When teaching advanced classes in AutoCAD® software, I’m often surprised at the number of students unfamiliar with the Displacement options for the Move and Copy commands in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT® software.
Suppose, for example, that you want to copy an AutoCAD LT drawing object 10 units to the left, or positive X direction. You would use the Copy command, of course, but the process requires an extra step if you don’t use the Displacement option. The “long” way of doing it is as follows:
Command: MOVE
Select objects: 1 found
Select objects: Base point or displacement: pick a point
Second point of displacement or <Use displacement as point first>: @3,0
Copying (or moving) using a base point works, but it involves picking a base point and using the @ symbol.
When you copy or move one or more objects from one position to another—without reference to another point—you are “displacing” them or a copy of them by an absolute amount. No reference is needed other than their original position. This is what the Displacement option is intended to do. Look at the following command-line sequence:
Command: MOVE
Select objects: 1 found
Select objects: Base point or displacement: 3,0
Second point of displacement or <Use displacement as point first>:
[Enter] [Enter]
The selected object is moved—or displaced—three units in the X direction and zero units in the Y direction. That’s an absolute amount, so the @ symbol is not required.
Note that the prompt reads “Base point or displacement.” Displacement is the default, so if you do not enter a point, the software assumes that a displacement amount will follow. You can displace objects and copies in both the X and Y directions simultaneously. For example, at the displacement prompt you could enter “4,7” or “-12,5”.
One possible point of confusion in using the Displacement option may explain why it’s not used more frequently. The trick is to press Enter at the “Second point of displacement” prompt. If no base point is involved, this prompt is superfluous, and the logical way to get rid of it is to press Enter.
Practice using the Displacement option with both the Move and Copy commands. You’ll see that this option is frequently the more direct method.
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