Object Selection

Mastering selection techniques in AutoCAD is important for efficient drafting and designing. A good AutoCAD user will use a combination of selection techniques depending on the task at hand. Being proficient in these techniques will not only increase productivity but also ensure designs are accurate and meet the requirements. To become a pro in AutoCAD selection you will learn it in 3 steps: Basic Selection, Intermediate Selection and Advanced Selection.

On a basic level, you must know 3 things: how to select an individual object, how to select multiple objects and how to remove an object selection. To select an object in AutoCAD, you can simply hoover your cursor over an object and left click on it. To select multiple objects, you can then continue to left click on more objects. More ways to select multiple objects will be discussed later. Now to remove the selection all-together, you can hit ESC key and your current selection will be unselected. Its also possible to unselect only one or few items during multiple selection. Simply hold Shift key and click on the selected objects that you want to unselect.

On an intermediate level, you must master the selection window, crossing window, crossing lasso selection, and window lasso selection.

In a window selection, you left-click once and drag your cursor from left to right to create a rectangular window. All the objects that are entirely inside the window will be selected. In a cross-selection, you left-click once and drag your cursor from right to left to create a rectangular window. All the objects that touch the selection will be selected.

The rectangular window created in the window selection is blue, and the rectangular window created in the crossing window is green, a key difference to note apart from what the selection window selects. Let’s now come to lasso selections. The difference between a window and a lasso selection is that a window selection is rectangular, while a lasso selection is a free-form.

Lastly, to master selection in AutoCAD, you must be proficient at All Selection Method, Select Similar, Quick Select and Selection Cycle.

To select all objects in AutoCAD, you can hit CTRL+A. This will select all the objects that are not frozen or not on a locked layer. As usual, hit ESC once you would want to cancel all selected objects.

Select Similar and Quick Select are handy to select similar objects. With Select Similar, you can quickly select objects of the same type. With Quick Select, you can select objects based on various properties such as Color, Layer, Linetype, Linetype Scale, Plot Style, Lineweight, Transparency, and Hyperlink.

The selection Cycle is useful for selecting overlapping objects. When the selection cycle mode is turned on, you can decide which overlapping objects you want to select. You can activate the selection cycle from the Status Bar.

Zoom

In AutoCAD, the zoom command is a commonly used function that allows you to magnify or reduce the view of your drawing. You can use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in by scrolling up and to zoom out by scrolling down. There are also several zoom options on the navigation bar. Lets start by learning about Zoom In, Zoom Out, Zoom Extents, Zoom Window, and Zoom Previous. These are frequently used for specific zooming purposes.

• Zoom In: Zooms into the drawing area.
• Zoom Out: Zooms out of the drawing area.
• Zoom Extents: This adjusts the view to display objects of the entire drawing in the drawing area. You can also zoom in by double-clicking your mouse wheel. If the drawing is empty, the drawing will zoom into the limits.
• Zoom Window: Zooms into a specific part of the drawing by making a rectangular window.
• Zoom Previous: Reverts back to the previous zoom state of the drawing.    

Now, we will focus on the remaining zoom commands. These commands exist, but you may not use them daily. They are good to know and would be useful once in a while.

• Zoom Realtime: Enables continuous zooming as you move the mouse.
• Zoom All: Updates the magnification of the drawing to fit all the objects or the drawing limits, based on whichever is greater.
• Zoom Dynamic: Magnification is determined by the rectangular area selected. Unlike the zoom window, you can create the zoom rectangle multiple times and press enter when you are satisfied with the selection.
• Zoom Scale: The magnification of the drawing area is changed based on the scale factor is provided.
• Zoom Center: Zooms relative to a center point and height provided.
• Zoom Object: Zooms to fit the selected objects in the drawing area

Pan

The pan tool allows AutoCAD users to move around in the drawing area. There are three major ways with which you can pan. First, you can hold down the scroll button on your mouse and drag it to move around in your drawing. Second, you can activate the Pan command in the navigation toolbar. Lastly, you can type in PAN in the command line and activate the panning in the drawing. While panning in your AutoCAD drawing, you can also scroll in and out by moving the mouse wheel.  

Using a Mouse in a nutshell

In AutoCAD, the mouse is essential for navigating the interface. The left click is primarily used for selecting objects, while the mouse wheel serves the dual purpose of zooming and panning. Additionally, the right click opens a menu with various options and commands, which we will delve into further in subsequent blogs.

Other Tools in Navigation Bar

Apart from Zoom and Pan, the Navigation Bar consists of View Cube, Navigation Wheel, Orbit and Show Motion. These tools are particularly beneficial when working in 3D modeling. The View Cube facilitates model rotation into standard views like top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and isometric views. The Navigation Wheel combines navigation functionalities such as Zoom, Pan tool, and Orbit. The Orbit tool enables users to rotate and examine models from different angles, while the Show Motion tool allows the creation of model animations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between window and crossing selection?

In a window selection, only the objects that are completely inside the selection window are selected. In a crossing selection, any object that is even partially inside the selection window will also be selected. To start a window selection, you go from left to right and to start a cross selection you go from right to left. The window selection window is blue in color and the cross selection window is green in color.

What is the PICKADD variable and how it affects selection?

The PICKADD variable is set to 2 by default, which means that each object selected either individually or by window, gets added to the selection set. If the SELECT command was used to select objects, the selection will remain in place even after the command ends. If the PICKADD variable is set to 1, it has all the features as in variable 2 with the exception that if SELECT command is used to select objects, the selection will not remain in place after command ends.

When the PICKADD variable is set to either 0 or 3, you can only select one object at a time. When you select a new object, the previously selected objects are removed from the selection set. The difference lies in the fact when no objects are selected and you use SHIFT to select objects, the previously selected objects are removed from the selection set if the variable is 0 and the previously selected objects are not removed from the selection set if the variable is 3. Check out AutoCAD documentation on PICKADD for more info.

Is it possible to change the size of the Crosshairs?

You can update the size hair of the crosshairs by typing OP or OPTIONS in command line. This will open the Options Dialog Box. Now click on the Display tab and you will see an option for crosshair in bottom half of the right panel. Either enter a value for Crosshairs or drag the bar to increase or decrease the size of crosshair.

Hope you enjoyed learning about Navigational Tools in AutoCAD. If you are interested in mastering the fundamentals of AutoCAD, feel free to checkout 25 Foundational Concepts of AutoCAD.

AutoCAD is an industry standard software and is continuously evolving. Hence having a good grasp in AutoCAD User Interface can help users adapt to new features and stay ahead of competition. In my personal experience, getting a big picture of different parts of the user interface helped me become more productive and helped me get over the frustration of being too slow in AutoCAD. Lets take a look at all major parts of the User Interface below:

Start Screen

The Start Screen in AutoCAD is a central launch point for users, providing quick access to recent files, learning resources, templates, insights and other resources. The Start Screen interface simplifies the process of starting new projects or returning to ongoing work. This initial interface speeds up workflow and encourages users to explore AutoCAD’s latest capabilities.

The Top Section

In AutoCAD, the top section comprises of the Application Button, Quick Access Toolbar, Title Bar, Info Center, Ribbon Area and File Tabs.

Application Button

The Application Button or the Big Red A button at the top left corner is a central element of the user interface. It is mainly used for file-related operations and program settings. Some of the features include new, open, save, save as, import, export, publish, print, drawing utilities, and close.

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is a customizable toolbar that provides immediate access to frequently used commands such as new, save, share etc.

Title Bar

The title bar provides the version of AutoCAD and name of the AutoCAD file. In the example below, Drawing 1 is the file’s name, and AutoCAD 2025 is the version used.

Info Center

The Info Bar provides help and support resources in AutoCAD. It includes search command, Autodesk Account, Autodesk App Store, Stay Connected, Help and Autodesk Assistant.

Ribbon Area

The Ribbon Area organizes a variety of tools and features in a visually appealing tabbed interface.

• Home: Contains essential tools for drawing, modifying, and managing layers.
• Insert: Provides options to insert blocks, references, and other content.
• Annotate: Includes tools for adding text, dimensions, and other annotations.
• Parametric: Offers tools to create and manage geometric and dimensional constraints.
• View: Contains tools for controlling the display and navigation of your drawing.
• Manage: Provides options for managing settings, styles, and external references.
• Output: Includes tools for plotting, publishing, and exporting your drawings.
• Add-Ins: Displays tools and options for installed add-ins and extensions.
• Collaborate: Offers tools for sharing and collaborating on your drawings.
• Express Tools: Contains additional productivity tools for advanced tasks.
• Featured App: Highlights recommended apps and extensions from the Autodesk App Store

File Tabs

The file tab is located right below the ribbon. The first tab will always be the Start tab by default. This tab makes it easier to switch between drawings and also help create a new one by click the plus sign. If you ever see a lock sign on the right side of a tab, it means the file was opened read-only.

The Bottom Section

The bottom section in AutoCAD consists of the Model/Layout tab, Command Line and Status Bar.

Model/Layout Tab

The Model/Layout tabs are used to toggle between Model and Layout. Click on one of the Layout Tabs to go into paper space and click back on MODEL to go to model space.

Command Line

The command line or command palette is used to input commands and receive results or feedback. You can simply start typing the command prompts; there is no need to click inside the command line to type the command. You can click on CTRL+9 to show or hide it. Another useful shortcut is F2, which can be used to see the list of the previously entered commands. One cool thing about this palette is that you can drag top of the palette above to see more previously entered commands.

Status Bar

The Status Bar provides quick access to drawing settings and displays current drawing information. To learn more about the Status Bar in detail, check out AutoCAD documentation on Status Bar. Below are all the features or tools available in the Status Bar:

• Coordinates: Displays the current cursor location in the drawing
• Model/Paper: Used to Switch between Model Space and Paper Space
• Grid: Toggles the display of grid in the drawing area
• Snap Mode: Restricts cursor movement at certain intervals.
• Infer Constraints: Automatically applies geometric constraints to objects.
• Dynamic Input: Displays command prompts and input options near the cursor.
• Ortho Mode: Constrains cursor movement to horizontal or vertical directions.
• Polar Tracking: Guides cursor movement along specified angles.
• Isometric Drafting: Enables isometric drawing mode for 3D-like drafting.
• Object Snap Tracking: Tracks the cursor from object snap points.
• 2D Object Snapping: Snaps the cursor to precise points on 2D objects.
• Line Weight: Toggles the display of line weights in the drawing.
• Transparency: Adjusts the transparency of selected objects.
• Selection Cycling: Cycles through overlapping objects during selection.
• 3D Object Snap: Snaps the cursor to precise points on 3D objects.
• Dynamic UCS: Automatically aligns the UCS with the face of a 3D object.
• Selection Filtering: Filters objects based on selection criteria.
• Gizmo: Provides 3D manipulation tools for objects.
• Annotation Visibility: Toggles the visibility of annotations.
• Auto Scale: Automatically scales annotations to match the viewport.
• Workspace Switching: Switches between different workspaces.
• Annotation Monitor: Monitors and alerts for annotation issues.
• Units: Displays and changes the drawing units.
• Quick Properties: Displays properties of selected objects in a palette.
• Lock UI: Locks the user interface to prevent changes.
• Isolate Objects: Isolates selected objects, hiding others.
• Graphics Performance: Adjusts settings for better graphics performance.
• Clean Screen: Maximizes the drawing area by hiding toolbars and palettes.

Graphics Screen

The majority of the graphics screen is dedicated to the drawing area. Additional tools in the drawing area include the Navigation Bar, UCS, and Selection Cursor.

Drawing Area

The drawing area is used to draw 2D and 3D models. You can choose to keep the grids on or off as discussed in the Status Bar section above.

Navigation Bar

This bar contains commonly used navigational tools such as View Cube, Navigational Wheel, Pan, Zoom, Orbit, and Show Motion. Mastering how to use View Cube, Pan, and Zoom is essential for navigating AutoCAD. Check out my blog Effortlessly Learn Navigational Tools in AutoCAD: Tips for Zoom, Pan, and Selection to Navigation Bar and other Navigation Tool in more depth.

UCS

The User Coordinate System, or UCS, is located in the bottom left corner of AutoCAD. Unlike the World Coordinate System or WCS, the UCS can be changed by the user to align with specific parts of the drawing.

Selection Cursor

The selection cursor is used to select objects for editing. You can select one object at a time by hovering your mouse over an object and clicking it. You can also select multiple objects by window selection, cross selection, and lasso selection.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to lock the user interface?

To lock elements in the user interface, click on the lock icon in the status bar. You can temporarily unlock an element by holding the ctrl button.

Can I minimize the Ribbon Area?

Yes, you can minimize Ribbon Area to Tabs, Panel Titles or Panel Buttons. Simply click on the triangle or upward arrow symbol button next to Featured Apps Title to cycle through these options. Take a look at the GIF shown in the Ribbon Area section to learn how to do it.

The User Interface in your blog looks slightly different from what I see on my screen. Why is that the case?

The images and GIFs in this blog were created using AutoCAD 2025. The software was installed on a laptop and its operating system is Windows. Hence if you are using other version of AutoCAD, using AutoCAD on OS operating system, AutoCAD Web or AutoCAD mobile, the User Interface might look different.

To learn more about other aspects of AutoCAD, feel free to checkout 25 Foundational Concepts of AutoCAD.