Options, Shortcuts and Aliases (OPTIONS / CUI)

The Options window: general settings, keyboard shortcuts, command aliases, and exporting/importing profiles.

What it does

Customize shortcuts and aliases to suit your habits, and move your settings to another computer.

Where to find it

Ribbon: Manage › Customization › Options or Keyboard/Aliases
Menu Tools › Options... / Tools › Customize Shortcuts and Aliases...
Command line: OPTIONS (OP), CUI, ALIASEDIT

General tab

Option	Meaning
Active profile	The AutoCAD-compatible 2D profile plus the user's changes
Settings storage	Stored separately for each Windows user
Diagnostics	Automatically sends reports when the program hangs or closes unexpectedly (no drawing data is sent)

Keyboard tab

Edit the Current Shortcut box of the command you want, then click Apply. The program rejects keys that are duplicated or invalid.

Action	Default
Help	F1
Command History	F2
Object Snap	F3
Grid Display	F7
Ortho	F8
Grid Snap	F9
Polar Tracking	F10
Object Snap Tracking	F11
Dynamic Input	F12
Clean Screen	Ctrl+0
Properties	Ctrl+1
Quick Properties	Ctrl+Shift+P
Command Line	Ctrl+9
Next / Previous Drawing Tab	Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab
Next / Previous Layout Tab	Ctrl+PgDown / Ctrl+PgUp

Command Aliases tab

Type the new alias in the Alias, e.g. XX box.
Choose the target command in the box next to it.
Click Add / Replace Alias, then Apply or OK.

Button	Meaning
Add / Replace Alias	Add or replace an alias
Remove Selected User Row	Delete an alias row that the user added
Export Profile... / Import Profile...	Save/import the Shortcut + Alias profile as a `.json` file
Reset AutoCAD-Compatible Defaults	Restore all defaults

Note: An alias must be a single word, and you cannot use the real (canonical) command name as an alias.

Try it: A WL shortcut for partition walls

If you draw stud partitions all day, make your own WL alias and a 100 mm wall takes a few keystrokes. Try it on an office meeting room.

Type ALIASEDIT and press Enter (or Manage › Customization › Keyboard/Aliases), and go to the Command Aliases tab.
Type WL in the Alias box, choose the DLINE command, click Add / Replace Alias, then OK.
Type WL 100 C, Enter, then 0,0 Enter and 3000,0 Enter. You get a 100 thick, 3 m long wall.
Side wall: WL 100 C, then 3000,-50 Enter and 3000,2400 Enter.
Go back to Options and click Export Profile... to keep a .json file, so you can use the same aliases on another computer.

Meeting room partitions drawn with the WL alias

Challenge: Try to create an alias called LINE. The program refuses, because an alias cannot be a real command name. Make up your own short alias for DIMSTYLE instead.