At the end of this month, cad-notes.com will turn 3. It’s been a great 3 years journey for me. Meet a lot of great people and get a lot of great feedbacks.

From those great people and those great feedbacks, come many popular articles in CAD notes. These are the most popular since the first article published at 29 May 2009 until today.

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1. 100 AutoCAD tips you should know

If you regularly visit CAD notes, you should see this article is always shown at ‘popular today’ section on this website sidebar. These 100 tips are compiled from several CAD bloggers, in the list you will find links to other CAD blogs too. If you haven’t seen it yet, see the 100 tips compilation here.

2. How to convert DWG from one unit to another

This article is also shown regularly as ‘popular today’ article. Apparently it’s a common user’s problem. We have the freedom to draw in any units, because AutoCAD only recognize drawing unit, not real world measurement.

Have the same problem? See the unit conversion tip here!

3. Introduction to annotation scale

Annotation scaling is a great feature, introduced in AutoCAD 2008. We can easily create readable annotations, without having to think in what size we should draw them. However, without understanding the concept properly, it can be confusing. Especially if you receive a drawing with annotation scaling from others.

Read the annotation scaling introduction here.

4. Introduction to MicroStation

This is the first article in MicroStation tutorial series. I posted old MicroStation tutorial I published before (originally in Indonesian). I didn’t expect the tutorial becomes popular.

I was hoping I can write more if I can get a license. I managed to access MicroStation once in a while, but I simply can’t keep up. So I apologize if at this moment I can’t publish new MicroStation articles anymore. I hope I can do it again soon, but I can’t promise you.

However those tutorials should give you a good start to learn MicroStation. And they are free! Read introduction to MicroStation here.

5. Controlling linetype scale is as easy as 1,2,3!

To make linetypes appear in our AutoCAD drawing can be very irritating. It is a simple task, but sometimes we can’t just get it done until dozens of trials and errors with linetype scale!

So curious how to do it easily? It is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Read how to control linetype scale here.

6. Creating title block  from AutoCAD sheet

This is a Revit tip. When you decide to migrate from AutoCAD to Revit, then the first thing you want is having your standards transferred to your new CAD software. Family libraries, templates, you name it!

In this article, we cover how you can import your AutoCAD sheet to create a new Revit sheet.

7. Creating your own linetype

We always need to customize AutoCAD to fit our needs. One feature that we want to customize is linetype. It would be cool if we can create our own linetype, isn’t it? You can, and it’s very easy with express tool!

So here is how you can create your own AutoCAD linetype!

8. How to label coordinate in AutoCAD

Doing automatic task in AutoCAD can be done in many ways. For veterans, probably AutoLISP is the first answer. But if you use AutoCAD LT or don’t know anything about writing LISP, there are other ways!

In this article, we covered how you can label coordinate automatically using AutoCAD block!

9. AutoCAD isometric text and dimension

So you create isometric drawings in AutoCAD? You probably already know how to do it. But the dimension and text don’t appear properly unless you set them for isometric drawings.

This one is the tip how you can make isometric text and dimension for your drawing.

10. AutoCAD 2012: New array command

I think the biggest failure in AutoCAD 2012 is the array command. Of course the new associative array is great. But using the array command itself is very annoying. Users have strong reaction about it, and Autodesk had to give ARRAYCLASSIC command back in service pack 1.

I believe that’s why this article becomes popular: people wants to know more about it.

if you haven’t use 2012, then you probably also want to know why array in AutoCAD 2012  becomes so popular.

11. Preparing your AutoCAD template

I can’t say anything about this. I know it’s an important topic. And every company must have standard templates. But this topic already discussed since a long time. So I don’t know why it becomes popular.

Do you know why this article becomes popular? Preparing AutoCAD template.

12. Working with workspace and design files

Another early article in MicroStation tutorial series. I don’t know articles after the first two are not become viral. Probably people lost interest in those articles :)

Here is how you work with MicroStation workspace and design files (DGN).

13. Where can I see AutoCAD command alias list?

Command alias is the ultimate weapon for many AutoCAD users. In my early days of using AutoCAD, I wish someone told me where I can find the complete list of those aliases. Not only see the aliases, you can modify them to work better with you!

Read how you can see and edit aliases here.

14. AutoCAD 2012: Creating drawing views from 3D model

People hate the 2012 array, but people like this one. In 2012, creating 2D drawings from 3D models is easier than ever.

See details of this new feature in 2012 here.

15. Dynamic block tutorial: Creating door

Like annotation scaling, dynamic block is also a great feature in AutoCAD. It can simplify your block library and automatically do different tasks. Door is probably the most created block, so this one becomes popular.

Read about creating door in dynamic block here.

16. Creating Revit family: door

Another door tutorial becomes famous. But this time it’s a Revit family tutorial. It’s interesting to see that creating door becomes popular topics. Probably if I wrote MicroStation tutorial about door, it will be popular too!

Read how you can create door family in Revit here.

17. How to draw an arc with specific length

We can’t create arc with specific length directly in AutoCAD. There is a workaround, and this is how you can do it.

Read how you can draw arc with specific length here.

18. Setting up AutoCAD sun light is easy

I don’t use AutoCAD for 3D modeling that much. However, if you have AutoCAD, then you must use it optimally. This post was published to answer a friend’s question: can AutoCAD give good rendering result? Yes, sure! AutoCAD does render!

Lighting is the basic of rendering. See how you can work with sunlight easily here.

19. Isometric drawing in AutoCAD

Apparently there are many people create isometric drawings with AutoCAD.

Do you also need to create it? See how you can create isometric drawings here.

20. 10 reasons to use AutoCAD layout

I love using layout. I always encourage people to use it. At least try it and all of it’s benefits before you decide it doesn’t work for you.

I know it’s not for everybody.But I have 10 reasons why you should use AutoCAD layout. How many do you have not to use it?

Which one is your favorite?

There are no judges to pick those winners. The articles in this list are the most seen by CAD notes readers, according to this site statistic (I use Google Analytics to record that).

I always amaze how an article can be viral. Sometimes what I think will soon be forgotten become more popular than I think.

What about you? After these 3 years cad-notes.com has been around, what is your favorite article?

Previously, we covered the new cloud sync feature in AutoCAD 2013. It works well if you always make changes to your settings when you are signed in. Let’s say you make some changes in one computer that sync to Autodesk 360. But you also make some changes to AutoCAD settings on your offline computer. That means you have two different settings. Which settings AutoCAD will recognize? Will it pick latest setting from both computers? No, you must choose which settings you want to keep.

When you have different settings between 360 and your computer

When you have different settings on different computer, Autodesk 360 will show an error message on title bar. It won’t do anything further until you confirm what you want. Click customization Sync error under your sign in name.

To sync or not to sync

AutoCAD will offer you to stop syncing this computer or keep syncing with 360. If you choose to stop syncing, then AutoCAD will not do it anymore until you change it from online option.

If you choose to keep syncing, it will show another options. So which one you want to keep? The settings on your local computer or the one on the cloud?

Whatever you choose, choose wisely. I would suggest you to backup your setting before you do this.

After you do above steps, but you still see the error message, you can try to sign out then sign in again. It works on my side. But I think restarting your AutoCAD will also work.

I posted about Inventor Fusion is now support SketchUp import. But unfortunately AutoCAD doesn’t provide .skp direct import.

Anon commented that there is an app on Autodesk store that allows AutoCAD 2013 to import skp directly. If you read this application compatibility, only AutoCAD 2013 and some verticals support it.

It looks like Autodesk really push their application store to provide more interesting apps. If you haven’t tried to find suitable extension for you, you should try it.

Need to import SketchUp files? Download SketchUp Import here .