20 AutoCAD and Its Applications—Basics Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. The AutoComplete feature is active by default to help locate and access AutoCAD commands. When you type a command name, a suggestion list displaying selectable entries appears at the command line or next to the dynamic input entry area. You will learn more about AutoComplete and other AutoCAD input search functions later in this chapter. A benefi t of accessing a command using a method other than typing is that you do not need to memorize command names or aliases. Another advantage is that commands, options, and drawing activities appear on-screen as you work, using visual icons, tooltips, and prompts. As you use AutoCAD, you will become familiar with the display and location of commands. Decide which command selection tech- niques work best for you. A combination of command selection methods often proves most effective. PROFESSIONAL TIP P R OFESSIONAL TIP When typing commands, you must exit the current command before issuing a new command. In contrast, when you use the ribbon or other input methods, the current command automatically cancels when you pick a different command. NOTE NOTE Even though you may not choose to access commands by typing command names or aliases, you must still type certain values, as explained in Chapter 3. For example, you may have to type the diameter of a circle or radius of an arc. Reference Material www.g-wlearning.com/CAD/ Command Aliases For a list of common command aliases, go to the companion website, select the Resources tab, and select Command Aliases. Dynamic Input Dynamic input allows you to keep your focus at the crosshairs while you draw. When dynamic input is on, a temporary input area appears in the drawing window, below and to the right of the crosshairs by default. See Figure 1-18. Depending on the command in progress, different information and options appear in the dynamic input area. For example, Figure 1-19A shows the display after starting the RECTANGLE command. The fi rst portion of the dynamic input area is the prompt, which reads Specify first corner point or. In this case, to draw a rectangle, pick in the drawing window or enter coordinates to specify the fi rst corner of the rectangle, or access other options as suggested by the “or” portion of the prompt. Press the down arrow key to display available command options. See Figure 1-19B. Select an option using the cursor, or press the down arrow key again to cycle through the options. Press [Enter] to select the highlighted option. You can also select an option by right-clicking and picking an option from the shortcut menu. The informa- tion displayed in the dynamic input area changes while you work with a command, depending on the actions you choose. Figure 1-20 shows the dynamic input display when the LINE command is active. coordinates: Numerical values used to locate a point in the drawing area.