Aaah, there are so many things that can go wrong with AutoCAD just because we are in a hurry and sometimes hit the wrong buttons… In this example we will look at what makes our program behave unusually - you pick a line hit the Del button and nothing happens? , When you double click at Mtext nothing happens? AutoCAD wants you to type in the command first and then select objects? For Civil 3d Users - When I right-click on an object there is no Civil 3D functionality?
Don’t worry it is probably due to another system variable “PICKFIRST” here is what Autodesk says about it:
Controls whether you can select objects before you start a command.
Type: Integer Saved in: Registry Initial value: 1
|
0 |
Off. You can select objects only after you start a command |
|
1 |
On. You can also select objects before you start a command |
So if you want to “Repair” your AutoCAD just type Pickfirst and hit 1. Now everything should work normally.
In AutoCAD 2017 tough if pickfirst is turned off (value 0) if you try to use a command like erase, AutoCAD will automatically ask you if you want to turn Pickfirst on which is great! It will save lots and lots of worries.
When to use it
Check PICKFIRST when AutoCAD or Civil 3D suddenly feels different after a crash, a file from someone else, or a stray keystroke. You select a line, press Delete and nothing happens, or double-click on Mtext and the editor does not open. If Civil 3D objects also lose their right-click menu, this is the first thing to test.
Tips and common mistakes
- Type PICKFIRST and enter 1 to turn selection before the command back on. Entering 0 gives you the opposite behaviour, where you must start the command first.
- Do not reinstall or reset the program before you try this. It is a single setting and takes seconds to check.
- If the problem comes back on another computer, remember that the setting belongs to that installation, so check it there too.
Related tutorials
Try it on your own drawing
TerraDraft Lite is free to download.
