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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
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Edges
Edges exist where one surface meets another. Usually an edge is a surface edge detail such as pavers, a retaining wall or stepped features such as steps or terracing. This tutorial explores ways of working with them to create 3D elements. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
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Modifying Objects
This tutorial runs through all of the modify tools, demonstrating practical examples in each case. Format: Text/Image
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Site Layout Exercise 2
This exercise is designed to progress your skills in 2D drafting and to test your understanding of layouts and printing to scale from paper space. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
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Navigation Techniques
Gaining the skill to navigate efficiently around a scene and around objects and parts of objects (sub-objects) efficiently and with ease is of paramount importance to good modelling. Most new users of MAX / VIZ need to get over this first hurdle before feeling comfortable in the 3D environment. Fear not, MAX / VIZ has a host of tools for the purpose. This tutorial descibes the most useful navigation techniques. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 2 minutes ago
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ISO Paper Sizes
There has alwas been some confusion over the size of standard ISO drawing sheets with AutoCAD.The stated sizes in the plot dialogue box are not the true ISO sizes. This tutorial explains why and how to plot to scale from Model Space. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 3 minutes ago
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Pavement Ramp and Car Park
A ramp surface created in a previous tutorial is rotated down to meet the bottom steps and the geometry edited to fit the steps. A car park is also formed using splines snapped to existing geometry. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 4 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.
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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
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30th June to 6th July 2025
This week's image is by Lazarus
Software used: AutoCAD 2009
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Last Week's Image
Last week's image is by neekcotrack
Software used: AutoCAD 2005
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Two Weeks Ago
This image is by papagyi
Software used: AutoCAD 2009
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Three Weeks Ago
This image is by nocturne00
Software used: AutoCAD 2006
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
Trim Up
Often, you find yourself using the Trim command to tidy up loose ends of lines. If this is the case, don't bother selecting cutting edges, just use the "select all" option.
Start the Trim command, TRIM from the command line. At the prompt, simply hit the Enter key to accept the <select all> option.
from the pull-down menu orNow, just pick the line ends you want to remove.
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.