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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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Units and Scales
If you're asking yourself "what scale do I draw in?" or "what units should I use?", you need this tutorial. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
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Creating a Walkthrough
This tutorial shows how to create an animated walkthrough of your AutoCAD 3D model using 3DS MAX 5. All you need to start is an AutoCAD drawing with some 3D content. The end result will be a .AVI file which can be viewed on any Windows PC. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
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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: less than one minute ago
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3D Tree Exercise
The object behind this exercise is twofold. Firstly it is to give you practice with some of the 3D techniques which you have discovered in the tutorials or to introduce you to them if you haven't seen them before. Secondly it is to demonstrate a reasonably simple method for constructing a convincing 3D tree. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
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Transforming Objects
Transforming objects means changing the position, size or number of an object without altering the integrity of the geometry itself. MAX offers a host of transformation tools to do these tasks. This tutorial gets you started. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute 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: less than one 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.
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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
‘Sign Language’
From: AutoCAD Productivity Articles #136
Originally published: October 2014
For the last few versions we have seen icons next to the cursor for Geometric Constraints (left) and Selection Cycling (right), as well as the little icon for a Locked layer and the Match Properties paintbrush.
Those icons are displayed when the related feature is enabled.
Cursor Badges
But AutoCAD 2015 now has included a ‘cursor badge’ for several editing commands, such as Rotate and Erase (see figures below), along with Measure and even the Window and Crossing selection direction badges.
Some of you, however, may prefer not to see the new badges beside the cursor. If so, set the variable CURSORBADGE to <1>, which will disable all badges.
See all the articles published in October 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
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4th – 10th August 2025
This week's image is by Steven Leech
Software used: AutoCAD 2009
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Last Week's Image
Last week's image is by Opc 12
Software used: Inventor
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Two Weeks Ago
This image is by abstracted
Software used: Modeled in Inventor 2008, rendered in 3ds Max 2008 with V-Ray.
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Three Weeks Ago
This image is by papagyi
Software used: 3ds Max Design 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
Extend/Trim commands
While in the middle of either of the Trim or Extend command, you don't have to exit out of one to start the other; they're virtually the same command. So if you're using Trim, and need to Extend, simply hold down the SHIFT key and it will convert to the Extend command, and vice-versa.
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.