AutoCAD
commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application
AutoCAD is a 2D and
3D computer-aided design (CAD) software application developed by Autodesk. It was first released in December 1982 for the CP/M and IBM PC platforms as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. Versions were later released for other platforms including Classic Mac OS (1992), Windows (1993), and macOS (2010), iOS (2010), and Android (2011).
AutoCAD is a general drafting and design application used in industry by architects, project managers, engineers, interior designers, graphic designers, city planners, and other professionals to prepare technical drawings. After discontinuing the sale of perpetual licenses in January 2016, commercial versions of AutoCAD are licensed through a term-based subscription or Autodesk Flex, a pay-as-you-go option introduced on September 24, 2021. Subscriptions to the desktop version of AutoCAD include access to the web and mobile applications. However, users can subscribe separately to the AutoCAD Web App online or AutoCAD Mobile through an in-app purchase.
History
Before AutoCAD was introduced, most CAD programs ran on mainframe computers or minicomputers, with each CAD operator (user) working at a separate graphics terminal.
Product activation dependent on Autodesk activation servers became mandatory for retail licenses from release 2005 onwards, and network licenses from release 2006 onwards. Prior to this, AutoCAD releases in some regions required installation of a software protection dongle to function.
The public source identifies “AutoCAD” as commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around AutoCAD, commercial and computer-aided.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “AutoCAD”, the useful work is to connect “commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q83570. VIAF identifies the subject as 186955076. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1982, 1992, 1993 and 2010.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “AutoCAD”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow AutoCAD primary sources, AutoCAD archive and AutoCAD research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “AutoCAD”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “AutoCAD” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.