Cadelo is a full CAD application that runs entirely in your browser — no install, no account, no upload. Your drawings never leave your device. Here’s how to go from an empty tab to a saved drawing in about five minutes.
1. Open the app
Go to Cadelo in Chrome, Edge, or any modern browser. The app loads like a desktop program — the first load takes a few seconds while the CAD engine (compiled to WebAssembly) starts up. Subsequent loads hit the browser cache and are much faster.
Tip: If your browser shows a “Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy” or similar banner, ignore it — it’s what lets the app use your device’s full power. Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are recommended. If rendering looks off, the app automatically falls back to WebGL2.
2. Start a new drawing
When the app opens you’ll see the Start tab with a New Drawing button. Click it (or press Ctrl+N). A fresh drawing tab appears with a blank canvas, ready to draft.
3. Draw your first line
- Click the Draw ribbon tab, then the Line tool — or just type
LINE(orL) in the command line at the bottom and press Enter. - Click anywhere on the canvas to set the first point.
- Move the mouse — you’ll see a rubber-band line following the cursor. Click to set the second point.
- Keep clicking to add more segments, or press Enter / Escape to finish.
Want an exact length? Type a number after the first click, e.g. 100, then
press Enter — the next point lands exactly 100 units away.
4. Explore the drafting aids
The function keys toggle the classic CAD drafting aids:
| Key | Toggle |
|---|---|
| F7 | Grid |
| F8 | Ortho (forces lines to 0°/90°) |
| F9 | Snap (jumps to grid increments) |
| F10 | Polar tracking |
| F3 | Object snap (endpoints, midpoints, centers…) |
| F12 | Dynamic input (type coordinates at the cursor) |
5. Save your drawing
Press Ctrl+S to save. You can save as:
- DWG — the AutoCAD format (default; R13–R2018 supported)
- DXF — the open exchange format, best for sharing with other software
Your file is written locally by the browser — nothing is uploaded anywhere.
You can also drag and drop a .dwg or .dxf file onto the window to open
it directly.
6. Export when you’re done
Use File → Export (or Ctrl+E) to export your drawing as SVG, PDF, STL (3D printing), STEP (CAD interchange), or PNG (image). Full details in the saving & exporting guide.
What’s next?
- Interface tour — learn what every part of the screen does
- Keyboard shortcuts — the full shortcut reference
- Drawing basics — circles, arcs, rectangles, polylines
Next: Continue reading →