CAD Drafting Toolset - Command Reference

Safe editing

• A tool changes only the active layer, and only while that layer is in edit mode. Turn editing on yourself; the plugin never turns it on by itself and never saves your layers.
• One action is one undo step in QGIS. If an action fails part-way, nothing is left half done.
• New features take their primary key (a GeoPackage fid) and default values from the data provider; other attributes are copied from the source feature.
• Reference output (Buffer, Hatch, Dimension, construction lines, Divide points, urban tools) goes to plugin layers named planx_..., which the plugin opens and commits itself. A layer of yours with the same name is never reused.

Units

• Projected map canvas CRS: typed lengths, offsets, radii, Ortho and Polar use the CRS's own linear unit; the dock's length settings show it as m, ft or US ft.
• Geographic CRS such as EPSG:4326: typed lengths are metres on the ground, worked out in a local UTM zone, shown as m (geodesic).
• Absolute points x,y are always in the map canvas CRS.
• Array spacing follows the same rule.
• Measure and Dimension measure as QGIS does: metres on the project ellipsoid when one is set, otherwise planar in the CRS's own unit; the result names its unit.
• The street and parcel tools other than Block Chamfer take their widths, radii and setbacks in metres in any CRS.

Typed input

• x,y: absolute point in the map canvas CRS.
• @dx,dy: offset from the last point.
• @distance<angle: distance and angle (degrees, counter-clockwise from east) from the last point.
• distance: distance along the cursor direction.
• Typed text goes to the active tool first. A number answers a tool waiting for a value: the distance in Offset, the radius in Fillet, one or two distances in Chamfer (5 or 5,3), rows,columns[,dx,dy] or items[,sweep] in Array, the angle in Rotate, the factor in Scale.
• With a tool running, an option's first letter or name selects it (inside Fillet, R asks for the radius); any other single letter is refused with a hint and never starts another command.
• Type a number, minus sign or @ directly on the canvas to move to the command line. Enter or Space confirms.

Object snaps, tracking and dynamic input

• OSNAP (F3 while a CAD tool has the canvas): object snaps with CAD glyphs: box = endpoint, triangle = midpoint, circle = centre, diamond = quadrant, cross = vertex, X = intersection, inverted triangle = perpendicular, plus tangent (on curves only), nearest and extension. Snaps look only at layers that are visible, checked and inside their scale range. With QGIS snapping on they use the layers QGIS snaps to; with it off they snap to every visible layer. The tolerance is 12 pixels. F3 is not bound outside a CAD tool, so QGIS keeps Select Features by Value; the command line takes OSNAP as well.
• ORTHO or F8: holds the direction at 0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees with a dashed guide ray.
• POLAR or F10: tracks rays at the chosen increment (15, 30, 45 or 90 degrees).
• Object snap tracking: hover over a snapped point to acquire it; X and Y alignment rays take precedence over polar angles.
• DYN or F12: length, angle and delta-x / delta-y at the cursor.

Line L

• Click the start point, then the next point; each click adds a segment that starts where the last one ended.
• Typed points work at every step: @60<90 after a segment continues from its end.
• Each segment is its own feature; U on the command line removes the last one and continues from its start.
• Enter, right-click or Esc stops the chain.

Polyline PL

• Click vertices; the whole chain becomes one feature.
• Finish with Enter or right-click.

Rectangle REC

• Click two opposite corners, or type the second corner (for example @20,10).

Regular Polygon POL

• Enter the number of sides (3 to 100), click the centre, then a point that sets the radius and the orientation of the first corner.

Circle C

• Click the centre, then a point on the circle; a typed distance sets the radius.

Arc A

• Click the start, a point on the arc, then the end.

Construction Line XL

• Click two points to set an axis that runs across the whole map view and is re-extended when the map is redrawn.
• Construction geometry goes to the planx_construction layer with a dashed style.

Construction Ray RAY

• Click the origin, then a point on the direction; the ray runs forward only. Output: planx_construction.

Construction Segment SEG

• Click the start and end of a bounded reference segment. Output: planx_construction.

Divide DIV

• Set the number of segments (2 or more) and the method, then pick a line.
• Split line cuts the line into equal-length parts on its own layer; the first part keeps the original feature.
• Create points marks the division points on the active layer if it is a point layer in edit mode, otherwise on the planx_divisions layer.

Hatch H

• Set pattern (parallel lines, cross-hatch, diagonal up, diagonal down), spacing, angle and colour, then pick a closed polygon or a closed line.
• The hatch lines are real geometry clipped to the area, written to the planx_hatch layer with the pattern settings as attributes.

Buffer B

• Set the distance, the join style (round, bevel or miter) and the segments per quarter circle, then pick a feature.
• The source layer only needs to be readable. The buffer polygon goes to the planx_buffer layer with the source layer name, distance and join style.

Offset O

• Set the distance on the active-command card, or type it: O, then 10 Enter.
• Pick the line, move to the side you want (a preview follows) and click. The parallel copy is a new feature on the same layer with the source's attributes.
• The side is the one you click, also inside a U-shaped line.

Multi-Offset MO

• Enter several distances separated by commas (for example 3, 6) and the side: left, right, both, or pick on the map.
• Pick a line; one offset is made at every distance.

Trim TR

• Pick the cutting edge (from any layer), then click the piece of the line to remove; only that piece is removed.
• An edge that only touches the line's end trims nothing: the tool says the edge does not cross the line.

Extend EX

• Pick the boundary (from any layer), then click the line near the end you want to extend.
• That end runs on to the boundary; the other parts of a multipart line are kept.

Break BR

• Pick the line, click the first break point, then a second point to remove the span between them.
• Press Enter or right-click after the first point to break there with no gap.
• The picked feature keeps the first part; the remainder is added as a new feature with the same attributes.
• A break on an endpoint is refused: pick a point between the two ends.

Lengthen LEN

• Click the line near the end you want to change; that end is the one that moves.
• Delta adds or removes length (negative shortens), Percent scales the current length, Total sets the length.
• Delta and Total follow the units rule above.

Fillet F

• Set the radius on the card or type it, then pick the first line and the second; a preview shows the arc.
• The arc is tangent to both lines, both are trimmed to it, and the whole fillet is one undo step. Multipart lines keep their other parts and Z values are kept.
• A small radius suits a tight corner.

Chamfer CHA

• Enter both cutback distances; in the dialog, tick Use the first distance for both lines for a symmetric cut.
• Pick the first line, then the second; the preview shows the cut before you commit.
• Both lines are trimmed to the corner and the chamfer segment is added as a new feature.
• A distance longer than the line it cuts is refused rather than damaging the line.

Join J

• Set the tolerance: ends closer than this are welded.
• Pick two or more lines on the same layer, then press Enter or right-click.
• The first picked feature takes the joined geometry and keeps its attributes; the other picked features are deleted. One undo step restores them.

Explode X

• Parts turns a multipart feature into single-part features on the same layer.
• Segments turns a line, or a polygon boundary, into two-point segments.
• Polygon segments are written to a planx_explode line layer, since a polygon layer cannot hold them.
• Untick Remove source to keep the original alongside the pieces.

Stretch S

• Click two opposite corners for a crossing window, then pick the base and target points.
• Only the active layer is stretched, and only while it is in edit mode. Only the vertices inside the window move. Polygon rings stay closed.

Vertex Edit VE

• Click a line or polygon to show its vertices as handles.
• Drag a handle to move the vertex; click on the line between two vertices to insert one; right-click a handle to delete it.
• A deletion that would leave fewer than 2 vertices on a line or 3 on a polygon is refused. On a multipart feature the closest part is edited. Esc clears the pick.

Move M

• Pick the feature, click the base point, then the target point (or type it, for example @10,0).

Copy CO CP

• Pick the feature, click the base point, then the target point. The copy is a new feature with the source's attributes.

Rotate RO

• Pick the feature; the point where you pick it is the centre. Click the reference direction, then the target angle, or type a signed angle in degrees. Hold Ctrl to snap to 90 degrees.

Scale SC

• Pick the feature; the point where you pick it is the centre. Click the reference distance and the target distance, or type a positive factor.

Mirror MI

• Pick the feature, then click both ends of the mirror axis. A mirrored copy is added; the source stays.

Align AL

• Optionally tick Scale to match the destination distance (Scale to fit on the card).
• Pick the feature, then source point 1, destination point 1, source point 2, destination point 2.
• Press Enter after the first pair to move without rotating.

Array AR

• Rectangular: rows, columns and the spacing in X and Y; the copies are made as soon as you pick the feature.
• Polar: number of items, counting the source, and sweep angle (positive is counter-clockwise); pick the feature, then click the centre. A full 360-degree sweep spaces the items evenly with none on top of the source: 6 items add 5 copies.
• Rectangular counts include the source too: 3 rows by 3 columns add 8 copies.
• Spacing follows the units rule above.

Distance DI

• Click points for a running total; right-click or Enter finishes. Snap to endpoints for exact values.

Area AA

• Click the vertices; right-click or Enter finishes.

Selected Line MSL

• Pick a line feature to read its length.

Selected Area MSA

• Pick a polygon to read its area and perimeter.

Dimension DIM

• Click the first point, then the second. A dimension line with its label is added to the planx_dimensions layer. Attributes: distance_m (metres; empty when only planar degrees are known), label (in the measured unit, for example 100.00 ft) and both end coordinates.
• The layer is a temporary layer; save it with QGIS's usual export if you want to keep it.

Draw Road ROAD

• Click the centreline vertices; right-click finishes, Backspace removes the last vertex.
• Set road type, traffic direction, lane count and width, median and sidewalks; the platform linework goes to the planx_road_platform layer.

Junction JUNCTION

• Set the impact radius and the corner solution (chamfer distance or fillet radius) and an optional island, then click the junction centre.
• Road platform lines inside the radius get exact curb trims and gap-free corner connections; islands go to planx_junction_islands.
• Junction edits the plugin's road-platform layer, which it opens and commits itself. With an island, save or roll back open edits on the road or island layer first.

Block Chamfer BLOCK

• Works on the active line layer while it is in edit mode. Choose a straight cut or a curved corner and its size, then click each block corner; right-click finishes.
• Lines are taken only from the active layer. Each corner is one undo step and is never saved for you. Other layers are never touched.
• A trimmed line of the corner shorter than the clean-up length is removed in the same undo step; no other line is removed.
• For a plain two-line corner cut, use CHA.

Buildable Envelope ENV

• Click a parcel near its front edge. The nearest edge is the front, edges parallel to it in the far half are rear, the rest are sides. Corner parcel adds the neighbouring edge nearest the click as a second front. The envelope is every point that keeps each setback from its edge, so concave parcels are handled exactly. Fields: parcel and envelope area, buildable share, maximum footprint under Max coverage. Output: planx_envelope.

Sight Triangle SIGHT

• Pick the curb line on each arm of the corner. The legs start where the curbs meet, or where their extensions meet at a rounded corner, and run toward the points you clicked. Output: planx_sight_triangle.

Parking Layout PARK

• Pick the curb line, move to the side for the stalls (a preview follows) and click. Angles 90, 60, 45, 30 degrees or parallel; stalls fill each straight segment, and at a bend toward the stalls the clashing corner stalls are left out. Output: planx_parking.

Roundabout RB

• Click the junction centre (snapping helps). Parts: circulatory carriageway, optional truck apron, central island. If the active layer is a line layer, every line crossing the outer kerb gets a triangular splitter island on its approach. Output: planx_roundabout.

Turning Head CUL

• Pick a road centreline near the end; a turning circle is centred on that end and joined to the carriageway by straight tapers. Output: planx_turning_head.

• Click the dock's command line, or type a number, minus sign or @ on the canvas, and type a command alias.
• Enter or Space on an empty command line repeats the last command; Ctrl+Shift+Space does the same from anywhere.
• Use the Quick strip (pinned and recent tools) and the prompt on the active-command card.
• Set tool values such as fillet radius or offset distance on the active-command card instead of a dialog.
• Use ? on the active-command card to open the active tool's entry here.
• Open the dock's ... menu for the command reference, help for the active tool, shortcut guide, quick start, layer check, health check, diagnostics, shortcut conflicts and workspace reset.
• Every command can be given a key in QGIS's Settings, Keyboard Shortcuts, under "CAD: ...".