As it can also be understood from its name AREA command is used to measure areas. It usage is very simple. However, there are certain rules that you should pay attention to. Before explaining about them, let’s start with the fundamentals.

Fig.1

Let’s try to measure the area that is shown in Fig. 1. It is very easy to access the command. All you have to do is to write ‘AREA’ into the command line.

Command : _AREA
Specify first corner point or [Object/Add/Subtract]: ( 1 )
Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total: ( 2 )
Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total: ( 3 )
Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total: ( 4 )
Specify next corner point or press ENTER for total: ( ENTER )
Area = 84360.0000, Perimeter = 1162.0000

Areas are defined by using the corner points that make them up. The result is displayed by the same unit that you assumed while creating the drawing. In the example drawing, this unit is accepted as cm. As a result, the measured area will be given as cm² . The final point that you select does not have to be the first one that was selected. AutoCAD assumes that the first and the last point that you select are joined. As a result, you obtain both area and perimeter.

Now, let’s examine the other options of the command. As you may have noticed, when you first enter the command, you will get [Object/Add/Subtract] options. By using Object option, AutoCAD prompts you to select the entities that may create areas. You can select a polyline that has at least three corners (vertex) or any other closed entities. If the selection is not appropriate then AutoCAD will prompt you the error message ‘Selected object does not have an area’ . Add/Subtract options make the command in a continuous way and it permits you to select as many areas as you want until you finish the execution of command. The area that you select is either added to the total area or subtracted from it.

Command: area
Specify first corner point or [Object/Add/Subtract]: s
Specify first corner point or [Object/Add]: o
(SUBTRACT mode) Select objects:
Area = 7088.2184, Length = 244.2257
Total area = -7088.2184

In the example, during the execution of command, we started directly by ‘Subtract’ option. As a result, the area is given as minus. However, this is not important. When you complete area selection, then the command will return back to original state.

(SUBTRACT mode) Select objects:[ENTER]
Specify first corner point or [Object/Add]: a
Specify first corner point or [Object/Subtract]: o
(ADD mode) Select objects:
Area = 7088.2184, Length = 244.2257
Total area = -7088.2184
(ADD mode) Select objects:
Area = 7088.2184, Length = 244.2257
Total area = 0.0000
(ADD mode) Select objects:
Area = 7088.2184, Length = 244.2257
Total area = 7088.2184

This property of this command help us especially in architectural discipline to subtract stairs and gallery spaces from large areas. Another use of it is to subtract empty areas from cross-section area while calculating scaffolding areas. Finally, let’s have a look at how we will measure curved areas:

Fig.2

The easiest way is to create the curved area by using polyline and get use of ‘Object’ option. However, if this is not possible, then the corner points of the curved area should be able to be selected as shown in Fig. 2.

Have a nice day…

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Autocad, Command