Pointing Device Buttons (Concept)

AutoCAD

 
Pointing Device Buttons
Concept Procedure Quick Reference
 
 
 

The first 10 pointing device buttons are automatically assigned; you can reassign all except button 1, the pick button.

On a two-button mouse, the left button is the pick button used to

  • Specify locations
  • Select objects for editing
  • Choose menu options and dialog box buttons and fields

The operation of the right button on a mouse depends on context; it can be used to

  • End a command in progress
  • Display a shortcut menu
  • Display the Object Snap menu
  • Display the Toolbars dialog box

Right-click operation can be modified in the Options dialog box (OPTIONS). The operation of additional buttons on a pointing device is defined in the menu file.

The Wheel Mouse

The wheel mouse has a small wheel between the buttons. The left and right buttons behave the same as they do on a standard mouse. You can rotate the wheel by discrete values. You can use the wheel to zoom and pan in your drawing without using any commands.

By default, the zoom factor is set to 10 percent; each increment in the wheel rotation changes the zoom level by 10 percent. The ZOOMFACTOR system variable controls the incremental change, whether forward or backward. The higher the number, the larger the change.

The following table lists the wheel mouse actions supported in this program.

To...

Do this...

Zoom in or out

Rotate the wheel forward to zoom in, backward to zoom out

Zoom to drawing extents

Double-click the wheel button

Pan

Hold down the wheel button and drag the mouse

Pan (joystick)

Hold down CTRL and the wheel button, and drag the mouse

Display the Object Snap menu

With the MBUTTONPAN system variable set to 0, click the wheel button

See Also