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
-
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: less than one minute ago
-
Advanced Selection
After you've mastered the basics of selection, this tutorial shows you some powerful methods for making complex selection sets. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
Creating and Drawing Sections
This tutorial describes how to draw sections using Key TERRA-FIRMA. The tutorial assumes that you have previously completed the Ground Modelling tutorial or that you already have a good understanding of TERRA-FIRMA ground modelling. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 2 minutes ago
-
Options for Creating Objects
There are a number of ways of creating the three main elements of a landscape scene, surfaces, edges and objects, each one demending an understanding of the creation methods and tools at hand. This tutorial shows you how. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 3 minutes ago
-
User Co-ordinate Systems
This tutorial describes what UCSs are, why we need them and how to use them. The correct use of UCSs with AutoCAD is the key to producing good 3D models and they can also help with 2D work. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 3 minutes ago
-
All About Images
This tutorial tells you all you need to know about working with images in AutoCAD. 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
Dynamic block pipes and fittings on existing line like revit
by M07
3 replies
Last post: 10 hours ago
Automatically creates Hyperlink in PDF... please stop it!
by Steven P
8 replies
Last post: 19 hours ago
AutoCAD LT 2026 very slow to save
by X11start
8 replies
Last post: 24 hours ago
A toolkit is designed to streamline the conversion of raw survey texts ,and markers into professional MLeaders
by darshjalal
0 replies
Last post: 29 hours ago
Table - Auto size height
by sketch11
16 replies
Last post: 33 hours ago
Custom DCL List box and radio buttons loses focus and values.
by BIGAL
2 replies
Last post: 33 hours ago
This Week's Hot Topics
Automatically creates Hyperlink in PDF... please stop it!
by Steven P
8 replies
Viewed: 99 times
Lisp for extracting many objects coordinates separately or all (even feature lines and 3d polylines) with numbering and with csv, text, gsi formats
by darshjalal
4 replies
Viewed: 177 times
Selection filter or error trap
by ScottMC
3 replies
Viewed: 108 times
Dynamic block pipes and fittings on existing line like revit
by M07
3 replies
Viewed: 100 times
Custom DCL List box and radio buttons loses focus and values.
by BIGAL
2 replies
Viewed: 148 times
Sharing
by mataeux
0 replies
Viewed: 95 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
Drawing Information
From: AutoCAD Productivity Articles #137
Originally published: December 2014
For billing purposes, it's nice to know how long you have spent working in a drawing. To that end, the Time command may be a helpful resource, especially given the elapsed time feature that can be toggled ON and OFF, and can also be Reset.
Command: TIME Current time: Sunday, November 23, 2014 3:44:54:790 PM Times for this drawing: Created: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 2:42:44:984 PM Last updated: Sunday, November 23, 2014 9:59:28:105 AM Total editing time: 0 days 04:45:06:399 Elapsed timer (off): 0 days 04:44:32:866 Next automatic save in: 0 days 00:07:30:395 Enter option [Display/ON/OFF/Reset]:
To keep track of your time in the drawing, launch the Time command, then begin the elapsed timer with the ON option. When finished, use the OFF option to display the total editing time. The above information indicates that I was editing the drawing for a little more than 30 seconds - 04:44:32 to 04:45:06.
DWGPROPS [] Another useful tool for quick information may be the Dwgprops command found in the ‘scarlet letter’. It's nice to have the Location and Size information immediately available, rather than going out to Save As.
See all the articles published in December 2014
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
-
11th – 17th May 2026
This week's image is by Lazarus
Software used: AutoCAD 2009
-
Last Week's Image
Last week's image is by abstracted
Software used: Inventor and 3ds Max
-
Two Weeks Ago
This image is by Noahma
Software used: AutoCAD Architecture 2009
-
Three Weeks Ago
This image is by rgarjr
Software used: Inventor
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
Add your name to the status bar
Have you ever wanted to see your name or your company's name displayed on the AutoCAD status bar? If so, you need to know about the modemacro variable. Whatever value you set this variable to will appear on the status bar, just to the left of the dynamic co-ordinate display. To do this, enter "modemacro" at the command prompt and then enter the text you'd like to display.
The assigned value of modemacro remains set only for the current drawing session. If you'd like to see your text displayed every time you start AutoCAD, simply add the following line to acad.lsp:
(setvar "modemacro" "text to display")
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.