1 MIN 1 CAD: Memorize 5 CAD Commands Beginning with M

Fellow CADers worldwide, have you been learning and practicing CAD skills while social distancing? Why not seize the opportunity to memorize the CAD commands beginning with M below?

MAIL

How do you usually send the drawing you are working on to your colleagues via email? Save it as a local file, and then send it as an attachment? Makes sense. Well, there is a more convenient way—the MAIL command! Steps:

1. Log in to your mailbox before working in ZWCAD.
2. Input [MAIL] and press ENTER.

Now, the current drawing in ZWCAD can be automatically attached as a .dwg file in an email. Much simpler and quicker, eh?

[su_spoiler title="Tip" open="yes" style="fancy" icon="chevron-circle"]To use this command, your program should be ZWCAD 2020 SP1 or a later version. (Try the latest ZWCAD for free!)[/su_spoiler]

MATCHPROP

We all know how to use the Format Painter. But do you know there is a CAD version of it? Also, good for you if you still remember how to “paint” layer properties after learning about CAD commands beginning with L. This time I’m showing you how to “paint” the properties of multiple objects with those of a certain object using the Match Properties function. Steps:

1. Input [MA] and press ENTER.
2. Select a source object.
3. Enter “S” to invoke the Property Settings dialog box if you want to confirm the properties that you’re duplicating.
4. Select one or more destination objects and press ENTER to finish the selection.

See? The hatch and color of the source object have been copied to the destination objects with just a few clicks.

MEASURE

I hope the DIVIDE command still rings a bell. MEASURE is similar to it, allowing you to mark the equal intervals of an object with points or blocks, but by specifying the length of the segments instead of the number of them. To show you how it works with blocks, here’s an example of planting trees on a hill. Steps:

1. Input [ME] and press ENTER.
2. Select an entity to measure, such as a line, arc, spline, circle, ellipse, or polyline.
3. Input “B” to mark the entity with blocks and press ENTER.
4. Input the name of the block and press ENTER.
5. Decide whether to align the blocks with the entity by inputting “Y” or “N” and pressing ENTER.
6. Specify the length of the segments and press ENTER.

If you choose to measure the entity with points, simply specify the segment length after selecting the entity, that is, skipping Steps 3–5.

[su_spoiler title="Tip" open="yes" style="fancy" icon="chevron-circle"]Again, don’t fret if the points “didn’t appear”. Just turn to the DDPTYPE command. (Review DIVIDE and DDPTYPE right now!)[/su_spoiler]

MIRROR

Symmetrical designs are ubiquitous arts of harmony. Using the MIRROR command, you can create such designs with only half the work done—that's the beauty of CAD. Steps:

1. Input [MI] and press ENTER.
2. Select the source objects that are half of a design.
3. Specify the two endpoints of the mirror line.
4. Enter “Y” to delete the source objects or “N” to retain them.

See? Symmetrical designs become so easy with MIRROR!

MLEDIT

When drawing wall plans, the MLINE command can help you draw multiple parallel lines quickly. But, the awkward open corners or random intersections that come along could be a headache. Here, MLEDIT is the powerful “pain killer” you need. Steps:

1. Input [MLEDIT] and press ENTER to invoke the Multilines Edit tools dialog box.
2. Choose an editing tool, such as Corner Joint to connect broken corners.
3. Select the first mline and then, the second one.
4. Keep selecting if needed and press Enter to finish the selection.

With MLEDIT, you can “heal” your mlines effortlessly.

If you “m”anage to go through these CAD commands beginning with M, I salute you for the passion and self-discipline. During this exceptional time, let’s “n”ot be careless, but stay healthy and hardworking! Subscribe to our blog and never miss a post!