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How do I place posts every 2.5 m along a polyline in AutoCAD?

Select the polyline, then type "Place the POST block every 2.5 m along the selected polyline, starting at its first vertex, rotated to follow the line". cadssistant reads the polyline and the drawing units, works out a station every 2.5 m from the first vertex and the direction of the segment each one falls on, and inserts every POST in one pass, each rotated to its segment. It replies with how many it placed and the length left over past the last post, so you can decide whether the end needs one too. By hand, the closest command is MEASURE with the Block option, shown below.

Checked 2026-10-30 · one of the tasks cadssistant's models are benchmarked on

What you typeCommand: CADSSISTANT

Place the POST block every 2.5 m along the selected polyline, starting at its first vertex, rotated to follow the line

Paste it into the palette, or pick it from the recipes inside the chat.

What cadssistant does

  1. Takes the polyline you selected (no prompt: you already picked it) and reads its vertices and the drawing's units.
  2. Measures along the polyline from the first vertex, not in straight lines between posts: a station every 2.5 m, with the direction of the segment under each one.
  3. Inserts one POST at every station in one pass, each rotated to the direction of its segment: 0° on a leg running to the right, 90° on one running up.
  4. Replies with the count and the leftover. A 26.2 m run gives 11 posts and 1.2 m past the last one.

By hand, at the command line

Command: MEASURE
Select object to measure: (pick the polyline near its start)
Specify length of segment or [Block]: B
Enter name of block to insert: POST
Align block with object? [Yes/No] <Y>: Y
Specify length of segment: 2.5

MEASURE starts from the end nearest your pick and puts no block on that end point itself, so the first post is yours to add. Aligned blocks are turned to the line at each point.

Good to know

  • Tested on polylines with straight segments. On an arc segment, check the posts along the curve.

More in draw and lay out

Command: CADSSISTANT

Works in AutoCAD 2024 and newer on Windows. Free trial, no card, no API key.

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