You want six bolt holes evenly round a circular flange, type DIV, enter 6, and get six points. Next time you want six piles evenly along a line, enter 6 again, and get only five. The divide command in AutoCAD does not ask how many points you want; it asks how many segments. Once that sinks in, the count is never wrong again.
This article works through four examples on four kinds of object, each with the number of points and the coordinates AutoCAD actually uses. For the whole drafting toolkit, the Institute runs an AutoCAD course for construction.
What DIVIDE does
It places points on an object so as to split it into pieces of equal length. The object is not cut; the line remains one line, with points sitting on it. In every example below, the line, circle, arc and polyline were still single objects afterwards, with exactly their original length.
Autodesk's Divide and Measure page tells you to enter exactly that: "Enter 5 for the number of segments." The number of segments, not points.
Where to start it
Read straight from the 2027 configuration files.
| Entry point | What to use |
|---|---|
| Full command | DIVIDE |
| Alias | DIV |
| Ribbon | Home → Draw → Divide |
| Classic menu | Draw → Point → Divide |
The prompts, and the number of segments
Quoted exactly from the 2027 release.
| Step | The prompt | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Select object to divide: | Pick the object |
| 2 | Enter the number of segments or [Block]: | Type the number of segments, Enter |
Note the word segments in the question. AutoCAD asks for segments and works out the points from them.
The smallest number is 2 and the largest 32767. Type 1 and AutoCAD refuses, replying word for word Requires an integer between 2 and 32767, or option keyword.
Example 1: dividing a line
Draw a line from 0,0 to 1000,0. Type DIV, pick it, type 4.
AutoCAD places three points, at 250, 500 and 750: four segments of 250 each.
Three points make four segments because the two endpoints already mark the ends, so no point goes there. That rule holds for every open object: lines, arcs, open polylines.
Back to the six piles from the introduction. If the piles go at both ends of the line as well as in between, you need five equal gaps, so type 5. DIVIDE then gives the four inner positions, and the two endpoints supply the other two. Typing 6 would give five inner points and seven piles in total.
| Object | Points placed |
|---|---|
| Open | Segments − 1 |
| Closed | Exactly the number of segments |
Example 2: divide a circle in AutoCAD
Draw a circle centred on 0,0, radius 500. Type DIV, pick it, type 6.
This time AutoCAD places six points, 60 degrees apart. The first sits at 0 degrees, directly to the right of the centre at 500,0. The rest are at 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 degrees.
Six points for six segments, because a circle is closed: there are no endpoints to act as boundaries, so the sixth point is needed to close the loop. The coordinates, relative to the centre, are as follows.
| Angle | Point |
|---|---|
| 0° | 500, 0 |
| 60° | 250, 433.01 |
| 120° | −250, 433.01 |
| 180° | −500, 0 |
| 240° | −250, −433.01 |
| 300° | 250, −433.01 |
One result worth remembering from the table: the straight distance between neighbouring points is exactly the radius, 500. Six equal points on a circle are always the corners of a regular inscribed hexagon.
This is the quickest way to set out bolt holes, columns round a circular hall, or clock-face divisions. For a flange with eight bolts, type 8 and the points come out 45 degrees apart. Drawing the circle to the right centre and radius first is covered in our article on circles in AutoCAD.
Example 3: divide an arc in AutoCAD
This is where most mistakes happen, because an arc sits between the two cases.
Draw an arc centred on 0,0, radius 500, from 0 to 180 degrees, the upper half of a circle. Type DIV, pick it, type 5.
AutoCAD places four points, at 36, 72, 108 and 144 degrees. An arc is open, with two endpoints, so the segments-minus-one rule applies.
| Angle | Point, relative to the centre |
|---|---|
| 36° | 404.51, 293.89 |
| 72° | 154.51, 475.53 |
| 108° | −154.51, 475.53 |
| 144° | −404.51, 293.89 |
If you type 5 hoping for five points on the arc, you are one short. For five points inside the arc, type 6. If you need both endpoints plus the points between, seven positions in all, type 6 and pick up the two ends with the Endpoint snap.
Measuring the arc length after dividing is covered in our article on measuring arcs in AutoCAD.
Example 4: divide a closed polyline
Draw a closed rectangular polyline 2000 × 1000 with its first vertex at the bottom-left corner. Its perimeter is 6000. Type DIV, pick it, type 6.
AutoCAD places six points, 1000 apart round the perimeter. They land on the four corners and on the midpoints of the two long sides. The sixth point sits right on the first vertex, where the polyline starts.
The points follow the perimeter in the order you drew the vertices, counting from the first one. For this rectangle, with the centre at the origin, they run as follows.
| Distance along the perimeter | Point |
|---|---|
| 1000 | 0, −500 — middle of the bottom edge |
| 2000 | 1000, −500 — bottom-right corner |
| 3000 | 1000, 500 — top-right corner |
| 4000 | 0, 500 — middle of the top edge |
| 5000 | −1000, 500 — top-left corner |
| 6000 | −1000, −500 — back on the first vertex |
Divide with a block
Points are only markers. To place components directly, use the Block option. Create a block first, say BEAM.
Suppose you need to space secondary beams evenly between two grid lines. Draw a construction line between them, here a diagonal from 0,0 to 1000,1000. Type DIV, pick it, and answer as follows.
| The prompt | You type |
|---|---|
Enter the number of segments or [Block]: | B |
Enter name of block to insert: | BEAM |
Align block with object? [Yes/No] <Y>: | Y |
Enter the number of segments: | 5 |
AutoCAD inserts four blocks, following the open-object rule, and each is rotated 45 degrees to follow the line. The insertion points are at 200, 200 then 400, 400, 600, 600 and 800, 800.
Points not showing after divide
A divide that seems to do nothing has not failed. In a new drawing PDMODE is 0, so each point is a single pixel. Change the point style as described in our article on point style in AutoCAD, and turn on the Node snap to pick them.
Using the points afterwards is straightforward. With Node on, start the copy command, pick a sample component, take its centre as the base point, and click each point in turn. Then select the marker points and erase them.
Divide or measure
The two commands look alike and are often confused. The difference is what you know before you start.
| You know | Use | Leftover piece |
|---|---|---|
| How many equal parts | DIVIDE | None; all pieces are equal |
| The spacing between points | MEASURE | Usually one shorter piece at one end |
If you know both and they do not agree, for instance seven bays of exactly 1.5 metres on a line that is not 10.5 metres long, adjust the line length first. Neither command will make the two agree for you.
Three things often repeated that are not true
| Often heard | What the 2027 release actually does |
|---|---|
| You enter the number of points you want | It asks for segments; open objects get segments minus one points |
| DIVIDE cuts the object into pieces | The object stays whole; only points are added |
| You can divide into any number of parts | Only from 2 to 32767 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the alias for the divide command in AutoCAD?
DIV. Pick the object, type the number of segments, press Enter.
I typed 6 but got only 5 points. Why?
The object is open, like a line or an arc. Open objects get one point fewer than the number of segments.
How many should I type for five points on an arc?
Six. Six segments put five points inside the arc.
Where does the first point go on a circle?
At 0 degrees, directly to the right of the centre. The rest follow at equal angles.
Can I place blocks instead of points?
Yes. Choose Block, type the block name, and answer Y so each block turns to follow the object.
Why is there a point on the first vertex of my closed polyline?
Because the object is closed, the last of the equal steps lands back where the polyline starts. On the 2000 × 1000 rectangle divided by 6, the sixth point sits exactly on the first vertex you drew.