Calculating and Adding Area in AutoCAD

To add area in AutoCAD, you typically use the AREA command and select the regions or objects you want to measure. A key method for combining multiple areas is to press and hold the Shift key and then click on multiple regions of your drawing after initiating the area calculation process. These selected areas will be added to the existing area calculation, and the total area will be displayed.

AutoCAD provides the AREA command to calculate the area of objects or defined regions in your drawing. While you can measure a single area, the command also allows you to sum the areas of multiple selections.

Using the AREA Command

1. Start the command: Type AREA at the command prompt or select it from the Utilities panel on the Home tab.
2. Specify first point/object:
   • You can click points to define a boundary.
   • Alternatively, type O (for Object) and press Enter, then select a specific object (like a polyline, circle, or region) whose area you want to measure.
3. View the result: AutoCAD displays the calculated area (and perimeter) in the command line and often as a dynamic tooltip near the cursor.

Adding Multiple Areas (Cumulative Area)

To calculate the total area of several separate regions or objects, you can add them together within the AREA command:

1. Start the AREA command.
2. Add the first area:
   • Type A (for Add) and press Enter.
   • Then, select the first object (by typing O and selecting) or define the first area by clicking points.
3. Add subsequent areas: Now, you can add more areas to this total. As per the reference, to add additional regions or objects to the current calculation:
   • Press and hold the Shift key.
   • Click on multiple regions or objects you want to include.
   • These areas will be added to the existing total.
   • The running total area will show next to the cursor or in the command line.
4. Finish: Once you have selected all the areas you want to add, release the Shift key and press Enter (or Esc) to exit the selection process or the command.

Using the Shift key after initiating the 'Add' mode within the AREA command is a convenient way to select multiple separate areas simultaneously for a cumulative total.

Practical Tips

• For complex boundaries, use closed polylines or regions. You can create these using commands like BOUNDARY or REGION.
• Ensure objects are on visible layers. If you temporarily hid objects using commands like ISOLATEOBJECTS during your workflow, remember to bring them back using UNISOLATEOBJECTS (or OBJECTISOLATIONMODE set to 0) after finding the area.
• The results (Area and Perimeter) are displayed at the command line. Press F2 to open the command history window if you need to see past calculations or copy the values.

By utilizing the AREA command and its 'Add' option, combined with selecting multiple regions using the Shift key, you can easily calculate the total area of various parts of your drawing.