Learn AutoCAD with our Free Tutorials
Welcome to CADTutor
CADTutor provides the best free tutorials and articles for AutoCAD, 3ds Max and associated applications along with a friendly community forum. If you need to learn AutoCAD, or you want to be more productive, you're in the right place. See our tip of the day to start learning right now!
Free Tutorials and More…
The Tutorials section provides over 100 original tutorials for AutoCAD, 3ds Max and other design applications. Michael’s Corner is an archive of productivity articles that brings you the best AutoCAD tips and tricks. Our Forum is a lively community where AutoCAD users can ask questions and get answers. The Downloads area provides free AutoCAD blocks, free AutoLISP routines and free images.
Tutorials of the Moment
Recently viewed tutorials
-
Modifying Objects
This tutorial runs through all of the modify tools, demonstrating practical examples in each case. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
-
AutoCAD 2010: Ribbon Basics
This video tutorial introduces you to the AutoCAD 2010 ribbon and demonstrates the various options you have when working with it. Running time: 5min 49sec Format: Video
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
AutoCAD 2010: 3D Mirror
This tutorial introduces the 3D Mirror tool. This is similar to the normal 2D Mirror tool but it enables you to define a mirror about and plane in 3D space and there are a number of command line options to help you define that plane. Running time: 3min 17sec Format: Video
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
Creating Seamless Tiles
This tutorial shows you how to create perfectly seamless image tiles in Photoshop. The image tiles are perfect for creating image based materials in AutoCAD, MAX or Bryce. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 2 minutes ago
-
Creating Custom Bitmap Materials
This tutorial demonstartes how to create your own bitmap based materials using Photoshop and AutoCAD. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 3 minutes ago
-
Dimensioning
This tutorial describes the options and commands available for dimensioning drawings and how to use them. The correct use of AutoCADs dimension tools is the key to producing clear and concise measured drawings. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 5 minutes ago
CADTutor Tutorials
Our tutorials are comprehensive but straightforward introductions to AutoCAD and related software. They are designed to help beginners get to grips with design workflows as quickly as possible. There are over 100 to choose from, some text/image based and others in video format. Whatever stage you are at in your learning, you should find a tutorial to help.
Forum Latest
Currently Active Topics
copy viewport and content...is it possible?
by leonucadom
1 reply
Last post: 23 minutes ago
command breakline from lsp...
by leonucadom
0 replies
Last post: 25 minutes ago
Dynamic Blocks corrupted after a while of usage in ZWCAD
by cad_tutee
1 reply
Last post: 34 minutes ago
command OOPS...
by leonucadom
2 replies
Last post: 2 hours ago
Civil Drafting with AutoCAD Project-Civil Drafting with AutoCAD Project
by nelsonm
5 replies
Last post: 12 hours ago
3D Spline to Arcs
by lamensterms
6 replies
Last post: 23 hours ago
This Week's Hot Topics
Layer Table (Lines and Text)
by CAD_Noob
14 replies
Viewed: 689 times
PDF TO CAD FILE
by CHAKRADHAR
9 replies
Viewed: 422 times
Segment Copy of a Region (cleaning request)
by ScottMC
8 replies
Viewed: 574 times
3D Spline to Arcs
by lamensterms
6 replies
Viewed: 226 times
Penn Foster Civil Project.....
by TimC
5 replies
Viewed: 307 times
Civil Drafting with AutoCAD Project-Civil Drafting with AutoCAD Project
by nelsonm
5 replies
Viewed: 244 times
CADTutor Forums
Our forum is a vibrant community of experts and beginners. The main focus is helping beginners get to grips with AutoCAD and to help more advanced users become more productive. The AutoLISP forum is one of the busiest out there, providing expert advice for busy professionals.
AutoCAD Productivity
UCSICON Options
From: AutoCAD Productivity Articles #146
Originally published: June 2016
Every five years or so I address the UCS icon, so here's your next installment.
General Insights
There is a UCSICON command with these options:
Right-click on the UCS icon to display a shortcut menu with a Properties option where you can dress it up a bit.
When you are in the 2D Wireframe visual style, the UCS icon looks like a stick figure. In any other visual style, the icon is a bit more colorful and 3D looking.Horses can only breath through their nose. [Just checking to see if you're paying attention.]
Click on the UCS icon and you see a square grip at 0,0,0 and round grips at the ends of the axes.To disable the ability to select/click on the UCS icon, set the variable UCSSELECTMODE to <0>.
Note: There's an article on how to dimension 3D objects in Michael's Corner, January 2013. You will find more information on manipulating the UCS icon in that review, too.
See all the articles published in June 2016
Michael's Corner
Between 2003 and 2016, Michael Beall (and one or two guests) wrote almost 600 articles for CADTutor. The focus of these articles is AutoCAD productivity, and although some of them are now more than a few years old, most remain relevant to current versions of AutoCAD. The article above is just one example. Check out Michael's Corner for a full listing.
Image of the Week
-
9th – 15th March 2026
This week's image is by H_3dmax
Software used: 3ds Max 2008
-
Last Week's Image
Last week's image is by Lazer
Software used: Inventor and Solid Edge
-
Two Weeks Ago
This image is by Miklos Fuccaro
Software used: AutoCAD 2006
-
Three Weeks Ago
This image is by craigp
Software used: AutoCAD 2007 and V-Ray
Gallery of Work
Over the years, our forum members have contributed hundreds of images, showcasing their amazing work. The images above are just a small selection that demonstrate the wide range of project types our community is involved with. Take a look at our gallery to see all the images published in the last 12 months.
Tip of the Day
DWG TrueView
Quite often, you need to share your AutoCAD drawings with co-workers or others who don't have a copy of AutoCAD. In the past, this meant either providing drawings in DWF or buying some special viewing software. Well, now you can share your drawings files in DWG format for free.
Autodesk's own DWG TrueView application is free to download and install, and it looks just like AutoCAD. Co-workers without AutoCAD can not only view your drawings but they can plot them too and publish them as DWF. See here for more information.
Missed a Tip?
Did you miss yesterday's tip? Maybe you forgot to drop by or maybe you don't visit over the weekend. If so, you can now see all the tips published during the past week. Also, if you have a tip you'd like to share with us, you can post it on our forum and if we like it, we'll publish it here.