One of the cool 3D capabilities is free-form design, where you can use robust, mesh, and solid modeling tools to investigate and refine your ideas. AutoCAD has 3D drawing capabilities, enabling camera views, walkthrough navigation, and model documentation. When you move to AutoCAD, you add a whole new dimension. You can use 3D navigation (orbit, Viewcube, wheel), display 3D models in several built-in visual styles ranging from a simple wireframe model to full, photorealistic rendering complete with shadows, reflections with a version of AutoCAD which you cannot do on LT. Whereas you can create and edit 3D models with solids, surfaces, and mesh objects on the full version of AutoCAD but not on LT.

In AutoCAD LT, you can open and view 3D models created in the full version of AutoCAD, though you can’t create new ones or edit them, other than to move, copy, or delete them.ĪutoCAD LT is a 2D drafting program, it doesn’t have much visualization or presentation capabilities. If you want to model in 3D, you have to use the full version of AutoCAD. The 3D modeling and visualization features may be the most significant difference for some users. Another feature that is only available for Windows is the DWG converter, allowing drawings done in other AutoCAD-based applications to be translated to AutoCAD. The block creation and editing are only available on the Windows version of AutoCAD and are not available for Macs.

It works with layers, and you can create and edit blocks, use PDFs as underlays, and upload documents to AutoCAD WS for mobile viewing.

This list of differences applies to both the Windows and Mac versions.ĪutoCAD LT is the more economical version of AutoCAD, and therefore just has all the basic features, like tool palettes, external referencing, and printing/plotting in 2D. This article will also include the top features to consider when evaluating the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT software or check out this comparison chart here. With this article, we have noted the top differences between both. There are some distinct differences between AutoCAD LT and the full version, AutoCAD. AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT are similar but not identical.

Autocad 3d modeling