AutoCAD 2025 – Government Subscription Autodesk

Overview AutoCAD is computer-aided design (CAD) software that architects, engineers, and construction professionals rely on to create precise 2D and 3D drawings.  Power your teams’ creativity with automation, collaboration, and machine-learning features of AutoCAD software. Architects, engineers, and construction professionals use AutoCAD to: Draft, annotate, and design 2D geometry and 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects    Automate tasks such as comparing drawings, adding blocks, creating schedules, and more Create a customized workspace to maximize productivity with customized workspaces, AutoLISP, APIs, and apps

Power your productivity with seven included toolsets

AutoCAD now includes industry-specific features and intelligent objects for architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical design, and more.

• Automate floor plans, sections, and elevations
• Draw piping, ducting, and circuiting quickly with parts libraries
• Auto-generate annotations, layers, schedules, lists, and tables
• Use a rules-driven workflow to accurately enforce industry standards

Work faster and more precisely with the following AutoCAD specialized toolsets:

Architecture toolset Gives you all the tools you need to complete your projects faster and scale your project pipeline. Boost architectural design and drafting productivity by up to 61%* with time-saving features and task automation  Access a library of 8,800+ architectural components, including multilevel blocks Automatically generate floor plans, sections, elevations, and ciling grids Quickly place walls, doors, and windows with real-world construction	Mechanical toolset Increase productivity by up to 55%* with industry-specific tools for mechanical engineering, including 700,000+ intelligent parts and features. With the Mechanical toolset, you can: Access a library of standards-based parts, tools, and custom content Customize properties of object types and create them on custom layers Automate tasks such as creating bills of materials (BOMs)	Map 3D toolset The model-based GIS mapping software provides access to CAD and GIS data to support planning, design, and management. With the Map 3D toolset, you can: Directly access spatial data using Feature Data Objects (FDO) technology Directly edit geospatial data Manage infrastructure systems with Enterprise Industry Models
Electrical toolset Boost productivity by up to 95%* with electrical design features that help you create, modify, and document electrical controls systems. With the Electrical toolset, you can: Access a library of 65,000+ intelligent electrical symbols Automate numbering of wires and generation of component tags Generate and update multiple customized reports automatically	MEP toolset HVAC and building systems are made easy with an industry-specific toolset for MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) that increases productivity by up to 85%.* With the MEP toolset, you can: Access a library of 10,500+ intelligent MEP objects Optimize your workflow with individual palettes and domain-specific ribbons Automatically update drawings, sheets, and schedules when changes occur	Plant 3D toolset Create and edit P&IDs and 3D models, and extract piping orthographics and isometrics with an industry-specific toolset for plant design. With the Plant 3D toolset, you can: Collaborate securely in a cloud-based common data environment Speed up and automate P&ID drafting and 3D modeling with in-context commands Automatically create piping isometric drawings directly from the 3D model
Raster Design toolset Use raster design tools in a specialized toolset to edit scanned drawings and convert raster images to DWG™ objects. With the Raster Design toolset, you can: Access tools to enhance image editing and cleanup Edit REM objects using standard AutoCAD commands Simplify your workflows with vectorization tools	Work anywhere with the web and mobile apps Enjoy a connected design experience with AutoCAD across devices. Create, view, edit, and annotate drawings with the AutoCAD mobile app or on any computer using the AutoCAD web app.

Key Features of AutoCAD

Explore the newest features in AutoCAD, including industry-specific toolsets, new automations, and seamless connections across devices and Autodesk products.

AutoLISP – Build and run AutoLISP with Visual LISP IDE to streamline workflows through automation Smart Blocks – Automatically place blocks based on previous placements or quickly find and replace existing blocks Autodesk Assistant – Use conversational AI to quickly access helpful AI-generated support and solutions related to AutoCAD My Insights – Complete projects faster with helpful features, macros, and tips personalized for you Activity Insights – Access and track essential design data using detailed multi-user event logs with version history Markup Import and Markup Assist – Consolidate revisions and feedback captured on paper or PDFs to compare, review, and automate updates

Push to Autodesk Docs – Publish your CAD drawing sheets as PDFs directly from AutoCAD to Autodesk Docs AutoCAD anytime, anywhere – Capture, share, and review ideas on the go with one AutoCAD experience on desktop, web, and mobile Trace – Safely review and add feedback directly to a DWG file without altering the existing drawing Specialized toolsets – Gain access to thousands of parts and additional features with industry-specific toolsets Autodesk App Store and APIs – Customize AutoCAD with APIs to build custom automations and access 1,000+ third-party apps Conceptualize in 2D and 3D – Design with 2D drafting tools and model in 3D with realistic lighting and materials to render your ideas

What’s New

	Smart Blocks: Search and Convert Quickly search your drawings for objects to convert into instances of a newly defined block, an existing or recently used block, or a suggested block from your Block Libraries with the help of Autodesk AI. (video: 50 sec.)
	Smart Blocks: Object Detection Tech Preview Improve design efficiency and save time when cleaning up drawings by automatically recognizing objects to convert into blocks with the help of Autodesk AI. This feature is a technology preview which is still under development and will continue to evolve and improve with time. (video: 42 sec.)
	Activity Insights Stay informed with access to essential design data with detailed multi-user event logs—tracking for over 35 activity types including version history and file comparison tools—with support for files managed on Autodesk Docs, stored locally, or hosted on third-party cloud storage.
	Markup Import from Autodesk Docs You can now import and connect PDF markups from Autodesk Docs. Once synced, markups made in Autodesk Docs will continue to update in a Trace layer in AutoCAD so you can review and incorporate feedback without having to switch between applications.
	Hatch Bring clarity to your designs with convenient updates to the familiar HATCH command. Add texture to your drawings through patterns, fills, and paths—without pre-defined shapes or enclosed boundaries.
	Autodesk Assistant Quickly access helpful support and solutions through the conversational interface powered by Autodesk AI. Elaborate on questions related to features and design challenges without leaving AutoCAD. Autodesk Assistant can generate guidance with summarized responses and provide learning resources to help.
	ArcGIS® Basemaps Ground your site plans with real-world geographical information using Esri’s ArcGIS® Basemaps. Access five Basemaps in the form of high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery, OpenStreetMaps and Streets, along with light and dark gray monochrome map styles.

More Features 

Enhanced design tools and capabilities

• AutoLISP – Use AutoLISP to streamline workflows and enforce CAD standards through automation. Leverage thousands of previously written programs created for use in AutoCAD-based programs. Supports file types LSP, FAS, and VLX.
• Smart Blocks: Placement – Automatically place blocks in your drawing in the right position and scale based on where you’ve inserted the same ones thus far in your DWG file, reducing the number of clicks required and saving you time in the process.
• Smart Blocks: Replacement – Quickly find the blocks you need and replace one or more blocks via machine learning-based suggestions, recently used blocks, and manual substitute block selection.
• My Insights – View individual or team insights based on AutoCAD usage. Insight content is designed to be informative and actionable—to help complete projects faster with helpful features, macros, and tips personalized for you and your teams.
• Count – Automate the counting of block or object instances within a selected area or entire drawing. Navigate, filter, and review based on properties and create fields and tables to display counts on the drawing.
• Markup Import and Markup Assist – Rapidly send and incorporate design feedback. Import feedback from printed paper via mobile or PDFs and add changes to your drawings automatically. AutoCAD uses Autodesk AI to detect and execute certain instructions in markup text including “MOVE,” “COPY,” or “DELETE” commands.
• Trace – Add design change notes and markups without altering your existing drawing from AutoCAD desktop in addition to the web and mobile apps.
• Web functionality – AutoCAD subscribers receive exclusive additional functionality in AutoCAD on the web, including AutoLISP API on the web and batch plot to PDF(s).
• Apple Silicon support – AutoCAD for Mac 2025 runs natively on both Intel and Apple silicon (M-Series) machines.
• Autodesk App Store – Customize AutoCAD with Autodesk-approved extensions. 

2D drafting, drawing, and annotation

• Arrays – Create and modify objects in circular or rectangular patterns, or along a path.
• Center Marks and Centerlines – Create and edit centerlines and center marks that automatically move when you move the associated objects.
• Data Extraction – Extract information from objects, blocks, and attributes, including drawing information.
• Data linking – Enable simultaneous updates by creating a live link between a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and a table in your drawing.
• Dimensions – Create dimensions automatically. Pass the cursor over selected objects to see a preview before you create it.
• Dynamic Blocks – Add flexibility and intelligence to your block references, including changing the shape, size, or configuration.
• Fields – Use fields in text objects to display text that can be updated automatically as the field value changes.
• Layouts – Specify the size of your drawing sheet, add a title block, and display multiple views of your model.
• Leaders – Create leaders with a variety of content, including text or blocks. Easily format leader lines and define styles.
• Parametric constraints – Apply geometric and dimensional constraints to maintain relationships between drawing geometry.
• Purge – Remove multiple unneeded objects at once with easy selection and object preview.
• Revision Clouds – Draw revision clouds around new changes in a drawing to quickly identify your updates.
• Tables – Apply formulas, link to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and create tables with data and symbols. Automatically import data to tables using features like Count.
• Text settings – Create single or multiline text (mtext) as a single text object. Easily format text, columns, and boundaries.
• Views – Save views by name to easily return to a specific view for quick reference or for applying to layout viewports.

3D modeling and visualization

• 3D navigation (Orbit, ViewCube, Wheel) – Use 3D viewing and navigation tools to orbit, swivel, walk, and fly around a 3D model to showcase your design.
• Model documentation – Generate 2D drawings including base, projected, section, and detail views from 3D models.
• Point Clouds – Attach point cloud files acquired by 3D laser scanners or other technologies to use as a starting point for your designs.
• Rendering – Apply lighting and materials to give your 3D models a realistic appearance and to help communicate your designs.
• Cloud rendering – Render 3D models online without consuming processing power or disk space on your local computer.
• Section planes – Create section planes to display cross-sectional views through solids, surfaces, meshes, or regions.
• Solid, surface, and mesh modeling – Create realistic 3D models of your design using a combination of solid, surface, and mesh modeling tools.
• Visual styles – Apply visual styles to control the display of edges, lighting, and shading of your 3D model.

Collaboration

• DGN files – Share and reuse data from DGN files by importing, exporting, or attaching them as underlays.
• DWG Compare – Compare two versions of a drawing without leaving your current window.
• Geographic location and online maps – Insert geographic location information into a drawing and display a map in the drawing from an online map service.
• Model references and import – Attach Navisworks models as underlays to your drawings and import models from other applications.
• PDF files – Share and reuse data from PDF files by importing, exporting, or attaching them as underlays.
• Sheet Set Manager – View, access, manage, and plot multiple drawings as sheet sets.
• Save to web and mobile – Save drawings from your desktop to view and edit in AutoCAD on the web and on mobile, xrefs included.
• Shared Views – Publish design views of your drawing in a web browser for viewing and commenting.
• Xref Compare – Compare two versions of a drawing, including external references (xrefs).

Installation and customization

• Action Recorder – Record commands and input values that can be played back as an action macro.
• Application Programming Interface (API) – Control drawings and databases with ActiveX, VBS, AutoLISP, Visual LISP, ObjectARX, JavaScript, and .NET.
• Autodesk Access – Get alerts and install software updates without disrupting your workflow. View tutorials about new features.
• Floating windows – Display drawing windows side by side or on multiple monitors within the same instance of AutoCAD.
• CAD Standards Checker – Define and monitor CAD standards to maintain consistent styles for layers, linetypes, text, and dimensions.
• CUI Customization – Customize the user interface to improve accessibility and reduce the number of steps for frequent tasks.
• Secure Load – Specify security restrictions for running executables in AutoCAD to help protect against malicious executable code.
• Simplified Installer – Reduce the amount of time you spend setting up AutoCAD with faster and customizable installations.
• Start Tab – The new AutoCAD Start tab lets you easily access files and other helpful content directly from the home screen.
• System Variable Monitor – Monitor current system variables against a preferred list of values. Notification balloons alert you to deviations.
• TrustedDWG Technology – TrustedDWG technology alerts you to a possible incompatibility when a file was not last saved by Autodesk software.

Compare

Compare AutoCAD vs. AutoCAD LT

AutoCAD	AutoCAD LT
Design every detail with 2D and 3D CAD software. Now includes access to industry-specific toolsets and improved workflows across desktop, web, and mobile.	Create 2D drawings faster and with more precision. Enjoy improved workflows across desktop, web, and mobile.
USE FOR: 2D drafting, drawings, and documentation 3D modeling and visualization	USE FOR: 2D drafting, drawings, and documentation
WHAT IT DOES: Create and edit 2D geometry Create and edit 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects Annotate drawings with text, dimensions, leaders, and tables Customize with add-on apps and APIs Customize the ribbon and tool palettes Extract object data to tables Attach and import data from PDF files Share and use data from DGN files, Navisworks, and Bing Maps Apply and monitor CAD standards	WHAT IT DOES: Create and edit 2D geometry Annotate drawings with text, dimensions, leaders, and tables Customize the ribbon and tool palettes Attach and import data from PDF files Share and use data from DGN files and Bing Maps
INCLUDES: Access to the Autodesk App Store AutoCAD web app AutoCAD mobile app Access specialized toolsets for architecture, mechanical design, electrical design, and more	INCLUDES: AutoCAD web app AutoCAD mobile app