AutoCAD LT 2023: Fix Missing Grips, Dynamic Dimensions and Object Dragging

Quick Answer

If objects disappear while dragging, grips are missing after selection, or dimensions do not appear while stretching drawing objects in AutoCAD LT 2023, the problem may be related to grip editing, Dynamic Input, drag display settings or graphics performance.

Start by checking the GRIPS, GRIPOBJLIMIT, DYNMODE and DRAGMODE system variables. For dynamic measurements during grip editing, also check DYNDIVIS and DYNDIGRIP. These settings control different parts of the editing experience and should be checked according to the specific symptom.

Understanding the Problem

AutoCAD uses interactive editing features to make drawing modifications easier. Normally, selecting an object displays small square handles called grips. Users can select these handles to move endpoints, stretch lines, modify polylines and adjust other supported objects.

During these operations, AutoCAD can also display a preview of the object and show changing measurements near the cursor. When these visual features stop working, editing becomes difficult because users cannot clearly see what they are modifying.

The problem generally falls into one of four categories:

• Missing grips: Selecting an object does not display the usual square editing handles.
• Missing drag preview: An object does not visibly follow the cursor while being moved or dragged.
• Missing dynamic dimensions: Length, angle or other measurements are not displayed during grip editing.
• Incorrect stretch behaviour: Selecting a grip does not produce the expected movement or modification.

Identifying which behaviour is affected is important because these features are controlled by separate AutoCAD settings.

1. Restore Object Grips

Grips are among the most frequently used editing features in AutoCAD. They appear as small square handles when an editable object is selected.

If grips are not appearing, first check whether they have been disabled.

Enable grips

1. Open the drawing in AutoCAD LT 2023.
2. Click the command line.
3. Enter the following command:

GRIPS

Set the value to:

1

Press Enter and select an object again.

The GRIPS variable supports the following settings:

Value	Behaviour
0	Grips are disabled.
1	Normal object grips are displayed.
2	Additional midpoint grips are displayed on polyline segments.

For normal drafting work, a value of 1 is generally appropriate.

Check the grip object limit

When a drawing contains many selected objects, AutoCAD may suppress grip display to avoid unnecessary performance overhead.

Enter:

GRIPOBJLIMIT

Check the current value. The default is 100. If necessary, temporarily set it to 0 to remove the object-count restriction for testing.

Use this setting carefully because displaying grips on a very large selection can affect performance.

2. Fix Objects That Are Not Visible While Dragging

Another common problem occurs when an object can be selected and moved, but its outline does not appear while the cursor is moving. This makes it difficult to position the object accurately.

AutoCAD uses the DRAGMODE system variable to control automatic drag previews.

Enable automatic drag display

1. Enter the following command:

DRAGMODE

2. Set the value to 2 and press Enter.

The available settings are:

Value	Description
0	Suppresses the automatic object outline during dragging.
1	Displays the outline when the DRAG command is explicitly used.
2	Automatically displays the object outline while dragging.

For normal interactive editing, value 2 is generally the appropriate setting.

After changing the setting, test the MOVE command with a simple line or rectangle. The object outline should follow the cursor before you confirm its new position.

3. Enable Dynamic Input and Cursor Measurements

Dynamic Input displays useful information near the cursor while drawing and editing. Depending on the operation and enabled settings, this can include coordinates, distances, angles and command prompts.

If measurements are missing near the cursor, check the Dynamic Input configuration.

Enable Dynamic Input

Enter:

DYNMODE

Set the value to:

3

This enables pointer input and dimensional input.

You can also press F12 to toggle Dynamic Input on or off.

Enable dynamic prompts

Enter:

DYNPROMPT

Set the value to:

1

This enables command prompts near the cursor when Dynamic Input is active.

Configure Dynamic Input using the interface

1. Enter DSETTINGS in the command line.
2. Select the Dynamic Input tab.
3. Check the Pointer Input option.
4. Check the Dimension Input option.
5. Enable Dynamic Prompts if required.
6. Click OK to save the settings.

Dynamic Input and grip dimensions are related but separate features. Enabling F12 does not automatically enable every dimension display used during grip editing.

4. Restore Dimensions During Grip Stretching

If grips are visible but changing dimensions do not appear when stretching a line or another supported object, investigate the dynamic grip dimension settings.

AutoCAD provides two relevant variables: DYNDIVIS and DYNDIGRIP.

Configure DYNDIVIS

Enter:

DYNDIVIS

Set the value to:

2

This controls the display of dynamic dimensions during grip editing.

Configure DYNDIGRIP

Enter:

DYNDIGRIP

Set the value to:

31

The value 31 enables all five documented dynamic grip dimension types.

Bit value	Dimension type
1	Resulting dimension
2	Length change dimension
4	Absolute angle dimension
8	Angle change dimension
16	Arc radius dimension

These controls apply to supported grip-editing operations. Not every object type displays every dimension type.

5. Check Whether the Object or Layer Is Editable

Sometimes the problem is not caused by display settings. The selected object itself may be restricted or may belong to a special object type.

Check locked layers

Objects on locked layers cannot be edited normally using grips.

1. Open the Layer Properties Manager.
2. Locate the layer containing the affected object.
3. Check whether the layer is locked.
4. If editing is permitted, unlock the layer.
5. Select the object again and test grip editing.

Check block references

When an object belongs to a block reference, individual components may not be editable through normal selection in the main drawing.

Use the appropriate block-editing procedure when individual components need modification. The GRIPBLOCK variable can also be checked when grip display inside blocks is required.

GRIPBLOCK

Set it to 1 if supported internal grip display is required.

Check the selected object type

Different AutoCAD objects have different grip behaviours. A line, polyline, circle, dimension, text object and block reference will not necessarily provide identical editing handles.

Test the behaviour using a simple line in a new drawing to determine whether the issue is related to the original object or to the general AutoCAD configuration.

6. Test the Changes in a New Drawing

Testing in a new drawing helps determine whether the issue is application-wide or limited to a particular DWG file.

1. Create a new blank drawing.
2. Draw a simple line and rectangle.
3. Select the line and check whether grips appear.
4. Click an endpoint grip and move the cursor.
5. Check whether the line preview and dynamic measurements appear.
6. Use the MOVE command to test the object drag preview.

If the features work correctly in the new drawing, investigate the original drawing's layers, blocks, object types and drawing-specific settings.

If the problem occurs in every drawing, continue checking the AutoCAD application configuration and graphics environment.

7. Investigate Graphics and Display Issues

When all relevant system variables are configured correctly but the object preview still disappears or behaves incorrectly, graphics performance may be involved.

Try the following checks:

• Save the drawing and restart AutoCAD LT.
• Install a compatible graphics driver from the computer or graphics-card manufacturer's official website.
• Open GRAPHICSCONFIG, if available, to inspect the graphics configuration.
• Test the drawing with another display configuration if possible.
• Check whether the problem occurs only in one DWG file or in every drawing.

Hardware acceleration changes should be treated as diagnostic steps, not guaranteed solutions. Record the original configuration before changing it so that you can restore it if display quality or performance becomes worse.

8. Recommended Settings Reference

The following table summarizes the main variables discussed in this article.

Variable	Suggested value	Purpose
GRIPS	1	Enables normal object grips.
GRIPOBJLIMIT	100	Sets the grip object display limit.
DYNMODE	3	Enables pointer and dimensional input.
DYNPROMPT	1	Enables dynamic prompts.
DYNDIVIS	2	Displays all available dynamic grip dimensions.
DYNDIGRIP	31	Enables all five dynamic grip dimension types.
DRAGMODE	2	Enables automatic drag previews.
GRIPBLOCK	1 if required	Enables grip display within blocks where supported.

These are suggested troubleshooting values. Users can retain different settings according to their drafting requirements and workstation performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are grips not appearing when I select a line?

Check GRIPS, GRIPOBJLIMIT and the layer lock status. If the line is part of a block, check the block editing requirements as well.

Why does the drawing object disappear when I drag it?

Check DRAGMODE. Setting it to 2 enables automatic drag previews. If the issue continues, investigate graphics performance and test the operation in a new drawing.

Why are dimensions not appearing while stretching objects?

Check DYNMODE, DYNDIVIS and DYNDIGRIP. Dynamic Input and dynamic grip dimensions are separate settings, so both need to be configured appropriately.

Does F12 control object grips?

No. F12 controls Dynamic Input. Object grips are controlled through the GRIPS system variable.

Can I change the length of a line without using the LENGTHEN command?

Yes. Select the line, click an endpoint grip and move it to the required position. Dynamic grip dimensions can help display measurements during the operation.

Will changing these settings affect existing drawings?

These settings generally change editing behaviour rather than the actual geometry of existing objects. However, some system variables are drawing-specific or profile-dependent. Save important drawings before troubleshooting and verify the settings in the relevant working environment.

Sources

• Autodesk Help: GRIPS System Variable
• Autodesk Help: DYNDIGRIP System Variable
• Autodesk Help: DYNMODE System Variable
• Autodesk Help: About Editing with Grips