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About Pointing Devices

You can control this program using a mouse, digitizing puck, or stylus with multiple buttons.

Buttons

The first 10 buttons are automatically assigned; you can reassign all except button 1, the pick button.

On a two-button mouse, the left button is the pick button used to

  • Specify locations
  • Select objects for editing
  • Choose menu options and dialog box buttons and fields

The operation of the right button on a mouse depends on context; it can be used to

  • End a command in progress
  • Display a shortcut menu
  • Display the Object Snap menu

The contextual behavior of the right-click operation can be modified using the SHORTCUTMENU system variable. Additional buttons can be customized in the main customization (CUIx) file.

Mouse Wheel and Middle Button

Many mice provide left and right buttons in addition to a wheel located between the two buttons. You can use the wheel to pan and zoom in a drawing without using any commands.

By default, the zoom factor is set to 60 percent; each increment in the wheel rotation changes the zoom level by 60 percent. The ZOOMFACTOR system variable controls the incremental change; higher the number, the larger the change.

The following table lists the wheel mouse actions supported in this program.

To...

Do this...

Zoom in or out

Rotate the wheel forward to zoom in, backward to zoom out. Use the ZOOMWHEEL system variable to toggle the direction of the zoom operation when you rotate the wheel.

Zoom to drawing extents

Double-click the wheel button.

Pan

Hold down the wheel button and drag the mouse. The MBUTTONPAN system variable must be set to 1.

Pan (joystick)

Hold down Ctrl and the wheel button, and drag the mouse. The MBUTTONPAN system variable must be set to 1.

Swivel camera

Hold down Ctrl and the wheel button, and drag the mouse. The MBUTTONPAN system variable must be set to 0. (Not available in AutoCAD LT)

Free Orbit

Hold down Ctrl, Shift, and the wheel button, and drag the mouse. (Not available in AutoCAD LT)

Display the Object Snap menu

Click the wheel button. The MBUTTONPAN system variable must be set to 0.

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