Most of us use F3 to turn on/off the OSNAP or just click with the mouse on the icon. That is great, however, it is common, at least for me, to forget about it and then draw something completely wrong.
Autodesk thought of this and the AutoCAD has some great keyboard shortcuts with Shift key that can trigger different OSNAP functions. We will go through some of them now.
The combination that I use most often is Shift + D. By holding down these buttons AutoCAD temporarily turns OSNAP and OTRACK OFF. After releasing them, Object Snapping continues to work as before.
If OSNAP is turned OFF and we need to turn it temporarily ON we would hold down Shift and A.
Other great combinations with Shift key are:
Holding down only the Shift key turns ON and OFF the ORTHO.
When we hold Shift + Q Turns OTRACK ON and OFF
Holding Shift + E Turns just Endpoint OSNAP ON
When Holding Shift + V OSNAP Midpoint is Turned ON
and Finally Holding Shift + C Turns Center OSNAP ON.
Use those Shortcuts to Accelerate your work and Amplify your skills! We have many other AutoCAD-related Topics! that will help you become one of the best drafters in your company.
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When to use it
These shortcuts help most when you draw fast and need a snap only for one click. You can switch OSNAP off for one pick, or on for one pick, without going to the status bar. They also save you when you forget that OSNAP is off and a line ends up in the wrong place.
Tips and common mistakes
- The change lasts only while you hold the keys. As soon as you let go, OSNAP goes back to how it was, so you do not need to switch it back.
- Do not mix up Shift + D and Shift + A. The first turns OSNAP and OTRACK off, the second turns OSNAP on.
- Learn two or three combinations first, such as Shift + D, Shift + E and Shift + V, and add the rest later.
Related tutorials
Try it on your own drawing
TerraDraft Lite is free to download.
