in an effort to match
the word you type. For example, the word curve is not a command, but if you type
CURVE, you will see
CURVE (SPLINE)
in the list. Select this suggestion to access the
SPLINE
command.
An easy way to toggle input search settings on and off is to right-click on the
dynamic input suggestion list and select from the menu. You can also right-click on
the command line, or pick the
Customize
button on the command line, and select from
the
Input Settings
cascading menu. Figure 1-24B describes the input search settings.
The command line offers input search tools not available using dynamic input.
Content search, explained later in this textbook, is only available from the command
line. In addition, by default, the command line suggestion list uses categories to group
commands, system variables, and content. Pick the plus (+) icon to expand a category,
as shown in Figure 1-24A, or press
[Tab]
to cycle through the categories. Pick the
Search in Help
button to search the AutoCAD help system for information about the
command. Pick the
Search on Internet
button to search the Internet for information
about the command. The word
AutoCAD
followed by the command name appears in
the search bar of your Internet browser.
NOTE NOTE
By default, AutoCAD sorts the suggestion list according to
commonly used commands. As you work, the suggestion list adapts
to sort suggestions based on previously used commands. You can
customize command aliases, the lists of suggestion list synonyms,
and AutoCorrect spellings. Tools for customizing these functions are
accessed in the
Edit Aliases
fl yout in the
Customization
panel of the
Manage
ribbon tab.
Input Search Options
Use the
INPUTSEARCHOPTIONS
command to adjust input
search preferences using the
Input Search Options
dialog box.
For information about the
Input Search Options
dialog box,
go to the companion website, navigate to this chapter in the
Contents
tab, and select
Input Search
Options.
www.g-wlearning.com/CAD
Keyboard Shortcuts
Many keys on the keyboard, known as shortcut keys or keyboard shortcuts,
allow you to perform AutoCAD functions quickly. Become familiar with these keys to
improve your AutoCAD performance. To cancel a command or exit a dialog box, press
the escape key [Esc]. Some command sequences require that you press
[Esc]
twice to
cancel the operation.
When no command is active, press the up arrow key as many times as necessary
to cycle through the sequence of previously used command names. Use the down
arrow key to return to a later command in the list. If dynamic input is active, previously
Supplemental
Material
shortcut key
(keyboard
shortcut):
Single key or key
combination used to
issue a command or
select an option.
escape key:
Keyboard key
used to cancel a
command or exit a
dialog box.