Command reference

Executing Commands

In BricsCAD, you can launch commands in the following ways:

  • Command Bar: by typing the CommandName
  • Menu Bar: searching in the menu bar the CommandName, e.g. Draw | Line
  • Ribbon: searching in the ribbon the CommandName, e.g. Home | Draw | Line
  • Toolbar: searching in the toolbar the CommandName, e.g. Draw |
    Note: To open a specific toolbar, place the cursor on a toolbar, right-click and open Toolbars > BricsCAD and choose the toolbar that you want to be visible on the display.
  • Quad tab: searching in the quad tab the CommandName, e.g. Draw |

Command options

Command options appear in the status bar or command bar and also in a prompt menu, depending on the PROMPTMENU system variable setting.

The PROMPTOPTIONFORMAT system variable controls how command options display in the command line prompts.

Accessing the input history

You can access and reuse the history of recent commands input in two ways:

  1. From the Command line
    Use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys at the Command prompt or at an input prompt.
    Note: Markers for recent input of point locations are displayed in the drawing area. The markers are controlled by SNAPMARKERSIZE, SNAPMARKERCOLOR, and SNAPMARKERTHICKNESS system variables.
  2. From the command context menu
    Expand the Recent Input option in from the command context menu.
    Note: The context menu can be accessed when the SHORTCUTMENU system variable is set to 4.
Remember: The input history can include the last 12 items from the current command (from the current and previous calls) and the last 12 items from other previous commands.

Command Prefixes

The following prefixes can be used with the BricsCAD commands:

Prefix Type Result
' (single quote or apostrophe) Transparency Allows a command to be executed inside another command.

For example, if you are drawing a line, type 'zoom at the command prompt to temporarily interrupt the LINE command while executing the ZOOM command.
- (dash) Command line Launches a non-dialog version of a command. All command options are available in the Command line.

For example, type -layer in the command prompt to suppress the Drawing explorer / Layers dialog box. All command options are available in the Command line. This is especially useful if you need to execute such commands in a script.
_ (underscore) Global Executes the original English command (global command) in translated version of BricsCAD.

It is recommended to use the global command prefix in scripts, or when defining keyboard shortcuts or customized tools.
. (period) Non-redefined Executes commands that have been temporarily removed from BricsCAD using the UNDEFINE command.

Command prefixes can be combined. For example, if the ZOOM command is temporarily undefined '.zoom executes the ZOOM command transparently.