The AutoCAD app for iPad works on any iPad running iOS 14 or higher. Autodesk doesn’t specify any other system requirements, but there are advantages to running AutoCAD on newer models of the iPad.

The latest iPad Pro models have upgraded chips that can handle heavier workloads faster. They also have more RAM which means the device will have fewer issues with larger files.

If the iPad has Apple Pencil compatibility, some features of the app are easier to use, like annotating and sketching.

If you’re also interested in browser-based use, the requirements for both Windows and Mac are 64-bit browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

The user interface (UI) of AutoCAD for iPad is designed to be intuitive and work well on the iPad display. Autodesk managed to include the most important features of AutoCAD as well as add some new ones.

Most of the screen space is devoted to the workspace, where you’ll create or work on drawings and designs. There’s a toolbar on the right that holds submenus for Properties, Traces, Views, Layers, Blocks, External References Manager, and General Settings.

Drawing utilities and commands are grouped together in a window that also contains the command line. The interface is easy to learn and is especially easy to use if you’re coming from the desktop app, as the commands are the same. The commands are laid out above the command line in groups, and the Draw group contains Line, Polyline, and Rectangle tools, among others, for example.

AutoCAD on iPad is advertised by Autodesk as an extension to your desktop workflow, either by making changes to already created projects or by drafting new ones on the go.

This intention is also reflected in some of the features that the mobile version of AutoCAD has to offer, such as:

• Trace, which allows you to review and add feedback directly to a DWG file without altering it.
• Cloud- and web-based files, which enable easy collaboration and access from any device. With AutoCAD Web, this means any device with a web browser.
• Apple Pencil support, with features like sketching and annotation that go hand in hand with other collaboration-oriented features. (Giving feedback by writing and sketching with a pencil is something not possible on desktop AutoCAD.)

All this is to say that AutoCAD on iPad is capable of more than editing and viewing DWG files. The app can create elaborate new designs from scratch with a lot of the features seen on desktop such as Object Blocks, Editable Grips, and many drawing tools. You can also plot DWGs to PDF in the app to export them.

Both the desktop and web versions of AutoCAD have their specific uses, but there are some similarities and some differences between them that are worth knowing if you’re on the fence about which one to get.

The two versions use the same way of drawing lines and other shapes by selecting points and connecting them to each other, and they feature customizable snapping. You can use blocks in both versions of AutoCAD, and you can plot files to PDF for printing.

When it comes to the differences, one of the main advantages of the iPad is its portability – being able to create anywhere simply isn’t possible on the desktop version. Combined with an Apple Pencil, AutoCAD on iPad has a clear advantage when it comes to giving feedback, writing down ideas, and suggesting any changes, as drawing directly on the DWG is much easier than having to print out the files for such feedback. It’s also worth noting that you can work offline on the mobile app and then sync your projects when you’re online, so you’re not restricted to an internet connection.

If you’re a power user and are creating complex plans and other drawings, the desktop version has more features overall and is more powerful when it comes to creating whole projects from scratch. There are some important features missing from the iPad app, like hatching, that are commonly used in DWGs. The added power of a desktop computer also enables you to create projects that are much more complex and consist of more lines and objects.

As Autodesk is one of the biggest software companies in the market, they have a number of support options for their users. Autodesk has asupport forums and guides specifically for AutoCAD mobile, and there’s also the official YouTube channel with plenty of useful information and tutorials.

As AutoCAD is very popular, there’s a lot of community content and resources to help you on YouTube and online forums.

There’s also a set of FAQs on the site and an official support contact option for users who are unsure of what option will work best for them, those who need help getting started, and customers who need assistance dealing with a variety of issues.

Now that you know what AutoCAD for iPad is capable of, you might have identified some gaps in what it offers or be interested in a non-Autodesk alternative. While there are quite a few 3D modeling apps, not all of them have the same CAD applications as AutoCAD.

Taking the web-based cooperation features of AutoCAD Mobile and expanding upon them, Onshape is a cloud-based platform for creating projects that offers tools for collaborative work from the 2D design phase all the way to parts lists, renders, and analytics. Unlike AutoCAD for iPad, Onshape also has a fully functional free version for hobbyists that keeps your work open source.

If you’re looking to create completely new designs on your iPad and move them to 3D, you might want to consider Shapr3D. Designed around the Apple Pencil as the main input method, Shapr3D has a very intuitive workflow and includes the DWG format AutoCAD users are familiar with. You can also generate DWGs of created designs in the app as well as basic renders with an in-built rendering engine. Shapr3D is powered by Siemens Parasolid, the same engine as SolidWorks.

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