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
-
Creating Custom Bitmap Materials
This tutorial demonstartes how to create your own bitmap based materials using Photoshop and AutoCAD. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: less than one minute ago
-
AutoCAD 2010: The User Interface - Part 2
This video tutorial continues your guided tour of the AutoCAD 2010 user interface. Running time: 3min 20sec Format: Video
Last visited: 2 minutes ago
-
Entering Survey Data using AutoCAD
These techniques apply to basic CAD programs such as AutoCAD, IntelliCAD, etc. If you have a civil/survey program or add-on, such as Land Desktop, SurvCADD, Eagle Point, etc., then there are built-in tools for entering lines and curves. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 3 minutes ago
-
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: 3 minutes ago
-
Scene Setup
Before attempting to create a scene it is important to understand global settings pertaining to any scene that will make modelling more efficient together with settings that pertain to individual scenes and stages in scene development. This tutorial explains Viewport Configuration options, Scene Settings and basic MAX / VIZ Configuration. Format: Text/Image
Last visited: 3 minutes ago
-
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: 3 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
Setting HPANNOTATIVE
by Mondo
1 reply
Last post: 1 hour ago
Copying a Value into the Clipboard without using Active-X so it can work on LT
by CivilTechSource
5 replies
Last post: 1 hour ago
Text disappears behind viewport
by Samr1979
0 replies
Last post: 3 hours ago
Text disappears behind viewport
by Samr1979
0 replies
Last post: 3 hours ago
Segments of polylines
by Artem
17 replies
Last post: 19 hours ago
Pathfinding in AutoCAD with the A-Star Algorithm (A*)
by heschr
31 replies
Last post: 20 hours ago
This Week's Hot Topics
Copying a Value into the Clipboard without using Active-X so it can work on LT
by CivilTechSource
5 replies
Viewed: 174 times
Dynamic Panel with array rivet holes problem.
by Chris Wirsch
2 replies
Viewed: 235 times
custom part builder
by Douaa
1 reply
Viewed: 234 times
Setting HPANNOTATIVE
by Mondo
1 reply
Viewed: 24 times
Text disappears behind viewport
by Samr1979
0 replies
Viewed: 34 times
Text disappears behind viewport
by Samr1979
0 replies
Viewed: 27 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
User Increment Angles for Polar (new in 2015)
From: AutoCAD Productivity Articles #138
Originally published: February 2015
The Polar tracking feature [F10] comes with several preset increments. But what if you want your own increment, like, 12? This is now available for the first time in AutoCAD 2015 where you can specify an increment value, and AutoCAD will snap to all instances of that increment!
How to Add Additional Polar Angles
Click the drop-down arrow beside Polar Tracking, then click Tracking Settings.
Check the box for Additional Angles, then click New and enter a new angle. Click OK to close the Drafting Settings dialog box.
Click the dropdown arrow beside Polar Tracking, then click your new angle increments.

See all the articles published in February 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
-
9th – 15th February 2026
This week's image is by StykFacE
Software used: AutoCAD 2008
-
Last Week's Image
Last week's image is by CADken
Software used: SketchUp
-
Two Weeks Ago
This image is by arjun_samar
Software used: 3ds Max with V-Ray and Photoshop
-
Three Weeks Ago
This image is by Alex Moiceanu
Software used: SolidWorks 2011
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
Add additional "standard scales"
To create additional "standard scales" in AutoCAD, type SCALELISTEDIT. You will then see the Edit Scale List dialog, shown on the right.
Click on the Add… button. In the Add scale dialog, enter the name of the scale, for example "1:1250", this is the name that will appear in the list. Then enter the Paper units and Drawing units as desired.
Note: "Drawing units" refers to the modelspace units.
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.