Guide · Getting started

DXCAD2D Online user guide — the complete manual

15 min read · updated 3 Nov 2026

DXCAD2D Online is a 2D CAD program that runs in your browser — nothing to install, no sign-up. It uses commands and shortcuts much like other CAD programs, works in millimetres, and exports DXF, PDF and SVG. This guide covers everything from opening the program for the first time to sending a file to the cutting shop. If you are new, read sections 1–4 first; use the rest as a reference.

Contents

The screen
Giving commands: clicking, typing commands, typing numbers
Typing distances and coordinates
Drawing accurately: Snap, Ortho, Grid and Tracking
Drawing commands
Selecting objects and editing with grips
Editing commands
Dimensions, text and hatching
Layers, colours, line weights and line types
Groups
Opening, saving and exporting files
Phones and tablets
Shortcut table
Common problems

1. The screen

The first time you open DXCAD2D Online a sample drawing (a plate with holes and dimensions) is loaded so you can try editing straight away. Choose File → New for a blank sheet. The screen has five parts:

Part	Where	What it holds
Top bar	Top	File menu, Save .json, Export menu, Undo/Redo and the EN/TH language switch
Toolbar	Left	Drawing and editing commands. The small letters under each icon are the command you can type (hover for the full name)
Drawing area	Centre	The hint bar at the top left tells you what the current command needs next — read it whenever you are unsure
Side panel	Right	Properties of the selection (edit length, radius, text directly), colour, line weight, line type, layers, snap settings and decimals, and a shortcut summary
Status bar	Bottom	Cursor X Y, the GRID / OSNAP / ORTHO / TRACK buttons, the current layer and the command line

Zoom with the mouse wheel (towards the cursor). Pan by holding Space and dragging, or by dragging with the wheel pressed. Press Z to fit the whole drawing on screen.

2. Giving commands: clicking, typing commands, typing numbers

There are three ways to start a command; mix them as you like.

Click an icon in the left toolbar.
Type the short command on the keyboard — no need to click a box first. L = line, C = circle. For longer commands such as REC, CO or PL, type them and press Enter or Space.
The command line in the status bar — handy on tablets without a real keyboard.

Keys you will use in every command:

Enter or right-click = finish the command or confirm a selection
Esc = drop the points picked so far, or leave the command; press again to clear the selection
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y = undo / redo
Delete = delete the selection

3. Typing distances and coordinates

The key to drawing at true size is typing numbers while a command runs. What you type appears in the hint bar; press Enter to apply it.

Type	Meaning	Example
`x,y` (first point)	An absolute coordinate	Line: type `0,0` Enter to start at the origin
`distance`	A length in the direction of the cursor (or the radius in Circle)	Line: point to the right, type `50` for a 50 mm line
`dx,dy` or `@dx,dy`	An offset from the previous point along X and Y	Rectangle: click a corner, type `120,80` for 120 wide by 80 high
`angle`	Degrees in Rotate (counter-clockwise is positive)	Rotate: type `90`
`factor`	The scale factor	Scale: type `0.5` for half size

Tip: turn on Ortho (F8, or hold Shift), point the cursor the way you want and type just the length — the fastest way to draw shapes made of right angles.

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4. Drawing accurately: Snap, Ortho, Grid and Tracking

Aid	Key	What it does
OSNAP (object snap)	`F3`	Snaps to end points and corners, midpoints, centres, circle quadrants and intersections. Choose which ones in the Snap section of the side panel
Ortho	`F8` or hold Shift	Locks drawing to horizontal or vertical
Grid	`F9`	Shows a background grid to judge distances
Tracking	`F11`	Hover over a snap point for half a second until a + appears, then move away: dashed horizontal and vertical guides run from that point

What tracking is good for: hover over a corner until the + appears and follow the dashed guide to place a point exactly in line with it, without drawing construction lines. Hover over two points until both show a + and the midpoint between them becomes a snap point too — ideal for finding the centre of a part to place a hole.

In very crowded drawings, such as those imported from PDF, zoom in closer: the snap picks the point nearest the cursor more reliably.

5. Drawing commands

Command	Type	How to use it
Line	`L`	Click point after point; type a length for any segment. Enter or right-click to finish
Rectangle	`REC`	Click one corner, then the opposite corner, or type `width,height`
Circle	`C`	Click the centre, then the edge, or type the radius (for a Ø10 hole type 5)
3-point arc	`A`	Click the start, a point on the arc and the end
2-point arc + radius	`AA`	Click start and end, then move the mouse to set the bulge, or type the radius
Polyline	`PL`	Connected segments as one object. Click the first point again to close it, or press Enter to finish — ideal for part outlines to be cut
Spline	`SPL`	A 4-point curve: end point, two control points, other end point
Text	`T`	Click where it goes and type. Double-click existing text to edit it
Insert image	`IM`	Place a picture as a reference background — or paste with Ctrl+V, or drop an image file
Image → CAD	`TC`	Traces the selected picture into lines (scale the picture to true size first)

6. Selecting objects and editing with grips

Click an object to select it. Hold Shift and click to add or remove objects.
Drag left to right (Window) to select only objects completely inside the box.
Drag right to left (Crossing) to select everything the box touches.
You can start a window on top of a line or a filled area: if that object is not selected, dragging draws a selection box. Dragging an object that is already selected moves it.
Selected objects show blue grips. Drag an end grip to stretch, the middle grip to move, a circle's edge grip to change the radius — or click a grip once and type a value (length, radius, x,y or @dx,dy).
The properties panel on the right shows the selection and lets you type new values directly: line length, rectangle size, circle radius, text and layer.

7. Editing commands

Move, Copy, Rotate, Mirror, Scale and Stretch all work the same way: select the objects first (or start the command, select, then press Enter), click a base point, and set the destination by clicking or typing a value.

Command	Type	How to use it
Move	`M`	Base point → destination, or type a distance / `dx,dy`
Copy	`CO`	Like Move, but you can place several copies in a row; Enter to finish
Rotate	`RO`	Centre of rotation → click or type an angle
Mirror	`MI`	Click two points of the mirror line; the original is kept
Scale	`SC`	Base point → type a factor
Stretch	`S`	Drag a box around just the end points to stretch, press Enter, then set the distance. Points inside move, points outside stay — the way to change a part's length
Offset	`O`	Type the distance, Enter, click an object, then click the side for the parallel copy
Trim	`X`	Click the piece of a line to cut away; it is cut back to the nearest crossings
Fillet	`F`	Type a radius, Enter, click two lines for a rounded corner (radius 0 = make them meet exactly)
Chamfer	`CHA`	Type `d1,d2`, Enter, click two lines for a bevelled corner
Array	`AR`	Copies in rows × columns; set counts and spacing in the box at the top right
Polar array	`PO`	Copies around a centre — six holes round a flange over 360°, for example
Explode	`XP`	Breaks rectangles, polylines, dimensions or text into simple pieces (text becomes letter outlines, useful for engraving)
Measure	`ME`	Click two points for the distance, Δx, Δy and angle, without adding anything to the drawing

Try it right now — a free 2D CAD in your browser. Nothing to install, no sign-up.

Open DXCAD2D Online

8. Dimensions, text and hatching

Dimensions (D)

Click two points to measure, then move the mouse to place the dimension line. Press Tab to cycle the type: automatic → aligned → horizontal → vertical. You can also type the dimension line's distance from the part and press Enter. The value is always calculated from the measured points, so if you stretch a part with Stretch and include the dimension's points in the box, the number follows. For layout rules see ISO dimensioning basics; to show letters A, B, C instead of values see named dimensions and a dimension table.

Text (T) and leaders (LE)

Set text height, font and bold/italic/underline (Ctrl+B / I / U) in the options box at the top right while the command runs. For a leader, click the point the arrow touches, click where the text goes, then type; the arrowhead style can be changed. Use it for notes such as "4× Ø6 THRU".

Hatching (H)

Click inside a closed area to hatch it (the whole boundary must be on screen). Patterns include 45° lines, grid, brick and solid fill. Click an existing hatch to change its pattern or spacing.

9. Layers, colours, line weights and line types

Layers separate kinds of lines, such as cut lines, engraving and dimensions. Add a layer in the side panel, click the circle before its name to make it current, and click the eye to hide or show it. Layers are written into the DXF.
Colour, line weight and line type (continuous, dashed, centre and so on) are set in the side panel. With nothing selected they apply to new objects; with objects selected, only those change. "Dash scale" sets the dash length.
Change the layer of selected objects in the properties panel.

10. Groups

Select several objects and press G to group them. Clicking any line then selects the whole group, and it moves, copies and rotates as one — handy for lifting one part onto another drawing to compare or measure. Type UG to ungroup. Blocks in DXF files come in as groups automatically.

11. Opening, saving and exporting files

Task	How	Notes
Auto-save	Nothing to do	The latest drawing is kept in this browser on this computer and is still there after you close it — but clearing browser data removes it
Save to a file	Save .json button or Ctrl+S	Keeps everything, reopens for further editing, and is the backup you should always have
Open a file	File → Open file… (Ctrl+O) or drop a file on the page	DXF, PDF, images and DXCAD2D .json files (save DWG as DXF first — see opening DXF files and PDF to CAD lines)
Export DXF	Export → DXF…	DXF R12 in mm with layers; opens in AutoCAD and cutting-shop software
Export PDF	Export → PDF…	Paper A4–A0 or actual size 1:1. Tick Add drawing frame + title block for a frame, title block and automatic scale
Export SVG	Export → SVG…	For graphics software or the web

Every export can take the whole drawing, only the selected objects, or an area you pick by clicking two corners. Before sending a file to a cutting shop, go through the checklist in preparing drawings for laser cutting; for paper sizes see drawing paper sizes.