AutoCAD Mechanical toolset commands are purpose-built for typical mechanical engineering drawings. You can execute typical mechanical drawing tasks much faster if you use AutoCAD Mechanical toolset commands instead of the corresponding AutoCAD commands.
Geometry Creation Commands
AutoCAD Mechanical toolset provides several tools to create mechanical-related geometry including symmetrical lines, section lines (with arrows and labels), various rectangles types, construction lines, centerlines, and automatic hatching. Mechanical lines are automatically created on mechanical layers according to their object type. For example, section lines are automatically created on layer AM_10.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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LINE |
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LINE |
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PLINE |
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PLINE |
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SPLINE |
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SPLINE |
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AMSYMLINE Draws symmetrical lines about a centerline |
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AMBROUTLINE Draws a special spline to show the breakout borders. |
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AMSECTIONLINE Creates a cutting plane line. Section lines can be created with or without arrows and labels. |
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AMZIGZAGLINE Draws zigzag lines. |
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CIRCLE |
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CIRCLE |
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ARC |
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ARC |
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ELLIPSE |
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ELLIPSE |
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POLYGON |
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POLYGON |
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REVCLOUD |
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REVCLOUD |
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RECTANG |
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AMRECTANG Creates a rectangle and includes additional options. |
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AMRECTBWH Creates a rectangle; middle base, full base, full height. |
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AMRECTBWH2 Creates a rectangle; middle base, half base, full height. |
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AMRECTCW2H Creates a rectangle; center, half base, half height. |
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AMRECTCW2H2 Creates a rectangle; full base, full height. |
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AMRECTCWH Creates a rectangle; full base, full height. |
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AMRECTCWH 2 Creates a rectangle; full base, full height. |
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AMRECTLWH2 Creates a rectangle; center, full base, half height. |
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AMRECTCY Creates a rectangle; center, second corner. |
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AMRECTLWH Creates a rectangle; middle height, full base, full height. |
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AMRECTLWH2 Creates a rectangle; middle height, full base, half height. |
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AMRECTLY Creates a rectangle; middle height, second corner. |
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AMRECQBT Creates a square; middle base, full base. |
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AMRECTQBY Creates a rectangle; middle base, half base. |
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AMRECTQCR Creates a rectangle; center, half base. |
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AMRECTQCW Creates a rectangle; center, full base. |
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AMRECTQLR Creates a rectangle; middle height, full base. |
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AMRECTQLY Creates a rectangle; middle height, half base. |
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AMRECTQXY Creates a rectangle; first corner, full base. |
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AMRECTXWH Creates a rectangle; first corner, full base and full height. |
Hatching in AutoCAD Mechanical toolset creates an intelligent entity. Hatching automatically finds boundaries based on object type. Only objects on Contour layers (AM_0, AM_1, AM_2 and AM_3) are used as hatching boundaries. Centerlines (AM_7) and thread lines (AM_4) are not found and are therefore ignored as hatch boundaries. When a standard hole feature is placed, the hatching is automatically modified to suit the feature.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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HATCH |
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AMHATCH_45_2 Creates a 45-degree and 2.5 mm/0.1 inch hatch. |
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AMHATCH_45_5 Creates a 45-degree and 5 mm/0.22 inch hatch. |
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AMHATCH_45_13 Creates a 45-degree and 13 mm/0.5 inch hatch. |
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AMHATCH_135_2 Creates a 135-degree and 2.7 mm/0.12 inch hatch. |
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AMHATCH_135_4 Creates a 135-degree and 4.7 mm/0.19 inch hatch. |
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AMHATCH_135_11 Creates a 135-degree and 11 mm/0.4 inch hatch. |
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AMUSERHATCH Inserts a user-defined hatch. |
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AMHATCH_DBL Creates a double hatch of 45- and 135-degree and 2.3 mm/0.09 inch. |
Geometry Creation Commands - Standard Features and Parts
The AutoCAD Mechanical toolset content library contains more than 600,000 standard features and parts, which are based on 17 international standards. Standard features include Clearance, Tapped, Counter Sunk, and Counter Bored Holes. Standard parts include Bolts, Screws, Nuts, Washers, Steel Shapes, Bearings, Circlips, Cylindrical and Tapered Pins, Split Pins, Cotter Pins, Drive Studs, Rivets, Clevis Pins, Plugs, Lubricators, Sealing Rings, Drill Bushings, and more.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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AMSCREWCON2D Inserts a screw connection between two plates using standard parts from the content library. |
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AMTHOLE2D Creates a through hole of a standard size. |
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AMSHAFT2D Creates rotationally symmetric shaft parts and inner and outer shaft contours, using the Shaft Generator. |
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AMSHAFTEND Creates a zigzag line, a free-hand line, or a loop to represent a shaft end. |
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AMCOMP2D Creates compression springs and performs spring calculations. |
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AMSTDPLIB Inserts a standard part from the content library into the drawing. |
Geometry Creation Commands - View Projection and Construction Lines
Construction lines in AutoCAD Mechanical toolset include lines (xline and ray), circles and rectangle objects. They are automatically created on layer AM_CL, which allows for quick placement without having to worry about the current layer. AutoCAD Mechanical toolset recognizes that construction lines are not part of the component you are creating and is able to intelligently exclude them from relevant operations. For example, the hide commands don't consider them valid contour objects and therefore ignores them in hide situations.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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AMPOWERVIEW Creates top, bottom, or side views of standard parts. |
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XLINE |
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AMCONSTLINES Draws construction lines. Displays a dialog box listing all variations. |
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AMCONSTHOR Creates a horizontal construction line. |
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AMCONSTVER Creates a vertical construction line. |
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AMCONSTCRS Creates a construction line cross. |
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AMCONSTZ Creates a construction line in the Z direction. |
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AMCONSTHB Creates a construction line by defining two points or an angle. |
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AMCONSTHW Creates a construction line with a relative angle from a line. |
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AMCONSTPAR Creates a parallel construction line with full distance. |
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AMCONSTPAR2 Creates a parallel construction line with half distance. |
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AMCONSTLOT2 Creates a construction line perpendicular to two points. |
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AMCONSTLOT Creates a construction line perpendicular to a line. |
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AMCONSTHM Creates a bisecting construction line of an angle. |
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AMCONSTTAN Creates two parallel construction lines tangent to a circle. |
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AMCONSTTC Creates a construction line tangent to two circles. |
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AMCONSTXLINE Creates construction lines starting from one point in both directions. |
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RAY |
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AMCONSTXRAY Creates construction lines starting from one point. |
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AMCONSTCC Creates a concentric construction line circle to a circle. |
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AMCONSTCCREA Creates a circle to the end of a shaft. The circle is drawn on the current layer, but not on the AM_CL layer. |
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AMCONSTC2 Creates a construction line circle tangent to a line. |
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AMCONSTKR Creates a construction line circle tangent to two lines. |
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AMCONST_CIRCLE Creates a construction line circle. |
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AMCONSTCIRCLI Creates a construction line rectangle around a circle. |
Geometry Reuse Commands
AutoCAD Mechanical toolset lets you combine lines, arcs and circles to form components (Part and Assemblies) within the mechanical structure environment. Once defined, you can quickly insert these components in a new or existing drawing, and if one instance of a component is modified, all components automatically update.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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BLOCK |
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BLOCK |
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AMSCREATE Creates new components, component views, folders, and annotation views in drawings in a mechanical structure. |
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AMSNEW Creates and manages new folders, components, and views in a mechanical structure. |
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WBLOCK |
WBLOCK |
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AMSEXTERNALIZE Converts local components/folders to external reference components/folders by moving their definitions to a new drawing file. |
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INSERT |
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INSERT |
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AMSINSERT Insert component views and folders from existing definitions or inserts additional views to an annotation view. |
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XREF |
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XREF |
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AMSCATALOG Displays a catalog of mechanical structure component and folder definitions, and provides the ability to perform a variety of operations, particularly xref related operations. |
Hidden Line Creation Commands
The hide related commands in AutoCAD Mechanical toolset create hidden lines by letting you select the objects that must appear in the foreground. Hidden edges are automatically discovered and the appropriate line style set. The commands intelligently ignore inappropriate objects such as Construction Lines from the foreground and background.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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AM2DHIDE Hides invisible edges of objects that are partly or fully hidden behind other objects in an assembly. |
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AM2DHIDEDIT Edits hidden or invisible edges created by the AM2DHIDE command. |
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AMSHIDE Hides invisible edges of objects that are partly or fully hidden behind other objects in an assembly, in the mechanical structure environment. |
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AMSHIDEEDIT Edits hidden or invisible edges created by the AMSHIDE command. |
Centerline and Hole Pattern Creation Commands
The commands that create centerlines not only draw centerlines and centerline crosses on the correct layer and extend them to the correct length past holes and other objects, but they let you create complete hole patterns for rectangular and pitch circle diameter patterns.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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AMCENTLINE Draws a centerline on the centerline layer (AM_CL). |
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AMCENCROSS Draws a centerline cross. |
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AMCENCRHOLE Draws a centerline cross with a hole. |
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AMCENCRANGLE Draws a centerline cross with an angle. |
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AMCENCRCORNER Draws a centerline cross in a corner. |
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AMCENCRFULLCIRCLE Draws a centerline cross on a full circle. |
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AMCENCRINHOLE Draws a centerline cross in a hole. |
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AMCENCRPLATE Draws a centerline cross on a plate. |
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AMCENINBET Draws a centerline between two lines. |
Geometry Modification Commands
The geometry modification power commands recognize related mechanical objects. As a result objects can be modified as a whole (for example, an entire bolted connection can be modified as a whole) and surrounding objects affected by the modification are automatically “healed”.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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ERASE |
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AMPOWERERASE Deletes selected objects and automatically heals the surrounding mechanical objects. |
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COPY |
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AMPOWERCOPY Copies an object along with its mechanical intelligence to another position in the drawing. |
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AMPOWEREDIT Starts the command with which the selected object was created, to edit the object. |
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AMPOWERRECALL Starts the command with which the selected object was created, to create a new object. |
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MIRROR |
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MIRROR |
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OFFSET |
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AMOFFSET Creates multiple new objects at specified distances from an existing object. |
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ARRAY |
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ARRAY |
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MOVE |
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MOVE |
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ROTATE |
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ROTATE |
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SCALE |
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SCALE |
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AMSCALEXY Sets scale of X and Y axes independently of each other. |
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TRIM |
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TRIM |
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EXTEND |
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EXTEND |
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BREAK |
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BREAK |
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AMBREAKATPT Break objects on their common intersection point. |
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JOIN |
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JOIN |
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AMJOIN Joins different entities. |
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DIVIDE |
DIVIDE |
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CHAMFER |
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AMCHAM2D Connects two nonparallel objects by extending or trimming them to intersect or to join with a beveled line. |
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FILLET |
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AMFILLET2D Creates filleted edges. |
Drawing Sheet Creation Commands
AutoCAD Mechanical toolset assists in creating, scaling, and annotating drawing sheets in both model and paper space. Title blocks, drawings borders and revision blocks are intelligent objects automatically extracting part or assembly information for display. In model space, title blocks become scaled areas after recommending a standard scale for the selected objects. In paper space, viewport creation also assists in locating components within model space.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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AMTITLE Inserts a title block and a drawing border. |
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AMREVLINE Inserts a revision list into a drawing or adds an additional revision line to an existing revision list. |
Detail View Creation Commands
Use AutoCAD Mechanical toolset to create detail views in model or paper space using common scaling factors. Detail views are associative and are automatically updated when the model geometry is modified. Detail views placed in model space create scale areas while those placed in paper space create viewports. All AutoCAD Mechanical toolset commands are aware of the scale factor used for detailing and adjust automatically.
Command Maps
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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AMDETAIL Creates a scaled circular, rectangular or free defined detail view of selected geometry. |
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AMSCAREA Defines a drawing area with a different scale factor. |
Annotation Commands - Dimensions
Dimensioning in AutoCAD Mechanical toolset allows fits or fits to be added to those dimensions which are critical to the design. Fits are intelligent, therefore if the nominal size changes, the fit is adjusted accordingly. A Fit List can then be added to the drawing helping to document the design. Automatic dimensioning allows for quick linear, ordinate, shaft, or symmetrical dimensioning in one operation. Numerous dimension editing commands such as arrange and break are available for tiding up placed the dimensions.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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Find
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DIM |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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DIMLINEAR |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_HOR
Creates horizontal linear dimensions. |
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AMPOWERDIM_VER
Creates vertical linear dimensions. |
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AMPOWERDIM_ROT
Creates rotated linear dimensions. |
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DIMALIGNED |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_ALI
Creates aligned linear dimensions. |
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DIMORDINATE |
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AMAUTODIM Creates ordinate, parallel, shaft, and symmetric dimensions and gives the chance to rearrange dimensions into a new style. |
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DIMARC |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_ARCLEN
Creates arc length dimensions for arcs and arc segments on a polyline. |
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DIMRADIUS |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_RAD
Creates radius dimensions for arcs and circles. |
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DIMJOGGED |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_JOG
Create a radius dimension with the origin of the dimension at any location you wish and a jog at a convenient location along the dimension line. |
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DIMDIAMETER |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_DIA
Creates diameter dimensions for arcs and circles. |
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DIMANGULAR |
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AMPOWERDIM Creates linear, aligned, angular, radius, diameter, and chamfer dimensions. Allows symbols, fits and tolerances to be added to individual dimensions independent of the dimension style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_ANG
Creates angular dimensions. |
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QDIM |
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AMAUTODIM Creates ordinate, parallel, shaft, and symmetric dimensions and gives the chance to rearrange dimensions into a new style. |
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DIMBASELINE |
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AMAUTODIM Creates ordinate, parallel, shaft, and symmetric dimensions and gives the chance to rearrange dimensions into a new style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_BAS
Creates a linear or angular dimension from the first extension line of a selected dimension. |
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DIMCONTINUE |
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AMAUTODIM Creates ordinate, parallel, shaft, and symmetric dimensions and gives the chance to rearrange dimensions into a new style. |
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AMPOWERDIM_CHAIN
Creates a linear, angular, or arc length dimension from the second extension line of a selected dimension. |
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AMDIMARRANGE Rearranges selected dimensions, relative to a selected edge. |
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AMDIMSTRETCH Stretches/Contracts geometry by letting you select an associated dimension (linear or symmetric) and changing the dimension text. |
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AMDIMALIGN Aligns dimensions to a selected dimension. |
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AMDIMJOIN Edits linear, aligned, and angular (3-point or 2-line) dimensions by joining similar dimensions into a single dimension. |
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AMDIMBREAK Creates breaks in an existing dimension while retaining its intelligence. |
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AMFITSLIST Inserts a fits list from placed dimensions. |
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AMPOWERDIM_CHAM
Creates dimensions for chamfers. |
Annotation Commands - Hole Charts
When inserting a hole chart using AutoCAD Mechanical toolset, the origin, hole labels and tables are inserted according to the active standard. When holes are added, removed or moved, the hole chart updates automatically.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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TABLE |
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AMHOLECHART Creates coordinate dimensions for holes in a work piece and generates hole charts. |
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MTEXT |
Annotation Commands - Mechanical Symbols
Not only does AutoCAD Mechanical toolset contain several commands to directly insert various mechanical symbols to a drawing, the symbols as well as associated text are placed in compliance with the active drafting standard.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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QLEADER |
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AMNOTE Describes holes and fits, and creates notes to the drawing with a leader. |
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TOLERANCE |
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AMFCFRAME Creates feature control frame symbols. |
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AMDATUMID Creates datum identifier symbols. |
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AMSURFSYM Creates surface texture symbols. |
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AMWELDSYM Creates welding symbols. |
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AMTAPERSYM Creates taper/slope symbols. |
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MTEXT |
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AMTEXT7 Creates mtext with a height of 7mm. |
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AMTEXT5 Creates mtext with a height of 5mm. |
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AMTEXT3 Creates mtext with a height of 3.5mm. |
Annotation Commands - BOM, Part Lists and Balloons
Built-in BOM (Bill of Material) support eliminates the need to manually track part information, create and maintain parts lists manually. When a part or assembly is added to the design, the parts lists and balloons automatically update. The Parts lists and the balloons adhere to the active drafting standard.
Command Map
AutoCAD | AutoCAD Mechanical toolset | ||
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ATTDEF (Attributes) |
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ATTDEF (Attributes) |
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AMPARTREF Creates hidden part reference attributes. |
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AMBOM Creates a BOM database containing a list of attributes. |
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AMPARTLIST Creates and places a parts list in a drawing. |
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AMBALLOON Creates, places, renumbers, and reorganizes balloons in a drawing. |