Measure distances, angles and areas

The Inquiry commands report geometry without changing the drawing. Measurement marks are drawn on the view only: they are never saved and cannot be undone.

MEASUREGEOM (MEA)

In the app: Help ▸ Show me

Type MEA (or DI, DIST) and pick a point or choose an option on the command line:

Distance (D): pick two points. The result gives the distance, Delta X, Delta Y and the angle in the XY plane.
Radius (R): pick an arc or circle. The result gives the radius and diameter.
aNgle (N): pick two lines or arcs, or press Enter and then V to specify a vertex and two end points.
ARea (AR): measure an area (see below).
eXit (X) ends the command.

Object snaps apply to every point you pick.

AREA (AA)

In the app: Help ▸ Show me

Type AA (or AREA). Pick the corners of a shape and close it with C or Enter; U removes the last point. Choose Object to select a closed polyline, circle, ellipse, hatch or closed spline, or click inside a closed shape. The result gives the area and perimeter.

To keep a running total:

Choose Add area and measure one or more shapes.
Choose Subtract area to take shapes away, for example a hole.
The result shows Total area after each shape.

Note

Add and Subtract totals reset when you start a new measurement mode.

The results panel

Results appear in a Measure results panel docked over the drawing. It stays until you close it with the cross, even after the command ends, and it follows a change of units. The markers on the drawing stay while the panel is open.

Copy puts the results on the clipboard.
Show ΔX / ΔY draws the horizontal and vertical legs of a measured distance as dotted lines. It is off by default and the choice is remembered.

Closing the drawing or switching to another one closes the panel.

Tip

In a layout, measuring through a viewport reports the model distance, with the sheet distance shown alongside.

ID

Type ID and click a point to see its coordinates in a message and in the command history.

LIST (LI)

Select objects, then type LI (or LS). If objects are already selected, the dialog opens straight away. The LIST dialog shows the properties of each object. Copy puts the text on the clipboard and Close dismisses it.