Your AutoCAD commands, typed the same way
Moving from AutoCAD shouldn't mean retraining your hands. In isogram you type the same aliases: L and Enter draws a line, TR trims, O offsets. Here are the ones that carry over.
How the command line works
Start typing while you're on the drawing and the command line takes it. Press Enter to run what you typed.
While you draw, type a length and it's applied as you type, so the line is already the right length before you press Enter. Tab moves on to the angle, and Enter takes the point. Coordinates work the way you expect: @1200,0 for a relative point and @1200<45 for a polar one.
If you type a command isogram doesn't know, the command line suggests the closest ones it does.
Function keys
| Key | In AutoCAD | In isogram |
|---|---|---|
| F2 | Command history | Command history |
| F3 | Object snap | Object snap |
| F5 | Isoplane | Isometric face |
| F7 | Grid | Grid |
| F8 | Ortho | Ortho |
| F9 | Snap | Snap to grid |
| F10 | Polar tracking | Polar tracking |
| F11 | Object snap tracking | Object snap tracking |
| F12 | Dynamic input | Measurements |
Drawing
| You type | In AutoCAD | In isogram |
|---|---|---|
| L | LINE | Line |
| PL | PLINE | Polyline |
| REC | RECTANG | Rectangle |
| C | CIRCLE | Circle |
| A | ARC | Arc |
| EL | ELLIPSE | Ellipse |
| SPL | SPLINE | Spline |
| POL | POLYGON | Polygon |
| DO | DONUT | Donut |
| PO | POINT | Point |
| XL | XLINE | Reference line |
| RAY | RAY | Ray |
| ML | MLINE | Double line |
| H | HATCH | Hatch |
| BO | BOUNDARY | Boundary |
| DIV | DIVIDE | Divide |
| ME | MEASURE | Measure along |
| T | MTEXT | Text |
| DT | TEXT | Text |
Changing
| You type | In AutoCAD | In isogram |
|---|---|---|
| M | MOVE | Move |
| CO | COPY | Copy |
| CP | COPY | Copy |
| RO | ROTATE | Rotate |
| MI | MIRROR | Mirror |
| SC | SCALE | Scale |
| S | STRETCH | Stretch |
| O | OFFSET | Offset |
| TR | TRIM | Trim |
| EX | EXTEND | Extend |
| F | FILLET | Fillet |
| CHA | CHAMFER | Chamfer |
| BR | BREAK | Break |
| J | JOIN | Join |
| LEN | LENGTHEN | Lengthen |
| AR | ARRAY | Rectangular array |
| ARRAYPATH | ARRAYPATH | Path array |
| ARRAYPOLAR | ARRAYPOLAR | Polar array |
| AL | ALIGN | Align |
| X | EXPLODE | Explode |
| E | ERASE | Delete |
| MA | MATCHPROP | Match properties |
| PEDIT | PEDIT | Turn into a run |
| OVERKILL | OVERKILL | Delete duplicates |
| U | UNDO | Undo |
Dimensions and notes
| You type | In AutoCAD | In isogram |
|---|---|---|
| DLI | DIMLINEAR | Dimension |
| DCO | DIMCONTINUE | Continue |
| DBA | DIMBASELINE | Baseline |
| DRA | DIMRADIUS | Radius |
| DDI | DIMDIAMETER | Diameter |
| DAN | DIMANGULAR | Angle |
| DAR | DIMARC | Arc length |
| DOR | DIMORDINATE | Coordinate |
| DCE | DIMCENTER | Centre lines |
| QDIM | QDIM | Auto Dim |
| LE | QLEADER | Leader |
| MLEADER | MLEADER | Leader |
| TOL | TOLERANCE | Geometric tolerance |
| DIMSTYLE | DIMSTYLE | Figure styles |
| REVCLOUD | REVCLOUD | Revision cloud |
| TB | TABLE | Table |
One difference to know: in AutoCAD, D opens the dimension styles. In isogram, D starts a dimension, and DIMSTYLE opens the styles.
Blocks and references
| You type | In AutoCAD | In isogram |
|---|---|---|
| B | BLOCK | Save as asset |
| I | INSERT | Insert asset |
| BEDIT | BEDIT | Edit asset |
| ATT | ATTDEF | Fields |
| IM | IMAGE | Picture |
| PU | PURGE | Clean up |
Layers, views and measuring
| You type | In AutoCAD | In isogram |
|---|---|---|
| LA | LAYER | Layers |
| Z | ZOOM | Zoom extents |
| P | PAN | Pan |
| OS | OSNAP | Snapping |
| UCS | UCS | Drawing frame |
| UNITS | UNITS | Drawing setup |
| DI | DIST | Distance |
| AA | AREA | Area |
| LIST | LIST | Probe |
Sheets and files
| You type | In AutoCAD | In isogram |
|---|---|---|
| MV | MVIEW | Viewport |
| MS | MSPACE | The drawing |
| PS | PSPACE | The sheets |
| PAGESETUP | PAGESETUP | Sheet setup |
| OPEN | OPEN | Open a drawing |
| QSAVE | QSAVE | Save |
| SAVEAS | SAVEAS | Export project |
What's new to learn
A few things have no AutoCAD twin, and they're worth the minute it takes to learn them:
- Sums. Type 3600 + 2 * 450 = or 13 feet in millimetres at the command line and the answer appears.
- Auto Dim. AD proposes the dimensions for a whole view. You review them and keep what you want.
- The timeline. F4 opens the drawing's history, so you can go back to any moment.
Questions
Can I bring my own acad.pgp aliases?
Not today. The aliases above are built in, and the command line also finds a command by its full name or the first letters of it.
Do the AutoCAD aliases work on Mac and Linux too?
Yes. The command line and the function keys are the same on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Can I still open and save DWG?
Yes. isogram opens DWG from R13 to the 2018 format and saves DWG and DXF. More on DWG.
4 October 2026
isogram arrives in December.
Join the list and we'll email you the download link when the alpha opens. It's free to test.
Join the listMore guides
- An AutoCAD alternative, made for the Macisogram is 2D CAD for architects and engineers that runs natively on Apple silicon, opens your DWG files and takes the AutoCAD commands you already type.
- Open and edit DWG files, without AutoCADisogram opens DWG files from R13 to the 2018 format on Mac, Windows and Linux, lets you edit them, and saves them back as DWG or DXF.
- Professional 2D CAD that runs on Linuxisogram is 2D CAD for architects and engineers that runs on 64-bit Linux, on Intel, AMD and ARM. It opens DWG and DXF and takes the AutoCAD commands.
AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. isogram is not affiliated with or endorsed by Autodesk.