Top Electrical AutoCAD Commands

AutoCAD is a popular computer-aided design (CAD) program for drawing and designing electrical, mechanical, civil, & architectural projects. It gives a comprehensive drawing solution. 

In 1982, a software firm called Autodesk created AutoCAD. This CAD program allows users to create high-quality 2D & 3D technical drawings. It is accessible for usage on personal computers. This article aims to give a list of essential AutoCAD commands for speeding up your electrical drawing task.

AutoCAD Electrical Drawing software includes all of the features found in AutoCAD, as well as a full collection of tools for the automating control engineering work such as circuit construction, wire numbering, and bill of material creation. 

It supports real-time error checking and allows electrical & mechanical groups to work together on digital prototypes created with Autodesk Inventor software. 

It provides control engineers a competitive advantage by helping save hours of effort, so that they can spend more time innovating.

What is Electrical Design?

Electrical design is the process of developing and manufacturing electrical equipment, which includes electrical components, schematics, lights, power systems, and telecommunications infrastructure.

What is an Electrical Schematic?

An electrical schematic is a sort of electrical design that gives a graphical description of an electrical circuit. 

The primary objective is to explain how the components of a circuit are put up and integrated, rather than to provide a realistic, scaled picture of a completed engineering (or) architectural project. 

Electrical schematics can also be referred to as circuit diagrams.

What is AutoCAD in Electrical?

AutoCAD Electrical is an Autodesk product primarily created for Electrical, Instrumentation & Control System Designers assisting designers to: construct and change electrical control systems. pre-programme activities and extensive symbol libraries. promote design automation. derive better productivity.

Is AutoCAD electrical the same as AutoCAD?

AutoCAD Electrical is created specifically for controls designers. It covers all of AutoCAD’s capability as well as a large number of electrical-specific features & functionalities. 

This program automates a variety of typical operations, including circuit design, wire numbering, and bill of materials creation.

How is CAD Software utilized in Electrical Design?

Electrical design software and solutions meet the specialized workflows for the electrical control systems designers. 

CAD software is a valuable tool for developing electrical drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, and other types of electrical design.

What are AutoCAD Commands?

AutoCAD commands, also known as AutoCAD shortcut commands, are letters or words that are input into the AutoCAD command box to conduct certain tasks. The primary objective of employing these shortcut instructions is to prevent the need of a mouse & speed up the drawing process. 

Ex: If we need to draw a line in AutoCAD, instead of hunting for the line command in ribbon area, we may just put “L” into the command window and hit enter.

The below table provides a list of the most popular AutoCAD commands for drafting electrical technical drawings. Yet, these commands are equally applicable to mechanical & architectural drawings.

AutoCAD Command	Parameter	Command Details
L + Enter	Line	To draw (or) sketch a line.
C + Enter	Circle	To make a circle with a certain diameter or radius.
RECT + Enter	Rectangle	To draw (or) sketch a rectangle with certain dimensions.
EL + Enter	Ellipse	To form an ellipse.
POL + Enter	Polygon	To draw (or) sketch a polygon.
A + Enter	Arc	To draw (or) sketch an arc.
PL + Enter	Polyline	To draw (or) sketch a polyline.
SPL + Enter	Smooth Polyline	To draw (or) sketch a smooth polyline.
T + Enter	Text	To create words in drawings.
CTRL + 0	Clean screen	To hide the ribbons & orders.
CTRL + 1	Property palate	To show the object property palette.
CTRL + 2	Design center	Displays the design center palate.
CTRL + 3	Tool palate	Displays the tool palates (symbols & components)
CTRL + 8	Quick calculator	Display the quick calculator.
F1	Help	To display an AutoCAD help window.
F2	Command window	Displays the command history in a larger command window.
F3	Object snap	To turn ON & OFF an object snap.
F4	3D object snap	Activates or deactivates 3D object snapping functionality.
F5	ISO plane	To alter 2D ISO plane parameters.
F6	Dynamic UCS	Turns on and off automatic UCS alignment with the planner surfaces.
F7	Grid lines	Turn on & off the grid lines.
F8	Ortho	Only allow cursor movement in the horizontal & vertical directions.
F9	Grid snap	Limits cursor movements to the grid intervals.
F10	Polar tracking	Controls cursor movements to the certain angles.
F11	Object snap tracking	Tracks the pointer from object snap places in both horizontal & vertical directions.
F12	Dynamic input	Show the distance & angle inputs near the cursor.
OP + Enter	Options	Displays the options dialog box.
DS + Enter	Drafting settings	Displays the drafting settings dialog box.
Limits + Enter; Z + Enter; A + Enter	Zoom to limits	Create a working place with constrained dimensions.
CO + Enter	Copy	To copy an object.
M + Enter	Move	Move the objects from one location to another.
E + Enter	Erase	To remove objects from a drawing.
TR + Enter	Trim	Trim objects to match the edges of other objects.
TR + Enter + Hold Shift Key	Extend trim	Extend objects that match the edges of other objects.
RO + Enter	Rotate	Rotate the objects.
MI + Enter	Mirror	Makes mirrored replicas of chosen objects.
J + Enter	Join	Joins the ends of curved (or) linear objects to form a single unit.
O + Enter	Offset	Creates parallel (or) concentric replicas of things at a certain distance.
AR + Enter	Array	Copy and arrange many elements in a pattern.
CHA + Enter	Chamfer	Forms beveled edges & angle lines.
F + Enter	Fillet	Forms a circular arc between the two objects to avoid sharp edges (or) corners.
PE + Enter	Poly Edit	Edit polylines and connect objects with polylines & related objects.
Div + Enter	Divide	Make equally spaced points & blocks along the length of the object.
H + Enter	Hatch	Fill a closed object with a solid color, a hatch pattern, or a gradient fill.
D + Enter	Dimension style	Change the settings of the dimensions appear in drawings.
DLI + Enter	Dimension linear	Create linear dimensions in your drawing.
DAL + Enter	Dimension aligned	Align the linear dimensions.
DAN + Enter	Dimension angle	Determine the angle between 2 lines.
DDI + Enter	Dimension diameter	Measures the circle’s diameter.
DRA + Enter	Dimension radius	Measures the circle’s radius.
DAR + Enter	Dimension arc	Determine the length of an arc.
DI + Enter	Distance	Calculate the distance between 2 points.
AA + Enter	Area	Calculate the areas and perimeters of objects.
B + Enter	Block	Creates a block by combining chosen elements.
BE + Enter	Block edit	Edit a block to make changes.
BS + Enter	Block save	Save the edited block.
BC + Enter	Block close	Close the block editing window.
LA + Enter	Layer manager	Starts layer manager.
LAYOFF + Enter	Layer off	Turning off a layer.
LAYON + Enter	Layer on	Turn on all layers.
LAYFRZ + Enter	Layer freeze	To freeze layers of chosen objects & make them invisible.
LAYLCK + Enter	Layer lock	To lock a layer.
LT + Enter	Line type	Change line type of a layer.
LAYDEL + Enter	Layer delete	Delete a layer.
X + Enter	Explode	Divides a composite object into their component components.
SC + Enter	Scale	Increases or decreases the size of objects while maintaining their proportions.
P + Enter	Pan	Moves the view of the artwork while maintaining the same magnification and viewing orientation.
MA + Enter	Match	Copy and apply properties from one objects to another.
XREF + Enter	External reference	Attaches a document to the drawing.
RE + Enter	Regeneration	Regenerates drawings in the current viewport.
UCSIC + Enter	UCSICON	Control how the user’s system icons look on screen.
CTRL + P	Print	Displays the Print Settings dialog box.

Key Points for Electrical Drawing in AutoCAD

Electrical drawing in AutoCAD demands accuracy, uniformity, and clarity to ensure excellent implementation of electrical designs. 

Here are some important factors to consider:

• Maintain layer standards for cables, symbols, text, and measurements for better organization.
• Use standard electrical symbols to construct reusable blocks, saving time and ensuring uniformity.
• Electrical symbols must be painted darker in the design to improve visibility.
• Always draft to scale, & utilize suitable units to fit project needs.
• Layers, blocks, & files should be named clearly and consistently.
• To prevent misunderstanding, keep electrical lines straight and utilize junction dots or breaks.
• Electrical drawings & plans must be created independently from any other designs, such as architectural or civil blueprints.
• Add clear labels, cable tags, & component numbers for simple reference.
• Start with a premade template that contains title blocks, layers, & text styles.
• For multi-page designs, make sure that the sheets are cross-referenced.
• Provide exact dimensions and pertinent remarks for installers (or) engineers.
• To prevent data loss, save & back up files using version control.

Mastering these top AutoCAD commands is vital for any electrical drafter (or) design engineer seeking to work swiftly and properly. 

From creating accurate schematics to managing layers & symbols effectively, these commands streamline the drafting process and minimize errors. 

With constant practice, you’ll be able to increase your productivity and create professional-quality electrical drawings with ease.