May the Force be with you in becoming a Master of the UNDO command!
It's easy to think we understand the UNDO command, one of the most basic commands used daily; using the UNDO arrow, typing in ‘U’ or using the Ctrl+Z commands to correct a mistake in AutoCAD.
However the UNDO command has so much more to offer than just removing the last command.
Here are a few tips on how to become a true Master of the UNDO command!
Firstly, instead of using the shortcut options type the full command ‘UNDO’ in the command line.
Look at all the options.
The first decision to make is how many operations you want to undo - you can remove any number at one time just by typing in the number of commands to go back and hitting enter.
Hey presto, AutoCAD jumps back the amount specified !
Let's look at some of the other options available using the UNDO command and what they allow us to do.
BEGIN, END – This groups a sequence of actions into a set. After you enter the BEGIN option, all subsequent actions become part of this set until you use the END option. Entering 'UNDO' 'BEGIN' while a group is already active ends the current set and begins a new one. ‘UNDO’ and ‘U’ treat grouped actions as a single action. If you enter UNDO BEGIN without UNDO END, using the NUMBER option undoes the specified number of commands but does not back up past the begin point. If you want to go back to before the begin point, you must use the End option, even if the set is empty. The same applies to the U command. A mark placed by the Mark option disappears inside an UNDO group - see below.
MARK, BACK – MARK places a mark in the undo information. BACK undoes all the work done back to this mark. If you undo one operation at a time, you are informed when you reach the mark. You can place as many marks as necessary. BACK moves back one mark at a time, removing the mark. When you use the NUMBER option to undo multiple actions, UNDO stops if it encounters a mark.
BACK – This will undo everything if no mark is created first. AutoCAD prompts you of this before the action is completed.
Bonus Tip:
OOPS Command
Unlike the ‘UNDO’ command, OOPS will restore the last set of erased objects without undoing any editing you may have done since the last ERASE command.
This one is definitely a niche command but it can be really useful if you keep an eye out for times it might be handy, for instance when trying to hatch areas that are busy with lines or text. Simply select everything in the way of your hatch, type ‘e’ (erase them all at once), then hatch the area now that you have a clear and uncluttered area to perform the hatch on; once your hatch is good to go use ‘OOPS’ to bring back everything you erased earlier.
OK, so now you may not have made it to Jedi status yet, but you will be well on your way to being a master of the UNDO command!
We hope you enjoy these tips!
