Datasheet
5. Click the Auto-hide control (which looks like the Minimize icon) to the left of the
gripper bar.
The dockable window collapses, and only the title bar is displayed. Moving the
crosshairs/cursor over the title bar causes it to expand.
6. Close the dockable window.
Click the X button on the dockable window or choose Tools
➪Palettes➪
Properties.
Giving AutoCAD Directions
As you might have noticed by all the different user interfaces that AutoCAD offers, you
can start commands and input options in a number of ways. You can use commands to
start a specific task that displays prompts or a dialog box for input.
The easiest way to start a command is to type it in the Command Line window. After
you start a command, you do one of the following:
Provide input if a prompt is displayed in the Command Line window or at a
dynamic input tooltip.
Provide input in the controls of a dialog box that is displayed.
Nothing; the command simply ends because no input is required.
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Chapter 1: AutoCAD and the User Interface
3. Besides typing the command at the command prompt, how else can you start a command?
A. Choose a menu item from a pull-down menu or shortcut menu.
B. Use the Command Prompt window in Windows.
C. Use a toolbar or the dashboard.
It’s all in the name
Not all commands in AutoCAD are created equally: You can use some commands when
other commands are in use, whereas you can use certain commands only when no other
command is active. When you’re using a command that creates or modifies an object,
the command is usually a modal command that supports being used when another com-
mand is active. To use a command, you simply enter its name at the command prompt
and press Enter or select the associated user interface element to start a command.
When entering command names and options at the command prompt, press the space-
bar in most cases to start a command or option. The spacebar acts like the Enter key
unless the input that is being requested contains a space.
Transparent commands
You can use some commands in AutoCAD when a command is already active; these
commands are known as
transparent commands. (You can also use transparent com-
mands when no command is active.) To use a command transparently, enter an apos-
trophe (
‘) in front of the command’s name. Transparent commands affect the properties
of a new object when it’s being created or affect the display of the drawing.
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