How to use Rotate and Mirror tool
Hi, guys today we will explore a couple of command for editing in Autocad. These two commands basic commands in Autocad. They are Rotate and Mirror. So let’s begin.
Rotate in Autocad
As you can understand from command name you can rotate an object in 2D space. 2D because for 3D space you will need to use another command named 3D rotate. About 3D command I’ll write in another tutorial.
Rotate command can be found on HOME tab and by entering Rotate from the keyboard.
Just click on it and Autocad will ask Select object.
After you will select object click mouse right button or hit Enter.
Then you need Specify base point from where you want to rotate an object. You can select any base point of the object or you can just click on any place of the workspace. Of course, it will better if you will take base point of the object.
As you can see now Autocad asking you enter rotation angle. You can just rotate it by mouse or if you want you can enter the angle and hit Enter.
Your object will be rotated to the place where you want.
If you want to rotate and create a copy of the current object. At the same time, you can just enter C from the keyboard and your object will be rotated and copied.
You can see second additional command beside of Copy and name of that command is Reference.
So what you can do with a Reference?
Sometimes you just need to know where is the certain angle without rotating any object. In this way, Reference command can help us. Just when you are using Rotate tool Autocad will offer you additional command use R button to activate Reference command. In the next step, you will need to enter angle that you want to know where it located and Autocad will show your angle from a base point that you chose.
Mirror tool in Autocad
What Mirror tool can do? Let’s see
Here I have some object and I want to create a mirror copy of this object.
How to do it? You can say that you can copy this object and rotate it, but no.
As you can see this object is an uneven triangle and no matter how you will rotate you will not get mirror copy of the object.
That’s why you need to use special tool Mirror. You can see It under Rotate tool in Home tab.
- Activate command by clicking on it. Autocad will ask you Select objects
- Select object and hit Enter on keyboard
- You need Specify first point of mirror line. Which copy you will get depend on where you will specify first point.
- After you will decide where your mirror copy will be located, click on the workspace to create a copy of your object.
- At last step, you will need select one of the two options. Erase original object or no. To finish command enter from your keyboard Y or N and hit enter.
If you have questions don’t hesitate to ask in comments