Top AutoCAD Projects to Sharpen Your Skills and Build Your AutoCAD Portfolio

If you are interested in architecture, house design, construction, or 3D modeling, Autodesk software tools such as AutoCAD allow you to create excellent designs and turn your imagination into reality. In AutoCAD, you don’t have to worry about making mistakes in your drafting paper. 

It allows you to create or modify your drawings without wasting time and resources.

In this guide, we have compiled a list of AutoCAD projects for different skill levels. You can use these projects to enhance your technical skills in drafting and design, and to build your portfolio when you are ready to enter the job market. 

5 Skills That AutoCAD Projects Can Help You Practice

AutoCAD projects are an excellent way to practice your drafting, arithmetic, geometry, and engineering skills. AutoCAD is a great tool to start your career in Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) because it is easy to use and provides a variety of components for technical drawing. Below is a short list of top skills you can develop through AutoCAD projects.

• CAD Drawing Skills. AutoCAD projects will boost your skills in 2D and 3D drawing. You will work with lines, shapes, spatial figures, drawing blocks, as well as orthographic projection, and dimensioning. AutoCAD will give you a deep understanding of technical drawing concepts such as architectural, mechanical, and structural drawing. 
• CAD Drafting. Another benefit of CAD drawing projects is the skills you will learn for drafting and design. AutoCAD will sharpen your experience in creating layouts and sketches. A draftsman knows how to layout designs and understands the basics of structural engineering concepts. An in-depth understanding of dimensions is required for CAD drafting.
• AutoCAD Application. AutoCAD is one of the CAD software applications used in technical drawing. Navigating your drawing through the user interface is easier if you use the navigation bar tools and viewcube. It contains commands and tools to add dimensional details. You’ll learn the User Coordinate System (UCS) which determines the orientation of your 3D drawing.
• Electrical Drawings. AutoCAD electrical is used to create electrical diagrams and schematics, and understand electronic symbols and analyze circuit connections. Designers use AutoCAD Electrical toolset to create and modify control systems. Autodesk also launched the AutoCAD Electrical forum where users can ask questions and share knowledge.
• Geometry and Mathematics. Learning AutoCAD is a great way to develop your skills in geometry and mathematics. Accuracy is a critical part of technical drafting. You will perform calculations and computations and work with geometric shapes and lines. AutoCAD drawing will sharpen your critical thinking and mathematical skills.

Best AutoCAD Project Ideas for Beginners 

Below we provide a list of projects for engineering students and beginners. You will enhance your basic knowledge of AutoCAD commands that are also helpful in creating complex projects. Before you start creating more challenging projects, you should try these simple projects to enhance your skills. 

Simple Floor Plan

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: CAD drawing skills, CAD drafting, and knowledge of AutoCAD application

To create a floor plan model, you’ll use basic AutoCAD tools and commands such as drawing tools, blocks, layers, annotation, and dimension. Text is used to add labels to your drawing. You will also set and change the unit of measurements and modify dimension styles. The common tools in making a floor plan can be found in the Modify, Drawing, Annotation, and Layers panel.

2D Objects

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: CAD drawing Skills, knowledge of AutoCAD software, and understanding of geometry

There are lots of 2D object drawings you can practice to improve your process. This includes mechanical tools such as a gear or wrench. Some of the helpful tools in AutoCAD you can use are the Array, Fillet, Champer, and Mirror command. This will also sharpen your skills in geometric lines and curves. 

Simple 3D Mechanical Gear

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: CAD drawing skills,  AutoCAD 3D drawing, and understanding of geometric shapes

A gear is a circular tool used for controlling the speed or direction of a machine. It has teeth that engage with another gear in order to rotate. Drawing a mechanical gear will help you practice basic 3D commands and tools in AutoCAD. You may use the Array command to ensure that the teeth are aligned properly. 

3D Mechanical Wrench

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: CAD drawing skills, knowledge of 2D and 3D drawing in AutoCAD, and understanding of geometric shapes

A wrench is used to tighten or fasten bolts. Fortunately, this 3D design project for beginners is easy to draw using AutoCAD. It is a great project to enhance your basic skills in curves. You will first create a 2D wrench and then use the Presspull command to make it a 3D object. You can also modify the drawing to make it more realistic.

3D Twisted Pair of Wires

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing and working with a twisted object in AutoCAD

Twisted wires can be found in electrical devices and computer networks. This project is ideal for learning the basics of Sweep commands in AutoCAD. You can also add colors for each wire. This project will take about three to five minutes to complete but can help you master basic command functionality. 

Best Intermediate AutoCAD Project Ideas

Intermediate projects include complex 3D objects that let you apply more advanced 3D commands and tools. This list includes additional projects you can try to develop your skills in AutoCAD and technical drafting. These projects will enhance your experience in 3D drawings and 3D models.

3D House Modeling

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: CAD drafting, 3D commands, and knowledge of AutoCAD application

You need to create a floor plan first before you create a 3D house. When you finish the floor plan, hide other components and leave only the walls. Then, you can convert the walls into 3D using the Presspull command. You may also add doors, windows, and other components to your drawing.

Nuts and Bolts

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing using AutoCAD software and knowledge of geometric figures

Nuts and bolts are used together to fasten mechanical or machine parts. This project is a great way to practice several intermediate AutoCAD commands such as Helix, Sweep, Union, and Solid Editing. Technical drawings like this are used for diagrams and blueprints in architectural and structural projects.  

USB Flash Drive

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing using AutoCAD software and knowledge of geometric figures

A flash drive is a removable storage device that is used to store and transfer data. To create this object with more detailed parts, you should be able to modify geometric shapes in AutoCAD. You should also be cautious about applying the measurements of each shape and line.

3D Spiral Bulb

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing using AutoCAD software and knowledge of geometric figures

Another project for practicing AutoCAD is to create a 3D spiral bulb. You can apply several 3D commands in this project such as the Helix and Sweep command which are used to create a three-dimensional spiral and the Fillet command to create rounded edges. 

Universal Coupling

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing using AutoCAD software and knowledge of geometric figures

Sometimes called a universal joint, universal coupling connects two objects allowing them to move freely. For this project, you will create each part of the joint then combine them to form the complete joint.

Advanced AutoCAD Project Ideas

This section gives you a list of complex project ideas that will sharpen your advanced skills in AutoCAD. This includes creating houses or buildings for residential or electrical projects using AutoCAD Electrical, and other advanced 3D drawings. 

Chess Pieces

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing using AutoCAD software and knowledge of geometric figures

If you enjoy playing chess, you can create your own chess pieces in AutoCAD. This project consists of creating all the chess pieces and the chessboard. If you make it more realistic, focus on the pieces with difficult shapes to create, such as the knight.

Pumps and Piping Using AutoCAD MEP

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing, knowledge of Autodesk AutoCAD MEP, and geometric figures and mathematics

The Autodesk AutoCAD MEP is used in designing control systems for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. Creating pumps and pipings in AutoCAD will develop your skills in technical drawing as well as in geometry and mathematics since you will be performing calculations and computations to specify accurate measurements of each part.

3D Car in AutoCAD

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: 3D drawing, AutoCAD software, and geometric figures and mathematics

Creating a 3D car is a challenging project to create in AutoCAD. To succeed in this project, you should create detailed parts of the car including wheels, bumpers, and headlights. It requires advanced skills in 3D drawing and knowledge of geometry. This is a great project for professionals in mechanical engineering to show you can create a dynamic engineering model.

Electrical Project

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: CAD drafting, AutoCAD Electrical, and engineering skills

AutoCAD electrical projects include creating components used to design electrical systems. You can also get ideas and suggestions for electrical projects in the AutoCAD Electrical Forum. This project will also require you to study electrical symbols and other electrical topics.

Advanced 3D House Project

• AutoCAD Skills Practiced: CAD Drafting, 3D commands, and knowledge of AutoCAD application, engineering skills

If you are interested in civil engineering, this project will help build necessary skills in AutoCAD. You can apply your skills in 3D house modeling for residential projects. This project requires you to be adept at structural engineering and creating floor plans and site plans.

AutoCAD Starter Project Templates

Listed below are examples of effective starter templates to help you begin your AutoCAD projects. AutoCAD also lets you create your own template. AutoCAD templates provide formats with specified settings, code, and drawing layouts that will save you time and effort.

• Open Source AutoCAD Template. Open Source offers a standardized AutoCAD template created to match their open-source designs. This template includes well-organized formats for title blocks, layers, and line weights. 
• 30X40’s AutoCAD Template. This template for an AutoCAD floor plan includes layer setups, line styles, dimension styles, and shading styles. It also includes a sample floor plan with elevation information. This template is compatible with AutoCAD’s 2013 version and any newer version as well.
• THS Concepts Architectural CAD Template. If you want to make your project more efficient and increase your workflow, THS Concepts created this CAD template with well-designed layer formats including line styles, text styles, dimension styles, and layer colors.
• First in Architecture Layer Template. This template from First In Architecture comes with a Plot Style file. It has defined layers consisting of elements with corresponding layer colors. The template and the Plot Style file have the same layer colors. The Plot Style is used for printing your drawing. 
• Autodesk AutoCAD Templates.  AutoDesk also offers a list of the latest AutoCAD templates you can download. These templates allow you to create drawings with well-organized layer styles, plot styles, ISO or ANSI dimensioning standards, metric units or imperial units, and basic settings for architectural, engineering, and mechanical designs.

Next Steps: Start Organizing Your AutoCAD Portfolio

AutoCAD not only enhances your technical drawing and engineering skills but also offers many job opportunities such as AutoCAD operator and design engineer. This industry is highly competitive. To stand out among other applicants, you can create a digital portfolio that includes all your best projects. Here are some tips you should consider when making your portfolio.

Choose Your Best AutoCAD Projects

Your projects will help employers to evaluate your expertise based on your experiences. Advanced AutoCAD projects demonstrate more technical skills than beginner projects. It would be advantageous to include complex projects in your portfolio. 

Give Emphasis to Your Specialization

You should highlight specific projects related to the position you are applying for. For instance, if you are applying as an electrical engineer, your portfolio should emphasize your projects on AutoCAD Electrical. Your portfolio should be organized and specific.

Include a Hand Sketch of Your Project

Creativity will also help your portfolio stand out. You can add sketches that will allow employers to visualize your projects. You may also include labels and dimensions on these sketches. You should also add a detailed explanation of the technical skills you applied to your projects.

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