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
-
Keyframe Animation
This tutorial gives a basic but comprehensive introduction to keyframe animation in Bryce and introduces some key concepts in animation generally. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 5 minutes ago
-
Surfaces
The first and perhaps most crucial stage in creating a 3D landscape scene is the creation of accurate and seamless surfaces. This tutorial explores a number (not all) of techniques for creating quick and accurate surfaces from 2D lines and should give the user a feel for the range of tools available. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 5 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: 10 minutes 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: 12 minutes ago
-
AutoCAD 2010: Getting Ready for 3D
This video tutorial describes how to prepare the AutoCAD 2010 user interface (UI) ready for a 3D drawing project. Running time: 2min 23sec Format: Video
Last visited: 14 minutes ago
-
Editing and Saving Materials
Once materials have been created and edited in the Material Editor to suit a particular scene they no longer need to be kept in the Materials Editor. Materials can be saved in material libraries and retreived for use in any other scene. This tutorial shows you how. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 14 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
[LISP plugin] Omni Wheel-a custom radial menu tool
by VicoWang
7 replies
Last post: 4 hours ago
Update to the creation of DCL's
by BIGAL
6 replies
Last post: 21 hours ago
Why does the same CAD drawing behave differently on two computers?
by indiancad
2 replies
Last post: 24 hours ago
Diagram blocks
by choupi1968
15 replies
Last post: 56 hours ago
Why does Object Snap sometimes stop working correctly in CAD?
by indiancad
3 replies
Last post: 58 hours ago
Free Multi Plot Lisp – Fast Batch Printing for AutoCAD, BricsCAD & ZWCAD | Model/Layout, Zone Plotting & PDF Merge
by CamDuy
15 replies
Last post: 59 hours ago
This Week's Hot Topics
[LISP plugin] Omni Wheel-a custom radial menu tool
by VicoWang
7 replies
Viewed: 260 times
Update to the creation of DCL's
by BIGAL
6 replies
Viewed: 248 times
Why does Object Snap sometimes stop working correctly in CAD?
by indiancad
3 replies
Viewed: 141 times
Why does the same CAD drawing behave differently on two computers?
by indiancad
2 replies
Viewed: 113 times
My drawing disappeared — what do you check first?
by indiancad
1 reply
Viewed: 156 times
Does anybody else have this DIMBREAK issue?
by SLW210
1 reply
Viewed: 137 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
Shorten the Plot Scales List in a Viewport
From: AutoCAD Productivity Articles #140
Originally published: June 2015
If you plot from a viewport on a Layout tab, and you have a specific collection of plot scales you typically use, you may be interested in editing that list to display only the ones you need to see.
There are other approaches to accessing the same plot scale regularly, but this is one of the most straightforward.
How to Modify the List of Plot Scales
When you're in a viewport, click the location on the Status bar where you see the scale/factor for the current viewport.
Scroll to the bottom, then click Custom… to open the Edit Drawing Scales dialog box.
I would recommend keeping 1:1, but then select those plot scales you really don't need, then click Delete.
Organize the ones you use all the time by using Move Up or Move Down.

Note: If you totally gom it up, you can always hit Reset, then choose your desired collection of either Imperial, Metric, or both.
See all the articles published in June 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
-
17th – 23rd August 2026
This week's image is by RODDY1
Software used: AutoCAD 2009
-
Last Week's Image
Last week's image is by papagyi
Software used: 3ds Max 9 and V-Ray
-
Two Weeks Ago
This image is by boofredlay
Software used: SketchUp and V-Ray
-
Three Weeks Ago
This image is by Lazarus
Software used: AutoCAD 2009
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
Fillet solid objects
The Fillet command can be used to fillet solid objects as well as just the usual 2D stuff. Not only does the Fillet command fillet edges but it also correctly mitres the corners where two filleted edges meet.
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.