| Computer-aided design (CAD) is used for designing real and virtual objects. CAD often involves more than just shapes. The output of CAD ordinarily must also comprise symbols, for example materials, processes, dimensions and tolerances according to conventions of an application.
CAD can be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space, or curves, surfaces and solids in 3-dimensional (3D) space.
CAD is efficiently deployed in a number of applications, such as automobile, ship-building and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics etc. CAD is also widely deployed to produce computer animation for special effects in films, advertising and technical instruction books. Computer-aided design is used for designing tools and machinery and for drafting and designing all kinds of buildings, from residential buildings to the largest commercial and industrial structures, for instance hospitals and factories. CAD is chiefly used for detailed engineering of 3D models and 2D drawings of physical components, but it is also used throughout the engineering process.
CAD has grown into an especially important technology among computer-aided technologies, since it is cost efficient and time-saving.
In the late 1980s when the Computer-Aided Design programmes became readily available, there started massive layoffs in drafting departments of small and mid-size companies. A CAD operator could substitute 3-5 drafters still using traditional technologies. Moreover, a great many engineers began to do their own drafting projects, therefore the demand for traditional drafting departments disappeared. As a result of, a large number of drafters lost their jobs.
Since the advances were high-priced, only large companies could afford them. Thus, small companies were unable to contend against giant companies that extensively deployed CAD. Nowadays, hardware and software costs are reasonably priced. Even high-end packages require cheaper platforms and some even support multiple platforms.
In addition, there have been developed diverse packages to convert CAD files to other formats. |
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