AutoCAD LENGTHEN Command: How to Change Length by a Value

Changes the length of objects or the included angle of arcs by a value.

Command: LENGTHEN
Aliases: LEN
English name: Lengthen

The AutoCAD LENGTHEN command changes the length of lines, arcs, open polylines, elliptical arcs and open splines without needing a boundary object. Start it with LENGTHEN or the alias LEN. For arcs, you can change the included angle instead of the length.

While EXTEND stretches an object to another object, LENGTHEN works with numbers: add a fixed amount, change it by a percentage or set the total length directly. The end nearest to where you click is the one that changes. If you click an object without choosing an option, the command simply reports its length.

How to use it

Type LENGTHEN or LEN and press Enter.
Choose a method by typing DE, P, T or DY.
Enter the value.
Click the object near the end you want to change.
Keep clicking other objects, or press Enter to finish.

Options

DElta: Changes the length by the amount you enter; positive values lengthen and negative values shorten. Arcs also have an Angle sub-option.
Percent: Sets the length as a percentage of the current length; 200 doubles it and 50 halves it.
Total: Sets the final length of the object, or the total included angle of an arc.
DYnamic: Lets you drag the selected endpoint to change the length freely.

Notes and tips

Closed objects such as circles and closed polylines cannot be lengthened.
To make many lines the same length, use Total and click each line in turn.