How Do I Enable Command Blocks in AutoCAD?

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To enable command blocks in AutoCAD, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Accessing the Command Line

The command line is where you can input various commands and instructions in AutoCAD. To access it, you can either press the Ctrl + 9 keyboard shortcut or click on the Command Line icon located at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2: Enabling Command Blocks

In order to enable command blocks, you need to change a system variable called “CMDECHO”. This variable controls whether AutoCAD displays command prompts and their results in the command line.

  1. Click on the Manage tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the AutoCAD window.
  2. In the Customization panel, click on User Interface.
  3. A new window will appear. Click on the Edit Program Parameters (acad.pgp) button.
  4. This will open a text file containing several system variables and their values.

    Look for a line that says “*CMDECHO,” (without quotes).

    • If there is an exclamation mark (!) at the beginning of this line, remove it by deleting it.
    • If there is no exclamation mark (! ), add one at the beginning of this line by typing it before *

    Note: Adding or removing an exclamation mark enables or disables command blocks respectively.

    Example:

    *CMDECHO,

    • Save the changes you made to the text file and close it.
    • Restart AutoCAD for the changes to take effect.

    Step 3: Verifying Command Block Enablement

    Once AutoCAD restarts, you can verify whether command blocks are enabled or not by entering a command in the command line.

    1. Type a simple command such as “CIRCLE” (without quotes) and press Enter.
    2. If command blocks are enabled, you will see the prompt and result displayed in the command line. If they are disabled, nothing will be displayed.

    Conclusion

    Enabling command blocks in AutoCAD can be done by modifying the “CMDECHO” system variable. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily enable or disable command blocks according to your preference. Remember to save any changes made to system variables and restart AutoCAD for them to take effect.

    With this newfound knowledge, you can now use command blocks effectively in AutoCAD, enhancing your workflow and productivity.