UtilityDrafter.com is a web-based quick-reference application covering everything AutoCAD drafters deal with daily — scaling, unit systems, linetype scales, dimension styles, text heights, and the electrical utility industry. Built from 20+ years of hands-on AutoCAD experience and designed to eliminate the mental math that slows production work down. Free, ad-free, and works offline.
If you've spent any time in AutoCAD, you've run into the scaling problem. You know the drawing scale, but what's the LTSCALE? What do you zoom the viewport to in Paper Space? How tall does text need to be in Model Space to print at 1/8"? These questions don't change between projects — but most drafters either recalculate them every time or keep a sticky note of numbers that may or may not be right.
UtilityDrafter.com was built to replace the sticky note. It's a mobile-friendly, offline-capable web application that puts every AutoCAD scaling number, unit conversion, linetype setting, and system variable a single click away. No login, no subscription, no ads — just the reference data you actually need, organized the way a working drafter thinks about it.
Beyond scaling, the site covers the electrical utility industry specifically — pole configurations, conductor standards, and the SDG&E construction manual references that utility drafters work from daily. It also includes a full architectural drafting hub with framing guides, span tables, stair calculators, ADA clearances, IRC code highlights, and more. Each section is built from real project experience, not copied from a textbook.
The site is a Progressive Web App (PWA), meaning you can install it to your phone or tablet home screen and use it without an internet connection — exactly where you need it when you're in the field, at a print shop, or in a meeting and need a quick number without digging through a manual.
Pick a discipline and scale — instantly get your Scale Factor, Viewport XP Zoom, LTSCALE, DIMSCALE, and a full text-height table. One-click copy buttons paste values straight into AutoCAD's command line.
Live two-way conversion between millimeters, centimeters, meters, decimal inches, feet-inches, and decimal feet. Updates all fields simultaneously as you type. Includes a nearest-standard-fraction finder down to 1/64".
Every 1/64" increment from 1/64" to 12" with exact decimal-inch and millimeter equivalents — 768 rows, color-coded by fraction type. Jump buttons skip to any inch. Searchable by fraction, decimal, or mm value.
Step-by-step guide to Paper Space layouts, Page Setup Manager, DWG to PDF plotter configuration, and viewport scale setup across all disciplines and sheet sizes. The complete layout workflow in one place.
Guided step-by-step wizard that walks you through configuring a new AutoCAD drawing from scratch — INSUNITS, UNITS, LTSCALE, DIMSCALE, text height, and viewport setup — all in the correct order.
Electrical utility drafting standards, pole configurations, conductor types, SDG&E OHCS/EDD/UGCS construction manual references, and NESC/NEC code highlights — organized for working utility drafters.
Framing guides, lumber sizing, span tables, stair calculators, roof pitch, door & window rough-ins, ADA clearances, IRC code highlights, masonry data, insulation values, and structural connection standards.
Complete AutoCAD command alias reference plus a library of AutoLISP scripts for automating repetitive tasks. Searchable by command, alias, or function — with usage examples for each entry.
Industry-standard layer naming conventions, color assignments, lineweight references, and linetype definitions. Covers architectural, civil, mechanical, and utility disciplines with linetype appearance at common scales.
The scaling system in AutoCAD is confusing when you're starting out — LTSCALE, DIMSCALE, VP Zoom XP, annotative vs. non-annotative — this site explains each concept clearly with real examples and tells you exactly what value to type and where.
You know how the system works — you just don't want to recalculate the same numbers every project. The Scale Calculator and Unit Converter put those answers in front of you in under three seconds with one-click copy to clipboard.
A dedicated Utility Industry section covers pole configurations, conductor standards, span calculations, and SDG&E construction manual references. The kind of reference data that used to live in a binder on your desk — now on your phone.
The Architectural Hub covers framing, code compliance (IRC, ADA), structural connections, stair calculations, and finish schedules. Civil drafters get scale factor tables built specifically for foot-based unit systems and large-scale site drawings.