CAD Beginner’s Tutorial: How to Use the Right-Click Button

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　　Beginners in CAD drawing can only remember a limited number of commands and shortcuts; they usually select commands from menus and tool panels using the mouse, and mastering mouse operations can also improve efficiency. Next, I will introduce how to use the right-click function in Haochen CAD software. 　　I. Right-click menu This is the most commonly used function of the right button; right-clicking in the graphic window, toolbar, or dialog boxes will display a shortcut menu, as shown in the figure below. 　　　　The right-click menu provides some common options, saving us the time needed to type commands or click icons and helping us improve efficiency. 　　When right-clicking in the graphics window, the most recently used commands are also displayed at the top, and these commands can be re-executed through the right-click menu. 　　The content of the right-click menu also changes depending on the cursor position in the CAD interface, or depending on the different objects, sub-objects, or grips selected in the graphics window. 　　II. Confirming and Repeating Commands Some designers are accustomed to using the right-click button in the drawing area as a substitute for Enter, in order to confirm command parameters and repeat the last command – that is, without using the shortcut menu in the drawing area. 　　To meet this need, settings for right-click actions can be configured in the OP (Options) dialog box, or through variables: The variable SHORTCUTMENU equal to 0---------means that right-click acts as Enter; the variable SHORTCUTMENU greater than 0---------means a shortcut menu is used. In the options dialog box, it is possible to set whether a shortcut menu should be used in the drawing area, as well as to customize what happens when right-clicking in different situations – for example, whether a menu appears when an object is selected, in edit mode, or in command mode, and whether right-clicking serves to confirm or repeat the previous command. It is also possible to enable timing to distinguish between quick clicks and slow clicks, allowing different actions to be taken in each case. 　　When entering a command, such as the PL command for drawing polylines, even if the right-click shortcut menu is not closed, clicking the right button at that time is equivalent to pressing Enter, allowing the command to be executed. However, if options need to be entered during the execution of the command – for example, typing A to switch to drawing arc segments – and the right-click menu is not closed, clicking the right button will display the menu again, and it cannot be used as a substitute for Enter. 　　III. Opening the snap shortcut menu When drawing, if we need to use a certain snap option temporarily, we can enter the shortcut key or use the right-click menu to set up temporary snap options. 　　By holding down the SHIFT or CTRL key and right-clicking in the graphics window, the snap shortcut menu will be displayed, as shown in the figure below. 　　　　The capture options in the right-click menu for temporary capture should be the most comprehensive and also easier to use. 　　The functions related to right-clicking the mouse can be customized in the CUI dialog box, but generally there is no need to make any changes, as shown in the figure below. 　　　　IV. Move, Copy, or Paste as a Block After selecting a shape, hold down the right mouse button and drag; a menu will appear allowing you to choose to move, copy, or paste the block, as shown in the figure below. 　　　　With this method, it is possible to move, copy, and paste as blocks without entering commands, but the downside is that precise positioning is not possible. But surely some users must have requested similar features, which is why CAD provides such capabilities; I’m not sure how widely it’s used. 　　V. Deselecting 　　By default, CAD operates in cumulative selection mode; that is, even if a blank area is selected after choosing an object, the selected objects will not be deselected. In lower versions, it is necessary to press the ESC key or select “Deselect All” from the right-click menu; actually, holding down the right button for a longer time will also cancel the selection. 　　The above are some tips for using the right-click button in Haochen CAD software; I hope they can be helpful to those who are just starting out in CAD drawing!