FAQ: How are AutoCAD keyboard shortcuts used?

The keyboard shortcuts are keyboard combinations used to launch commands. For instance, you can press Ctrl+O to open a file or you can press Ctrl+S to save a file (the effect is the same as by clicking Open and Save from the quick access toolbar or from the File menu).

You can also directly type the corresponding keys. For instance, you can type L to create a line (the effect is the same as when clicking the Line command from the Drawing toolbar in the Menu toolbar).

The following list represents the main keyboard shortcuts that can be used in AutoCAD:
Displaying  
F2 Toggles text window on/off
CTRL + 3 Activate/deactivate the Tool Palette
CTRL + 8 Activate/deactivate the calculator window
CTRL + 9 Activate/deactivate the command toolbar
CTRL+MAJ+P Activate/deactivate the quick properties interface
CTRL + W Turns object snap tracking on/off
REGEN Update (regenerate) the display
TOOLTIPS Manage the display of the tooltips on the flyout, on the toolbars
Managing the DWG files  
CTRL + N Create a new drawing file
CTRL + O Open an existing drawing file
CTRL + S Save the current drawing (Qsave)
CTRL + SHIFT + S Save under a different name (Save as...)
Q + ENTER Quit, close AutoCAD
SAVETIME Program saving operations at regular intervals
XR Open x-reference manager (XREF)
Managing the clipboard  
CTRL + A Select all objects
CTRL + C Copy objects to Clipboard
CTRL + MAJ + V Paste the contents of the Windows clipboard as a block object
CTRL + SHIFT + C Copy all selected objects with a base point
CTRL + X Cut all current drawing objects to paste them somewhere else
DELETE key Delete selection
U Return to a previous state
REDO Cancel the "Undo" command
Parameters  
CTRL + 1 Turn AutoCAD properties on/off
CTRL + D Toggle coordinate display
CTRL + P Print current drawing
CUI Customize the user interface
PL Draw a polyline - a complex line
F3 Toggle OSNAP
F6 Toggle Dynamic UCS
F7 Toggle GRIDMODE
F10 Toggle POLAR
F12 Turn dynamic input on/off
Modeling  
B Opens the block dialog box to make a block for the current drawing
C Draw a circle
CP Copy
CTRL + J Repeat the last used command
X Explode an object, a volume, a polyline, etc.
XL Straight line
M Move
S Stretch an object
SC Scale an object
I Insert
L Line
MI Mirror
OP Option
PE Edit a polyline
PELLIPSE Convert an elliptical shape into a polyline
PL Polyline
EX Extend a selection (property in AutoCAD LT)
RO Rotate a selection
REN Rename
SHIFT + RIGHT CLICK Select a unique snap mode on a snapshot
PU Purge - open the purge dialog box to remove unused elements
WBLOC Write a block
Navigation  
MOUSE WHEEL BACK/FORWARD Zoom by moving the mouse wheel forward or backward
SHIFT + MOUSE WHEEL Scroll vertically and horizontally in the drawing
SHIFT + MOUSE WHEEL Enable/Disable 3D orbit in the drawing (the mouse wheel must be pressed)
F8 Toggle ORTHO MODE
ZOOMFACTOR Regulate in percentage the zoom
Note: If the CUIx file included in AutoCAD is modified with user-defined keyboard shortcuts, some shortcut keys quoted in the above list might not work. Identically for the mouse, if the pilot or the configuration is changed, some shortcut keys might not work.