LibreCAD Shortcuts: Complete Keyboard Shortcuts and Command Aliases

Quick answer: Most LibreCAD shortcuts are short command aliases you type into the command line and confirm with Enter, such as l for Line, c for Circle, tm for Trim, mo for Offset, and mv for Move. Standard key combinations also work: Ctrl+Z to undo, Ctrl+S to save, Ctrl+G to toggle the grid, and Ctrl+M or Space to jump to the command line. You can create your own aliases by editing the librecad.alias file.

Verified for LibreCAD 2.2.1.4. Every alias in this guide is taken from the program’s own command definitions, so it matches what the current version actually accepts.

This guide covers 129 commands with 179 typed aliases, plus more than 30 keyboard combinations. Many shortcut lists online were written for LibreCAD 2.1 or earlier. Some of their codes now open a different tool. For example, dr used to start a linear dimension and now starts a radial one, and pp now draws a polygon instead of a parallel line.

How LibreCAD Shortcuts Work

LibreCAD has two kinds of shortcuts, and most beginners only know about one of them.

1. Keyboard combinations. These work like in any desktop program. You press the keys together, for example Ctrl+S to save or Ctrl+G to toggle the grid. They cover file, view, and selection tasks.
2. Command aliases. These start drawing and editing tools. You type a short code into the command line at the bottom of the window, then press Enter. You do not press the letters together. For example, to draw a circle you type c, press Enter, then click the center and a point on the circle.

Every tool has a long command name and one or more aliases. The long name for a line is line2p, and l, li, and line are all aliases for it. Any of them works, so learn the shortest one.

How to run a command alias

1. Press Ctrl+M, Space, or the colon key (:) to put the cursor in the command line.
2. Type the alias, for example tm for Trim.
3. Press Enter. The tool starts and the command line shows what to do next.
4. Click in the drawing, or type coordinates such as 0,0 and @100,0.
5. Press Esc to cancel the tool.

Tip: If Space toggles free snap instead of focusing the command line, that option is turned on in Application Preferences. Use Ctrl+M or : instead.

Top 20 Most Used LibreCAD Shortcuts

These 20 cover most everyday drafting. Learn them first, then add the rest as you need them.

General and File Shortcuts (Ctrl and F Keys)

These key combinations are built into LibreCAD’s menus. On a Mac, use Cmd wherever the table says Ctrl.

File

Edit and selection

Cut, copy, and paste ask for a reference point. After pressing Ctrl+C, click a base point on the objects; when pasting, click where that base point should land.

View and interface

Draw order

LibreCAD Draw Commands

Type any alias in the command line and press Enter. The “Full command” column is the native name used in the librecad.alias file.

Changed in 2.2.x: Horizontal and vertical lines are now lh and lv (older lists say hor and ver). pp now draws a polygon; parallel-through-point moved to lp. a and ar start the center-radius arc; the 3-point arc is a3. There is no o alias for offset.

Lines

Rectangles, polygons and shapes

Circles

Arcs, ellipses and curves

Polylines, text, hatch and points

LibreCAD Modify Commands

Modify tools change existing objects. Many of them (move, rotate, scale, mirror) open an options dialog where you choose to keep or delete the original, so the same mv command handles both Move and Copy.

Tip: Fillet (fi) and Bevel (ch) take their radius or length from the Tool Options toolbar at the top of the window. Type the value there before clicking the two lines.

Snap and Restriction Shortcuts

Snap aliases toggle object snaps while a tool is running, so you can switch from endpoint to intersection mid-command without touching the snap toolbar.

What is relative zero? It is the reference point for relative coordinates. After rz, typing @50,0 places a point 50 units to the right of that reference.

Select, Edit, View, Dimension and Info Shortcuts

Select

Other selection tools (window, intersected, contour) need the mouse, so they have no typed alias.

Edit

View and zoom

Dimension

Changed in 2.2.x: da is now the angular dimension and dr is radial. Aligned moved to ds and linear to dl. Older shortcut lists still show the old codes.

Info (measure)

LibreCAD vs AutoCAD Shortcuts

Many LibreCAD users come from AutoCAD. The basics (l, c, a, pl) match, but several common AutoCAD aliases do something else in LibreCAD. The AutoCAD Shortcuts column shows default AutoCAD aliases.

LibreCAD Shortcuts on Mac

All typed command aliases work the same on macOS, because they are text, not key combinations. For key combinations, use Cmd where Windows and Linux use Ctrl: Cmd+S saves, Cmd+Z undoes, and Cmd+Shift+Z redoes. Full screen is Ctrl+Cmd+F, and drawing preferences open with Cmd+comma.

Why Is My LibreCAD Shortcut Not Working?

Download the LibreCAD Shortcuts PDF

Get every shortcut from this page on a printable cheat sheet: Download LibreCAD Shortcuts PDF (v2.2.1)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut for trim in LibreCAD?

Type tm in the command line and press Enter. Click the cutting edge first, then the part of the line to remove. To trim two lines against each other in one step, use t2. Trim also extends a line when you click on the side toward the cutting edge.

What is the offset command in LibreCAD?

The offset command is mo (or moff). Set the distance in the Tool Options toolbar, click the object, then click the side for the copy. To draw a new parallel line at a distance, use pa instead. LibreCAD has no o alias by default.

How do I undo and redo in LibreCAD?

Press Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo. On Windows, Ctrl+Y also redoes. In the command line you can type u to undo and r to redo. On a Mac, use Cmd instead of Ctrl.

How do I use the command line in LibreCAD?

Press Ctrl+M, Space, or the colon key to focus the command line at the bottom of the window. Type a command alias such as l and press Enter. Then type coordinates like 0,0 or relative ones like @100,0, pressing Enter after each.

Can I customize keyboard shortcuts in LibreCAD?

Yes, for typed aliases. Edit the librecad.alias file and add lines in the format alias, Tab, full command. Ctrl key combinations cannot be changed in 2.2.1; customizable keyboard shortcuts are being added in the 2.2.2 development version.

Where is the LibreCAD alias file?

On Windows it is in C:\Users{UserName}\AppData\Local\LibreCAD. On macOS it is in Library/Application Support/LibreCAD in your home folder. On Linux it is in ~/.local/share/LibreCAD/LibreCAD.

Are LibreCAD commands the same as AutoCAD?

Only partly. Line (l), circle (c), arc (a), polyline (pl), rotate (ro), and mirror (mi) match. Trim, offset, move, erase, fillet, and dimensions use different codes. tr in LibreCAD draws a tangent circle, not a trim.

Why do older shortcut lists show different LibreCAD commands?

LibreCAD 2.2 reorganized several aliases. For example, dr changed from linear to radial dimension, da from aligned to angular, and pp from parallel line to polygon. Lists written before 2.2 were never updated, so always check the version.

Do LibreCAD shortcuts work on Mac and Linux?

Yes. Typed aliases are identical on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Key combinations are also the same, except that Mac uses Cmd instead of Ctrl and a few file shortcuts differ, such as Ctrl+Shift+S (Save As on Linux and Mac, Save All on Windows).

Is there a LibreCAD shortcuts PDF?

Yes. You can download the free LibreCAD shortcuts cheat sheet from this page. It lists every command alias and key combination for version 2.2.1 on a printable sheet.

Key Takeaways

• Most LibreCAD shortcuts are typed aliases: focus the command line with Ctrl+M, type the code, press Enter.
• The ten worth memorizing first: l, c, a, pl, re, tm, mo, mv, ro, er.
• Old lists are out of date: dr, da, pp, hor, and ver changed in LibreCAD 2.2.
• AutoCAD users should watch for tr (tangent circle, not trim) and o (no alias).
• Add your own aliases in librecad.alias; Ctrl shortcuts become editable in 2.2.2.

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