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
-
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: less than one minute ago
-
Using Co-ordinates
All about the use of co-ordinates in AutoCAD. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute 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: 1 minute ago
-
Object Selection
This tutorial shows you the many ways AutoCAD objects can be selected. Covers the building of selection sets with implied windowing, fences etc. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
Object Properties
This tutorial describes how to control the display of objects (colour, linetype etc.) using layers. It also explains what layers are and how they should be used. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
Modifying Objects
This tutorial runs through all of the modify tools, demonstrating practical examples in each case. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 1 minute 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
PDF TO CAD FILE
by CHAKRADHAR
7 replies
Last post: 9 hours ago
Layer Table (Lines and Text)
by CAD_Noob
9 replies
Last post: 9 hours ago
Layer Creater Lisp Routine Issue
by waders
61 replies
Last post: 33 hours ago
*A##### Blocks
by mnpbalda
2 replies
Last post: 33 hours ago
Penn Foster Civil Project.....
by TimC
5 replies
Last post: 39 hours ago
Penn Foster Structural Drafting
by Vdietz
23 replies
Last post: 43 hours ago
This Week's Hot Topics
Layer Table (Lines and Text)
by CAD_Noob
9 replies
Viewed: 305 times
Segment Copy of a Region (cleaning request)
by ScottMC
7 replies
Viewed: 360 times
PDF TO CAD FILE
by CHAKRADHAR
7 replies
Viewed: 168 times
The pound sign wobbles textreplacer
by bustr
5 replies
Viewed: 333 times
Penn Foster Civil Project.....
by TimC
5 replies
Viewed: 151 times
Node of Arc Length Dimension
by dickeychan
2 replies
Viewed: 211 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
Avoid Using ‘Standard’ in Text & Dimension Styles
From: AutoCAD Productivity Articles #141
Originally published: August 2015
In addition to Layer 0, every single drawing on the planet has a Text style called ‘Standard’, and a Dimension style called ‘Standard’. They're the defaults.
When developing company standards, it's best to not modify the Standard styles; leave 'em alone and make your own.
And here's why. Let's say you have text you added to Drawing A (using your modified ‘Standard’ text style to use the Trebuchet font), and you drag that text into Drawing B where the Standard text style uses the TXT.SHX font.
Since Drawing B already has a ‘Standard’ text style—see opening sentence, above—who do you think will "win" when it comes to how the text looks? The text in Drawing B will use the font which is already assigned to the Standard text style.

In the illustration, you see the result when I drag the text from Drawing A into Drawing B. Questions?
See all the articles published in August 2015
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
-
2nd – 8th March 2026
This week's image is by Lazer
Software used: Inventor and Solid Edge
-
Last Week's Image
Last week's image is by Miklos Fuccaro
Software used: AutoCAD 2006
-
Two Weeks Ago
This image is by craigp
Software used: AutoCAD 2007 and V-Ray
-
Three Weeks Ago
This image is by StykFacE
Software used: AutoCAD 2008
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
Selecting multiple grips
Did you know that you can move more than one grip at a time? Select an object to display the grips. Hold down the Shift key and select as many grips as you wish. Release the Shift key, click again on any one of the highlighted grips and then click it's new position. All the selected grips will follow.
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.