AutoCAD Reviews

by Jjdy87

I use an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil 2 to edit and draft drawings and after the latest update 5 months ago, AutoCAD was rendered useless. I can no longer draw anything efficiently since the geniuses at this app removed the numeric dialogue box that would pop up when drawing a line, or selecting a line to edit. Now you must enter the dimensions and direction of any object you are drawing before you have even used your pencil to create a line. After you’ve created a line, there’s no way to edit the line by correcting the dimensions using a numeric dialogue box like before. Now, you only have the option to stretch an existing object and eyeball the correct dimension. USELESS DEVELOPERS HAVE LEFT PAYING CUSTOMERS OUT TO DRY FOR 5 MONTHS NOW WITHOUT A FIX!

by T. Osborn

I used the trail version and even with the Apple Pencil it was working. AutoCAD was simple but limited. I only needed to use it for marking up plans and small changes. I decided to go with the “Ultimate Plan” to use all the features. Once I did I couldn’t even use AutoCAD . Using my finger, Apple Pencil or even a Bluetooth mouse the crosshairs wouldn’t go where I tried to draw. I couldn’t even draw two lines because I could never click on the end of the first line.

I contacted support and they told my there was nothing they could do and sent me a link to show me how to draw a freaking line. I’ve used this app on desktop to Mark up drawings for over ten years and thought my iPad on the go might help but waste of $99.

by NotExiled

I downloaded AutoCAD and paid for a one year subscription. Then I found that it doesn’t do everything that’s described in the Help files. When I contacted AutoDesk about this, I was told in an e-mail that “we have temporarily limited functionality of the latest release”.
This means that I paid to use an app according to the description and they removed many of those features (ability to paste an image into a project, ability to export in .pdf format, compatibility with the Leica Disto measured, etc.)
AutoCAD is now useless to me. What developer removes functionality without notice and without compensation? How do I know that this won’t happen again?
It’s not worth the risk.

by Arc,pe

I bought an IPad Pro and decided I would purchase this app mobile. Although I am a licensed civil engineer (experienced, i.e. old), I have always had someone to do CAD for me. After the pandemic, I am staying home, so I have started to see if I can do some stuff on my own. I started out in the wrong place. Knowing little this app other than knowing about layers and some commands, I bought this product. It is worthless. They saved on making a HELP section (so easy to do); you’re on your own. Searching the internet, I see this is typical for this app: “we know there are issues with (BLANK) but we are working on it”. I decidedly feel ripped-off. No way to use this program. All I want is to search for a location and maybe point to the locations, but I can’t do it. I am sure it is very easy if there were a reference that I could READ. Now I have to make sure that my annual subscription cannot be renewed (cancellations for internet products being so difficult). Count me as ZERO STARS.

by Surdukan

My challenge, Team, is to take your iPad outside, with a tape measure, and draw the building in your program from scratch. You have a generous 45 minutes to do this. Maybe then you will understand why your drawing commands have no practical application in drawing anything in the field. Trying to remember which angle I’m at in order to do a simple 90 deg turn is bogus. About 2 years ago you could start the line in a direction and then enter a distance. Why on earth would you take that out? 4 more stars await when you put that one feature you have coded back in. 2 years come on!

And comments fall on deaf ears. They know what you need better than you do. It’s too bad they don’t actually use AutoCAD .

by JN057

iPad OS Supports USB Drives. I have an adapter and a USB Drive with drawing files on it. I have to share the file to this app and then it’s uploaded/synced automatically. I don’t want my drawings in the cloud... I want to edit them from USB drive while I am on the go and then I can drop them on my pc and continue at the office. No cloud... just between devices.

As it stands, I do not consider this fully compatible with iPadOS and iOS 13 when one of the KEY features was USB support. It is completely useless because I will not put my drawings on the cloud...

I sent an email asking if there were any plans to add that feature and got no response at all. I sent that email in September (right after iPadOS got out of beta). Considering I have been using Autodesk products like this app since the 2004 release and Inventor 8/10, I am really disappointed in the lack of support

by Georgemichael615559

1st day on a job site with this, and it’s not really usable for me. Being able to type in a dimension is required. Period. The fact that this functionality was removed makes AutoCAD one step North of worthless. If I can’t accurately draw a line, then what is this even for? If/when the ability to type in dimensions is added back, then this thing gets a TON more useful. Until then... not so much.

UPDATE: After a response from Autodesk, I learn that there is *limited* ability to add typed dimensions. It does not work with Apple Pencil, which I was using, but there is a way to be more precise. I will not, however add more stars to the initial review. This limited functionality is still too awkward to allow us to add this tool into our workflow.

by Ex-user-of-app

I had this installed on my iPad for <5 min.; if I could give it a zero rating, I would. I was looking for a .dwg viewer for some files provided for my review; I already had an Autodesk acct. so this seemed like a natural fit. The trial period is only 7 days, and for the casual user, the subscription rate is too high...one strike against it.

The biggest problem is that it doesn’t play well with any of the normal iOS infrastructure. You can’t open a file from the local iOS file system or iCloud; the only way to get a file from another app into the this app app is to transfer it through a third-party provider (Dropbox, Box, GoogleDrive, or OneDrive)...if you’re at a site with a slow connection (or no connection at all) you’re out of luck.

AutoCAD was a non-starter before I could even try to open the file.

by Oliveboy

I feel like AutoCAD used to have some useful functionality but my memory is hazy. If there is any review on here that says they actually use AutoCAD it must be fake. I am and architect and use the Mac version daily. The mobile version is included in my subscription so I thought I would I revisit AutoCAD after a long time away to possibly use it for field measuring existing houses for use in drawing up remodels. I couldn’t draw anything accurately much less a single room. I tried to even come up up with workarounds or cheats but the absolute lack of functionality is beyond comprehension. I felt compelled to review AutoCAD to save anyone from paying money for using it. Maybe one day we will actually get the fabled “new version” so many review responses claim are coming. Until then, look elsewhere friends.

by Osterlure

AutoCAD is fine as a dwg viewer, but pretty useless for drawing in the field. You have to select what shape you are drawing before you draw it (unlike the original version), and then when you touch the pencil to the screen, the starting point for your line or box or whatever, is offset from the point of the pencil, which makes it impossible to draw anything with any accuracy. Text input from the keyboard is a different paradigm than the desktop app, and using a trackpad has the same offset inaccuracies as the pencil. If you are looking for a useful CAD program on an iPad, this isn’t it.

by Alex The Joneses

There's a way to export your drawings as pdf's, which is crucial for me, but honestly I'd have more luck drawing it on notability and then exporting, because AutoCAD's pdf exporter is terrible. You should be able to set a custom scale, much less any scale, but no matter what you put in as a scale AutoCAD just decides to put its own random scale in, just to taunt you. Fit to paper doesn't even work unless you put your drawing into a box, and even then it cuts off the edges so part of your drawing is gone. They need a pdf preview before you share, and let you find the right margins so that you can easily fit the box so you can fit to page. Otherwise you will never be able to export an accurate representation.

by Caddage

Whoever designed AutoCAD needs to understand that this app users weren’t born in 2000. AutoCAD looks very elementary and isn’t the interface most users see on desktop. Why redesign it when experienced users already have had a palette from many years ago. It should have been more seamless transition from desktop to mobile. One of the key features that I am at a loss for is:

Ability to type dimensions for line lengths and the use of standard key commands. Point and click is such a waste of time. For any experienced use of this app, typing commands from memory is faster than drawing lines. Once it compounds, one will know how much longer it takes to make a drawing.

Also, I subscribed, but my Apple Pencil doesn’t even work based on the tutorials about freehand and editing dimensions. None of that is on the paid version. And zero support. Unfortunate that it’s like any other generic drawing tool and not like the original desktop version, which one would think that is where you would would actually begin the design with and not start from scratch.

I will try it out, but it is so slow to even just draw a floor plan. I can do it faster on a desktop version. Time is money for this app users and app developers don’t really think that this isn’t just a hobby app, it’s a working man’s app to make money and every second counts when drawing in this app because it is used by professionals, not hobbyists.

by ZKayak1

It is really frustrating at the moment since the tools I was using almost every day to annotate and make field notes have been disabled. To me this was the main convenience when onsite with my iPad Pro. Really guys, was that necessary? Do you really want me getting used to paper plans again? Adding to that, it seems the ortho function is gone although I notice something called snap tracking with a lot of angle settings. Could that be it? Problem is I am not smart enough to work it out and can’t find any online document to explain it. On the up side, it is great you can finally change layer color after creating one and it looks like lineweight options are on the way. One feature I would really love is to be able to freeze layer by picking a line or entity. That would be a huge convince when working with a lot of laters. How about it guys?

by SC LAND DESIGNER

For a free app, it's awesome. All serious drafting should be done in this app on your desktop. Use this mobile app for small revisions out in the field and for take offs when not in the office.
Please don't expect to be able to draft complex drawings with AutoCAD. Do that in this app, then save dwg to Google Drive to review in app for small revisions. Especially helpful while in the field on a jobsite. A PDF viewer and ability to set scale and see preview would be a very helpful update. But for a free app, AutoDesk has created this useful and easy app.

by Rockospaz

I draw everything on my PC and attempted to detail here. unfortunately in the 2D model view you are stuck with the top view. if you switch to 3D model you lose you tools. I also noticed most the time that when i turn layers off/on i have to close the file and reopen to see the changes. I also cannot change the layers for items. the rest of the tools i havent had a problem with. I know this sounds like bad review but i think my stars show my opinion better than the verbal. just want to point out a few flaws in hopes they will be addressed.

by Simplified Solar

Easy to use and very flexible but needs more libraries of objects. The basic home furniture objects are fine, but how about more things for engineering drawings. I have this app on my Mac at home but I am using the iPad for much more of my work, so quick, easy, and portable

Had a project I did by hand because no steel shapes library was available. I am fine with making the steel shapes library an in app purchase. I know that other folks will want other libraries for their projects so make them as addons

Also let us add a shape we regularly use to the apps objects library that shows up whenever we start app

by BP907

I have been using AutoCAD on the iPad Pro for the past week and its so easy to pick up and figure out the simplified settings of this app!

I like how the Apple Pencil makes it quick and easy to go from drawing to selecting and trimming. I do wish that there were double tap options for the new apple pencil that allows you to go back to the previous tool you were using (like the space bar on the full version) but maybe that will come with time.

Does AutoCAD allow you to do everything that regular this app allows you to do? No. But, it is a great portable, easy to pick up and work option.

by Mauriceasso

Having been around this app for around 30 years, and trying to go from desktop to iPad, this came to be a great move.
I have subscribed to this app last year but i found it the most unused investment in an app. This version is quite satisfying although i have to learn a new logic of command sequence when moving or editing objects. I guess i’ll get the hang of it.
The annotations are the best thing that i can use when communicating with the office team and update the modification on the drawings.
This part of annotation should be developed by autodesk to be as smart as the markup tool by Apple Pencil.
Very happy to be using ACAD again like this.

by DnetCAD

As a long time this app user I find AutoCAD very useful when not parked behind my desk or when breaking out the laptop is just not convenient. Honestly I was not expecting much considering how high end CAD runs on a non workstation PC. However knowing this up front gave me a realistic expectation and I have been surprised at how well it has performed on my iPad Pro. Don’t expect it to run like your workstation and you won’t be disappointed at how well if performs and what a useful tool it is for the road warriors out there. Great tool!

by Grumpy-65

I’ve used more CADD programs than one could expect to self teach an produce at the same time. I was taught the board, pencil, straight edge in HS during the 60’s. As a Seabee I ended up doing the eat, plan, execution work of a few a d in there I was exposed to Auto CADD and a love affair could be resembled, Over the years I’ve used most of the products from other producers and own a MAC based program. From simple sketches, process control designs in plants to the ME&P work on major projects (my last 3 years) I got to turn out quality USABLE work. My only regret is I’m so used to just opening ACAD and putting it to paper or I should say screen. Thanks

by Needitnow

I don’t think I could say anything bad about having this app for my IOS device. There are many ways I like this better than the PC software version. While it is easy to select multiple lines that make up something drawn, I really wish I could block parts in my drawing.

this app is great about taking existing drawings with blocks and moving them around but I would like the ability to use my IOS version completely by itself.

by TedNickname

It’s really easy to open a file and start drawing scaled floor layouts and anything else like kitchen cabinet heights, etc. if you have an idea and want to see it in scale, lay on the couch and quickly draw it up.

grid is great, layers are really clear and basic drawing shapes are simple to use. It’s super affordable compared to the overly complicated 3D programs where you hunt for 3D shapes when a simple box would work to get your idea in scale.

I created a simple floor plan and could easily share it with our architect. We had a site survey and I could open the dwg files all the trades seem to use.