AutoCAD 2016 - Rotating an Object to an Existing Line

By Martin Phelps 

Not a new function since it’s been with AutoCAD for many releases, but it’s one that is often forgotten or overlooked, and often crops up in a training course
The view below shows a nut, bolt and a line, the requirement is to rotate the nut and bolt to the exact angle of the line.
Selecting the line and using the “List” command to determine the angle may not be sufficiently actuate.

Access the “Rotate” command from the ribbon menu, or type in “RO” and select the objects to be rotated.

Press enter to confirm the selection.

Select a suitable base point for “Rotation”, this could be the “Endpoint” or “Midpoint” of one of the lines of the selection set.

Use the “Reference” sub command, by either typing in “R” or select “Reference” from the command line.

Select two points on the object, this will be a “Reference” line for rotation.

The selected objects can now be “Rotated” by simply moving the cross hairs, however the selected objects need to be aligned with a drawn component, in this case the line.

Use the “Point” sub command, by either typing in “P” or select “Point” from the command line and select the two end points of the line.

The selected components have now been “Rotated” to the exact angle of the selected line as below.