AUTOMV-bgol (Move Entities Without Picking a Base Point)

Command Type: AutoLISP routine (works in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, ZWCAD and most AutoLISP-compatible CAD platforms)
Developed by: BGol Community, bgol.in

Inspired by the general concept of no-base-point move utilities used in CAD drafting. This is an original, independently written routine, new file name, new command name, new source code, created so the CAD community has a free, editable, open-source alternative.

Overview

The native MOVE command requires manually specifying a base point before dragging entities to a new location, an extra step that adds up over many repetitive moves. AMV eliminates that step: it automatically identifies the leftmost point of the selected entities' combined bounding box and uses that as the reference/base point, letting you move a selection with one fewer manual pick.

How to Use

1. Load AUTOMV-bgol.lsp into your CAD session (drag-and-drop the file onto the drawing window, or use the APPLOAD command).
2. Type AMV at the command line and press Enter.
3. Select the entities you want to move, then press Enter to confirm the selection.
4. At the Specify destination point: prompt, pick where you want the selection moved to.
5. The selection is moved from its own automatically-detected leftmost point to the destination point, no manual base-point pick required.

Why Use It

• Time Savings, removes one manual step (base point selection) from every move operation, adding up to meaningful time savings across many repeated moves.
• Simplicity, a straightforward select-and-move workflow, simpler than the native command's select-then-specify-base-point-then-specify- destination sequence.
• Accuracy, automatically identifying a consistent reference point (the selection's leftmost point) reduces variability/error compared to manually eyeballing a base point each time.

Where to Use It

• Repositioning building footprints, blocks, or grouped entities in a site layout drawing, when an exact leftmost-point reference is an acceptable and convenient move anchor.
• Any repetitive move task where skipping the manual base-point step meaningfully speeds up the workflow.

Notes

• The leftmost point is computed from the combined bounding box of every selected entity (the minimum X across all of them, with the corresponding Y from that entity's box).
• If a bounding box cannot be determined for any entity in the selection (rare, depends on entity type), that entity is skipped when computing the reference point, but the whole selection is still moved together.
• Source code is fully open, feel free to study, modify, and redistribute it under the same open, free-for-all spirit.

Credits

Developed and shared for the CAD community by BGol Community. Website: https://bgol.in/ Free and open-source, use it, modify it, share it, for personal or commercial work alike.