No LusoCAD, um travessão ou hífen “-” antes do nome de um comando significa que o comando é um comando de linha de comando anónimo ou um comando de alias.

When working with LusoCAD, understanding how commands function can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency. One important concept is the difference between using graphical dialogue boxes and the command line. LusoCAD provides both methods for interacting with commands, offering flexibility depending on whether you prefer a visual interface or a faster approach via the command line. A simple yet powerful feature related to this is the use of a dash or hyphen (“-”) before a command name, which alters how it is executed.

The hyphen “-”.

Sometimes, we might see a hyphen before a command name. This then raises the question: what is the difference between using a command with and without the hyphen?

In LusoCAD, the system offers two modes for presenting instructions and options:

• Dialog boxes (graphical interface)
• Command-line interface

By adding a hyphen (“-”) before a command, LusoCAD is forced to execute the command-line version, that is to say, without opening any dialogue boxes. Instead, all options and instructions are presented directly in the command line.

Example 1: Dimension Style

To open the dimension style manager using the standard method:

• Write “D” or “DIMSTYLE”, then cousin Enter

This will bring up the “Dimension Style Manager” dialogue box, which allows you to create, modify or compare dimension styles. The dialogue box is useful because it visually organises a large number of options and parameters. However, given the number of settings available, it would not be practical to display them all in the command line.

If, instead, you write:

-DIMSTYLE

I preview Enter, LusoCAD executes the command-line version.

In this case:

• All options are presented on the command line
• The options available are different from those in the dialogue box
• The interaction is done step-by-step, entering values via the keyboard instead of navigating menus.

Example 2: Xref Commands

For some operations, especially repetitive or batch tasks, the command line can be more efficient. This is particularly useful when working with external references (Xrefs).

Reload all Xrefs

To reload Xref files via the command line:

1. Write
   

   -XREF

   

   and before Enter

2. Next, write:
   

   R (Recarregar)
   

   and before Enter

3. You will be asked to indicate which Xrefs to reload
   • You can select individual Xrefs
   • Or recharge all Xrefs at once

Bind all Xrefs

To link Xref files:

1. Introduce:
   

   -XREF
   

   and before Enter

2. Write
   

   B (Bind)
   

   

   and before Enter

3. Indicate the names of the Xrefs to link
   • Or link all Xrefs simultaneously

Summary

Using a hyphen before a command in LusoCAD is a simple yet powerful way to switch between a graphical interface and a command-line approach. While dialog boxes are ideal for exploring complex settings, the command-line versions are faster and more efficient for repetitive tasks, automation, or more advanced users.

Understanding when and how to use both methods can significantly improve your productivity when working with LusoCAD.