Useful AutoCAD Commands
Your AutoCAD or F/X CAD installation includes a number of commands that can come in extremely handy for landscape design. Here are a few that we find useful.
You can run any of the commands described on this page by typing the name of the command in the AutoCAD Command line and pressing Enter. For more information on the Command line, see our AutoCAD Command Line article.
NCOPY
If you need to copy a portion of a block or Xref into your drawing, use the NCOPY command. NCOPY allows you to copy linework directly into your drawing from Xrefs and blocks without having to explode these items.
Getting a "Not a closed polyline" message when trying to bring a boundary into your drawing – likely with the intention of hatching it? Solution
In this example, we'll use NCOPY to copy the parking lines from the Xref pictured to the right into our main drawing.
The cursor will turn into a pickbox, and you'll be prompted to Select nested objects to copy or [Settings].
Click the linework you want to copy. In our example, we'll click and select the parking lines from our Xref.
Press Enter three times to proceed past the next few prompts and paste the linework into the exact location from which you copied it.
The linework will now be transferred into the main drawing, in the exact location where it was in the block or Xref.
BOUNDARY
If you have a polyline area in your drawing that isn't quite closed, you can close it quickly by using the BOUNDARY command. This command turns a polyline into a contiguous closed boundary that encloses what is known as a "region." You can then use this region as an area for placing a hatch, for example.
In this example, we'll turn our parking lines into a contiguous region using the BOUNDARY command.
The Boundary Creation dialog box will open. Click OK to create the boundary.
The Command line will prompt you to Pick internal point.
Click a point within the boundary you want to create.
The polyline you selected will be transformed into a contiguous boundary.
OVERKILL
The OVERKILL command is a handy cleanup tool for linework in your drawing.
To run the OVERKILL command, type OVERKILL in the Command line and press Enter. All duplicate linework, including overlapping polylines, and arcs, will be cleaned up and, where possible, joined.
We don't recommend using OVERKILL in an irrigation plan. OVERKILL could potentially wreak havoc on an irrigation design by disconnecting pipes from heads and other equipment, and then re-connecting them in places where you may not necessarily want them connected.
If you're looking for a way to clean up redundant and disconnected linework in a drawing, check out our SuperJoin tool. SuperJoin neatens up messy linework by firing several commands, including OVERKILL.
Contact
- Land F/X
Our software tailors AutoCAD®, Revit®, and SketchUp® to the needs of landscape architects, irrigation designers, and other professionals. We automate your most tedious tasks and ensure accuracy, giving you more time to design.