AutoCAD is a 3-dimensional computer-aided design software from Autodesk which is built and developed for product designing and manufacturing planning, building designing, civil infrastructure, and construction. It is a part of Autodesk’s collection of 3D CAD programs used by product development teams, manufacturing facilities, media and entertainment industries, engineers, architects; educators and students; entrepreneurs, non-profits, medical professionals, and including beginners.

Furthermore, AutoCAD is used for making 2D drawings, drafts, and documents, as well as, 3D models and visualizations. Its 2D drawing, drafting, and annotation features include the capability to control the appearance of texts, create dimension styles automatically, link and update data between Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and tables within drawings, and work with dynamic blocks.

Meanwhile, in terms of creating 3D models and visualizations, users will be able to add lighting and materials to their 3D models to achieve a realistic appearance and rendering. They can also control the edges, lightning, and shading in their models. The software allows users to analyze the interior details of 3D objects. AutoCAD enables them to import data from PDF files so they can collaborate with their teammates as they review their models and drawings. Last but not the least, they can customize the user interface of the software to streamline their tasks and access its functionalities and features much easier.

AutoCAD helps users prevent product failures and warranty issues, innovate products and improve their performance, and win more bids by providing them tools and workflows to design and build great products. AutoCAD also has the objective of assisting them to machine, print, inspect, and fabricate quality product parts such as car, wind turbine, and aircraft components. In addition, the program helps them design better buildings, deliver scalable and sustainable infrastructure projects, manage construsction costs, and predict project outcomes.

To do all of this, the 3D CAD program offers 3D modeling and visualization features and functionalities. One of them is the capability to apply different 3D modeling techniques so they can create realistic 3D models of products and their parts. Thus, the program enables them to build 3D wireframes, solids, surfaces, and meshes. To achieve photorealistic renderings of 3D models, AutoCAD allows them to attach materials to 3D objects, as well as, add lights to scenes. They will be able to control the appearance of the attached materials, the lighting, and the shadows in their models so their teammates and prospective clients can obtain a clearer vision of their conceptual designs.

Another 3D modeling and visualization feature available in AutoCAD is the capability to create section planes. Section planes are used to achieve cross-sectional views of 3D objects. They can modify and move section planes to examine the inner details of 3D objects, enabling them to cut through solids, surfaces, meshes, or regions. Meanwhile, AutoCAD allows them to control the appearance of texts in their 2D drawings. By adjusting its text settings, users will be able to change font, line spacing, justification, and color. Also, when they change the text settings, all text objects in the drawing that are using the current settings will be automatically updated.

The program also provides users with the capability to configure the dimension settings. This includes controlling the arrow head style, text location, and lateral tolerances. They will be able to create dimension styles and apply them automatically to all the dimensions of the drawing. AutoCaD has a powerful 2D drawing feature which allows users to link tables within their 2D drawings to data in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. As a result, they will be able to import formulas and calculated data from Microsoft Excel into their tables. When they add rows or columns to a linked spreadsheet, the changes will reflect on the table the spreadsheet is linked to. Likewise, a linked spreadsheet will be updated accordingly once they make changes to a table.

To be able to share and reuse design data from their PDF files, AutoCAD enables users to import data from PDFs into the drawings they created using the program. They will be able to import 2D geometry, TrueType texts, and images into AutoCAD. The program also offers an SHF text recognition tool which allows them to convert text with SHF fonts into a text object. AutoCAD introduces this PDF import enhancement because SHF texts from PDF files created within AutoCAD are imported into the program as geometries. Since the PDF file format can’t recognize SHF fonts, the imported texts contain lines, arcs, and circles that are not conducive for editing. With its SHF text recognition tool, SHF texts from PDFs that are imported as geometries can now be transformed into text objects, allowing users to edit SHF texts more conveniently.