This post isn’t about the new transparency for objects and layer introduced in AutoCAD LT 2011. Instead, it’s about using commands transparently – as in, inside other commands. Transparent commands enable you to make changes or get information without pausing the current command. To make a command transparent, simply prefix it with an apostrophe (‘) if you’re typing at the command line, or just select it from the ribbon. If you choose a command that can’t be used transparently, one of two things will happen. If you picked it from the ribbon, your first command will be canceled and you’ll find yourself in the second command. If you typed it at the command line, you’ll get this message: ** That command may not be invoked transparently ** So, what commands can be used transparently? Here’s a list (this may not be exhaustive; if you find more let me know): ABOUT APERTURE ATTDISP CAL COLOR DIST ELEV GRAPHSCR GRID HELP ID LAYER LIMITS LINETYPE MATCHPROP OBJECTSCALE OSNAP REDRAW SCRIPT SETVAR SNAP SPELL STYLE ZOOM And some examples for using transparent commands? Let’s say you started to draw a line, but realized you were on the wrong layer. Before picking your second point, just go up to the ribbon and change the layer from the pulldown. OR, type –layer to open the Layer Properties Manager and make your changes there. What if, in drawing that same line, you remembered that it was supposed to be the same length as another line…but you forgot exactly how long? Before picking your second point, type –dist and measure the first line, then enter the result for your new line. Zoom is probably the handiest transparent command, and you probably use it transparently every day without even thinking about it, because zooming and panning with the mouse wheel is transparent by default.

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