Cadelo’s interface follows the classic CAD layout — if you’ve used AutoCAD, LibreCAD, or OpenCADStudio on the desktop, you’ll feel at home immediately. If not, here’s the tour.
The ribbon (top)
The ribbon is organized into tabs, each grouping related tools:
| Tab | What’s there |
|---|---|
| Draw | Lines, polylines, circles, arcs, rectangles, polygons, splines, hatches, wipeouts |
| Annotate | Dimensions, text, multileaders, tables, leaders |
| Insert | Blocks, external references (xrefs), images, OBJ imports |
| Model | 3D modeling tools (solids, extrusions, revolve, boolean ops) |
| Layout | Layout tabs, viewports, paper space |
| Manage | Layers, layer states, styles (text, dimension, table, multiline) |
| View | Zoom, pan, view presets, viewport splits, visual styles |
Click a tab to see its tools. Each tool’s icon matches the classic CAD glyphography — a pencil for Line, a circle for Circle, etc. Hover any tool for its name; the command line (below) shows the exact command it runs.
The canvas (center)
The big dark area is your drawing surface — model space. The mouse wheel zooms in and out (centered on the cursor), and you pan by holding the mouse wheel (click-drag). The grid you see is the drawing grid; toggle it with F7.
Coordinate readout in the status bar tracks your cursor position. Units come from the drawing — if the file was made in millimeters, everything is in millimeters.
The command line (bottom)
Type any command here — LINE, CIRCLE, TRIM, OFFSET… — and press
Enter. The command line shows:
- a prompt for what the current command wants next (e.g. “Specify first point”)
- options in brackets you can type instead of clicking — e.g. for LINE, pressing L then Enter changes the prompt
- output like measurements (“Area = 1234.56”)
- errors in red, e.g. “Unknown command”
Start typing and a suggestion list pops up — pick with the arrow keys and press Enter, or press Tab to complete.
Power tip: you don’t need to click the ribbon at all. The command line drives everything:
Lfor line,Cfor circle,RECfor rectangle,TRfor trim,Ofor offset — the classic aliases all work.
Drawing tabs (top of canvas)
Like a browser, the app uses tabs — one per open drawing. Switch between drawings with a click. Each tab has its own undo history, layers, and view position. The Start tab is the welcome screen (new drawing / open file / recent files).
The status bar (bottom edge)
Along the bottom you’ll find status toggles and info:
- Model / Layout indicator
- Snap / Grid / Ortho / Polar / OTrack / DynInput toggles (same as the F-keys)
- Cursor coordinates
- Drafting aid settings
The Start tab
The welcome screen doubles as a hub:
- New Drawing / Open File
- Recent Files — your recently opened drawings
- Support / Sponsors / Feedback links
Resizing the app frame
On the web version, drag the handle under the app frame to set its height. Your choice is remembered between visits. The frame spans the full page width, with ads staying visible above and below.
What’s next?
- Keyboard shortcuts — every shortcut in one table
- Drawing basics — start drafting with confidence
Next: Continue reading →