1. System Requirements (Quick Check) Before installing, ensure your PC meets these minimum specs for AutoCAD 2021:
OS: 64-bit Windows 10 RAM: 8 GB (16 GB recommended) Display: 1920 x 1080 resolution Disk space: 7 GB free Processor: 2.5–2.9 GHz (3+ GHz recommended)
2. First Launch & Interface Overview When you open AutoCAD 2021, you’ll see:
Start Tab: Recent drawings, templates, and learning content. Application Menu (Red ‘A’ top-left): New, open, save, export, print. Quick Access Toolbar: Save, Undo, Redo, Print. Ribbon: Main toolset organized into tabs (Home, Insert, Annotate, etc.). Drawing Area (Canvas): Black background (default) where you draw. Command Line: The most powerful tool – type commands here. Status Bar: Toggle grid, ortho mode, object snap, etc. Autodesk Autocad 2021
💡 Tip: If the command line disappears, press Ctrl + 9 .
3. Setting Up Your Drawing Choose Units Type UNITS → Select Decimal (engineering/architectural or metric). Set precision. Set Drawing Limits (Optional) Type LIMITS → lower-left corner 0,0 → upper-right corner (e.g., 100,50 for a small floor plan). Save Template After settings, Save As → File type: .dwt → rename as “My Template.dwt”.
4. Essential Commands (Start Here) | Action | Command | Shortcut | |--------|---------|-----------| | Line | LINE | L | | Circle | CIRCLE | C | | Rectangle | RECTANG | REC | | Erase | ERASE | E | | Undo | UNDO | U | | Move | MOVE | M | | Copy | COPY | CO | | Trim | TRIM | TR | | Extend | EXTEND | EX | | Offset | OFFSET | O | | Mirror | MIRROR | MI | | Fillet | FILLET | F | | Zoom Extents | ZOOM → E | ZE | Application Menu (Red ‘A’ top-left): New, open, save,
✅ Always watch the Command Line – it tells you the next step.
5. Drawing Your First Object (Example: 10x10 Square)
Type REC → press Enter . Click anywhere in drawing area. Type @10,10 → press Enter . Drawing Area (Canvas): Black background (default) where you
Explanation: @10,10 means 10 units in X, 10 units in Y from the first point.
6. Selection Methods