How to Pan in AutoCAD With a Touchpad

Blueprints and mechanical drawings are often created using AutoCAD.

AutoCAD, the computer-aided drafting software by Autodesk Inc., has become the industry standard for professions such as architecture, engineering, plumbing, electrical work, and many others. Understanding how to use the software can help you land a job in one of those fields, and knowing how to pan a drawing will help ensure that you never miss a critical piece of information that is just off screen.

Instructions

1. Open the drawing in which you wish to pan and focus the window by left-clicking anywhere in the blank space of the viewport.

2. Click the "View" tab and then the "Navigate" panel to select the "Pan" tool.

3. Left-click and drag anywhere on the drawing with the hand cursor active to pan the drawing.

4. Press the "Esc" key on your keyboard to exit the panning function.

Tips & Warnings

• You may also type "pan" and strike the "Enter" or "Space" key on your keyboard with the viewport focused to call up the pan tool.

• Save your work often to prevent any loss of data due to program crashes or hardware failure.

References

• Autodesk: AutoCAD LT 2011 Help: PAN