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
-
Object Properties
Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
-
AutoCAD 2010: Joining Lines, Polylines and Arcs
Format: Video
Last visited: less than one minute ago
-
AutoCAD 2010: Ribbon Basics
Format: Video
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
Getting yourself a Domain Name
Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
Uploading Files with SmartFTP
Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 1 minute ago
-
Uploading Files with WS_FTP
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
Can anyone help me? get the attribute value based on the block name
by Kvlar
0 replies
Last post: 1 hour ago
Lisp divide pline
by vandehuy
14 replies
Last post: 3 hours ago
REBAR QUANTITIES AND LENGTH CALCULATIONS WITH TABLE TO EXCEL
by achila
3 replies
Last post: 3 hours ago
dynamic block parameter to Mleader issue
by EYNLLIB
2 replies
Last post: 8 hours ago
Suggestion for new Laptop
by nidhi singhania
36 replies
Last post: 9 hours ago
Calculations with DCL, Lisp
by Kris Malen
4 replies
Last post: 17 hours ago
This Week's Hot Topics
Why would entlast not be getting the unioned entity in this code?
by sambar37
18 replies
Viewed: 639 times
Changing All Block Attribute values together like a normal block
by Hsanon
17 replies
Viewed: 534 times
Remove a section of text in a text file from between 2 keywords with autolisp or visual lisp
by Mr Bojangles
16 replies
Viewed: 422 times
Can't join 3D polylines (I've tried every suggestion I could find)
by 0misclose
7 replies
Viewed: 155 times
Horizontal or Vertical line to nearest entities in both directions
by Dahzee
5 replies
Viewed: 288 times
Help: Export dxf with a hashcode pdf
by mhy3sx
5 replies
Viewed: 243 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
UCSICON Options
From: AutoCAD Productivity Articles #146
Originally published: June 2016
Every five years or so I address the UCS icon, so here's your next installment.
General Insights
There is a UCSICON command with these options:
Right-click on the UCS icon to display a shortcut menu with a Properties option where you can dress it up a bit.
When you are in the 2D Wireframe visual style, the UCS icon looks like a stick figure. In any other visual style, the icon is a bit more colorful and 3D looking.
Horses can only breath through their nose. [Just checking to see if you're paying attention.]
Click on the UCS icon and you see a square grip at 0,0,0 and round grips at the ends of the axes.
To disable the ability to select/click on the UCS icon, set the variable UCSSELECTMODE to <0>.
Note: There's an article on how to dimension 3D objects in Michael's Corner, January 2013. You will find more information on manipulating the UCS icon in that review, too.
See all the articles published in June 2016
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
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
Shift for fillet radius zero
Do you get fed up having to set your Fillet alternately to a radius value and then to 0 to get a right angle?
You don't have to! Just fillet your lines while holding down Shift and the current default fillet radius value will be ignored.
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.