Erasing Objects

In AutoCAD, you can erase objects in different ways. You can select an object or a set of objects and press Delete. This works for nearly every type of AutoCAD object, with the exception of OLE objects. Or you can use the Erase tool in the 2D Draw control panel or choose Modify è Erase. Erase works with all AutoCAD objects; so if for some reason you encounter an object you cannot erase by pressing Delete, try the Erase tool. To use Erase, click the Erase tool, select the objects you want to erase, and then press ↲.

Some objects will persist either in the current file or as external files, even after being erased. You can reinsert blocks if they are erased from a drawing. Xrefs also remain as external files and are not deleted when erased from a drawing. Image files behave in a way similar to xrefs and are not deleted from your hard drive when you delete them from your AutoCAD drawing.

To delete bitmap images that have been inserted using the Image or Imageattach command, use the Delete key, but you must select the image frame, not the image itself.

Finally, if you happen to erase an object by accident, you can usually retrieve it by clicking the Undo tool in the Standard toolbar. AutoCAD lets you undo several steps. (See Chapter 2 for more about Undo.) To restore the last set of deleted objects, use the Oops command. Just enter oops↲ at the command prompt. The Oops command is useful if you want to restore objects you deleted several steps back and do not want to undo your work to the point of deletion.