Engineering design and drawing offer a broad subject that includes many theories and practices. It has different forms of drawing at the lunch table as a basic sketch of a new product idea drawn on a napkin.

Additionally, the drawing comes in the form of a complex series of models for a new automotive design. It uses hundreds of formal drawings that require the construction of a skyscraper. One could learn the purpose and requirements and create meaningful engineering drawings by using this textbook to study engineering drawing and design. The engineering design applications offer an early explanation along with systematic problem-solving techniques.

WHAT IS THE ENGINEERING DESIGN APPLICATION

We use specific engineering projects or general design along with drafting concepts. The engineering design application mainly uses post guides through a basic example of an engineering design process. It begins with an idea and a basic sketch that ends with manufacturing an actual product.

From an Idea to a Product

The engineering projects and design ideas establish or occur along with an informal setting. For instance, a hand-tool manufacturing company engineer uses a typically adjustable wrench to complete a common home-repair task.

They used the wrench, where the engineers discovered that it was difficult to access a confined location and remove a nut on a piece of equipment. The engineer additionally imagined how the company could manufacture, design, and market a new wrench. We use features that help in making the tool usable in cramped locations. The other day, the engineer and a colleague used the drafting department. The engineer mainly sketches the idea for the new wrench on a napkin by communicating the design to the drafter.

The sketch mostly shows the idea of taking the existing tool design that creates a whole new handle adding an ogee or S-shaped curve design. Additionally, the sketch communicates the concept that takes a current tool with creating a fresh hold of an S-shaped curve design.

Later the same day, the drafter would offer the three-dimensional (3-D) solid model files using existing wrench design based on the computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) system.

The user mainly uses drafter copies that revise the existing design based on the engineer’s sketch. The drafter represents the engineer’s new model, who is pleased with the results and requests of a rapid prototype. Rapid prototyping (RP) is a process that creates a physical and functional model from a computer-generated 3-D model. It uses an RP machine, known as a 3-D printer. The RP machines are available that build prototypes from various materials like paper and liquid polymer. The hand-tool company do not have an RP machine. Therefore, the drafter sends files of the design to a company specialising in RP. The engineer and drafter receive a prototype two days later.

The figure shows the prototype of the new wrench design. The design team tests the prototype in an application similar to what the engineer experienced at home. The prototype worked as expected.

By the next afternoon, the drafter completes the set of working drawings shown in Figure and sends the drawings to the manufacturing department to manufacture and assemble the new product. The manufacturing department needs lead time to design and make the forging dies required to reproduce the parts. Lead time is the time interval between the initiation and the completion of a production process. Forging is the process of shaping malleable metals by hammering or pressing between dies that duplicate the desired shape. The hand-tool company is small, so the drafter is also responsible for creating catalogue art and copy for marketing the product.

Assembly Drawings and Parts List & Detail drawing of the new wrench body part

Detail drawing of the new wrench JAW part.

Detail drawing of the new wrench GEAR part.

Detail drawing of the new wrench PIN part.

Less than two months after the engineer had the initial idea, the first production run of new wrenches is ready to sell. The figure shows the finished product.

WHAT IS THE ENGINEERING DESIGN APPLICATION

We have the best design team that tests the prototype in an application. It works similar to what the engineer experienced at home. The prototype worked as expected. The drafter supports along with completing the set of working drawings by the next day and sends the drawings to the manufacturing department. It helps to manufacture and assemble the new product. The manufacturing department needs lead time to design and make the forging dies required to reproduce the parts. The Lead time is the time interval between the initiation and the completion of a production process. It helps in the process of shaping malleable metals that presses between dies and duplicate the desired shape. Additionally, the hand-tool company is relatively small. It helps to draft for creating catalogue art and add copy for the product marketing.

Engineering design applications offer numerous benefits that significantly contribute to the efficiency, accuracy, and innovation in the engineering field. Some of the key benefits include:

1. Efficiency and Productivity: Engineering design applications streamline the design process, reducing the time and effort required to create complex models. They enable engineers to work faster and more efficiently, leading to increased productivity and shorter project timelines.
2. Cost Savings: By using design applications, engineers can identify potential issues early in the design phase, minimizing costly errors and rework. This proactive approach helps save money throughout the entire project lifecycle.
3. Improved Design Quality: Engineering design applications allow for more precise and detailed modeling, leading to higher-quality designs. They offer advanced simulation and analysis tools that help engineers optimize their designs and ensure they meet performance requirements and safety standards.
4. Collaboration and Communication: Design applications often facilitate collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, as multiple engineers can work simultaneously on the same project. It improves communication between team members and stakeholders, enhancing project coordination and reducing misunderstandings.
5. Innovation and Creativity: These applications foster creativity and innovation by providing engineers with tools to explore various design options and alternatives quickly. They can experiment with different concepts and assess their feasibility before selecting the best approach.
6. Visualization and Virtual Prototyping: Design applications offer 3D modeling and visualization capabilities, allowing engineers to create realistic virtual prototypes. This enables stakeholders to visualize the final product before physical manufacturing, making it easier to make informed decisions.
7. Sustainability and Environmental Impact: With the ability to simulate and analyze designs, engineers can evaluate the environmental impact of their projects. They can optimize designs to be more sustainable and eco-friendly, aligning with the growing emphasis on environmental responsibility.
8. Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing: Many design applications integrate with 3D printing and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technologies. This integration facilitates the seamless transition from design to physical prototype or production, accelerating the manufacturing process.
9. Regulatory Compliance: Design applications often include features that help engineers adhere to industry regulations and standards. They assist in documenting and validating designs to meet legal and safety requirements.
10. Continuous Improvement: Engineering design applications often receive updates and improvements, incorporating user feedback and advancements in technology. This ensures that engineers have access to the latest tools and features to continuously enhance their design processes.

Australian Design & Drafting Services provide excellent service for CAD Design and  Drafting. Contact Us for more info

There has been a new trend in CAD designing world for a 3D modelling for complex design and CAD design platform has evolved so much that 2D drawings become the by-product of 3D modelling.

2D drawings are easy to generate but engineers prefer 3D models for complex applications and design generation. When both are easily achievable, they also are a choice of avoiding catastrophe in the longer run. It basically demands foresight to decide and avail a smooth function of fabrication part of the engineering project and business applications on later stages. Engineering documentation is at the heart of the long, storied history of technical draftsmanship. The objective back then is no different from today’s challenge: represent an engineering design in the most accurate and concise way possible. Distilling the 3D reality we live in onto sheets of paper involved a carefully considered system of dimensioning and orthographic projections. These days, they might be referred to as 2D Drawings (which is a redundant term if you think about it). The system worked then and it works now. Those who are well-trained in these classical methodologies have difficulty understanding why there should be anything else. Why fix what ain’t broke?

To think that 2D drawing has been trashed out with the advent of 3D CAD modelling is far from reality. 2D drafting still has a very prominent place amongst the industrial product designers, and they have their own reasons for it.

2D is the best option when you are facing tight deadlines and the designs are to be developed for a single component or a single part. Basic geometries are easy to generate in 2D CAD sketching tools and are quick. They are intriguing when the drawings do not need any functionalities of 3D and require less space. A designer of any skill sets can easily work with 2D CAD and nearly any desktop will support 2D drafting.

For a crystal clear usage, engineers still use 2D drafts for fabrication drawings, plans, elevation, sectional drawings and shop floor drawings for fabrication. In fact, it is quite surprising that approximately 30% of engineering design firms and design engineers still use paper to design the initial concept sketched and then resort to 2D CAD for digitization.

Despite these benefits, there are a few drawbacks of using 2D. When sectional views are generated in 2D, updating them is time-consuming and also prone to errors. Also, 2D CAD software does not have rendering capabilities. This means, it involves an additional step to export and convert designs into 3D models before rendering.

So for a fact, just to save time, you are doing two more steps, exporting and converting before any other action is being taken- literally two for one. It reduces productivity and lengthens the designing cycle. For these reasons, industry-wide shift to 3D modelling is witnessed among mechanical and industrial product design engineers.

In contrast, the classic engineering drawing is fraught with limitations:

• Interpretation Issues: A properly executed drawing shouldn’t be subject to misinterpretation, but that skill is starting to become something of a lost art. Unclear depictions can be problematic (i.e. which surface did that leader line touch?). More disturbingly, errors can easily escape detection. Sure, most of that can be mitigated with carefully defined GD&T, but that too seems to be a fading skill. PMI improves upon these limitations by clearly associating surfaces and endpoints and providing validation that such dimensions do indeed make logical sense.
• Manual Inspection: Drawings necessitate reinterpretation by humans on the other side of the manufacturing lifecycle. It’s another way to introduce error: the botched inspection. PMI sets the stage for automated inspection, accelerating manufacturing processes while simultaneously improving quality.
• Time is Money: This is where drawings go for the BRAINS… Simply put, in today’s constantly accelerating demand to crank out the engineering in less time, drawings just take too long. Increased market pace demands more efficient processes. An engineer who’s spent considerable time defining a model, shouldn’t have to spend much longer documenting it. The days of modelling something then throwing it over a fence to lay it out are over. These two aspects of the design must occur simultaneously, and this ultimately is only possible with the model-based definition.

3D Models: Make a three-way profit

As business needs became bigger, design cycles were required to get shorter and engineering lead time needed to get easier and without errors; this is when more and more engineers started resorting to 3D CAD software. The advantage of using 3D CAD over 2D CAD is that it reduces the design cycle time to almost half and gives a competitive advantage to designers as well as fabricators by accommodating alterations, much fasters.

Another takeaway with 3D CAD is that it offers excellent workaround while generating rapid prototypes. And with additive manufacturing gaining momentum over traditional manufacturing practices, 3D CAD is the way to adapt to easily transform designs into tangible products.

Since additive manufacturing is a process that eliminates material cutting, it has a dramatic control over scrap produced. This is one among many reasons why this phenomenon has gained traction for every fabricator in any industry – be it industrial sheet metal tools, automotive, building products, furniture or any other that one can think of.

Such a paradigm shift makes it even more important than ever to adopt 3D CAD and drop 2D drafting process for saving material, directly targeting to increase their profits and connects the digital thread opportunity directly with the designs.

2D Drawing or 3D Model platform for CAD Designing

Other than these three major benefits, 3D CAD usually offers more functionality to the user. These functionalities encompass 3D arrays, special views, referencing and much more. But at times these are too many for generating basic part models like line-types, line-weights, and other form features are good to go. In such times, it feels that 2D drawings should be preferred instead of 3D.

Also because since 3D CAD is advanced, licensing is much expensive and renewing it each time the software company rolls-out new version, [not to mention it happens almost every year] it costs heavily to designers. Thus, it is much needed to weigh your needs of design requirements and analyze the cost you are paying for it.

By now, you must have realized that, on the contrary to popular belief, there will be times when you’ll find 2D CAD to be the need of the hour and not 3D models. While during the other times, you’ll find your designing world revolving in the three dimensions of 3D CAD models, whatever be your need – fabrication, design intent clarity or profits – to avoid catastrophe and binge working at the last moment. The hitch is that you select the one that addresses most of your needs since there isn’t any single CAD system that will address all your design and fabrication needs.

When you make the decision to build a new home, there are a lot of things to consider:

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  Neighbourhood

  
  
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  Accessibility

  
  
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  Land or Area

  
  
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  Budget / Capital

  
  

No matter where you end up, perhaps the most important decision you make is that who will be the architect. If you haven’t worked with one before, you may wonder whether your project really requires an architect, most especially if it will be your personal residence.

How to Hire the Right Architect

Hiring an architect is critical for any building project to be successful. The architect is the source of the outcome, and he or she will handle a number of duties. Among them, helping clients explore what appeals to them aesthetically and what they require functionally, coordinating teams of design, engineering and construction professionals and sorting through the maze of building codes and zoning requirements to ensure projects are built the way they were planned.

Some people thought they could design their dream home on their own. And in the end they will just find that it’s a big mistake..

The professional architect is the one who has the proper education, training, experience, and vision to guide us through the entire design and construction process;

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  help us define what we want to build,

  
  
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  help us get the most for our construction.

  
  

Should be a “Problem Solver”
That is what architects are trained to do, solving problems in creative ways. With their broad knowledge of design and construction, architects can show alternative options we might never think of on our own.

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  Professional interpreters of client’s dreams, visions, and objectives

  
  
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  Explorers of all possibilities

  
  
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  Studying and responding to the site and its environment

  
  
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  Home Design Translators that will exceed expectations
  
  

  
  

Should be a “Finance Specialist” (building construction)

An architect pays for his own way through the

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  lot selection,

  
  
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  design,

  
  
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  construction documents,

  
  
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  bidding and negotiation,

  
  
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  the construction phase of a custom residence project.

  
  

An architect’s input can save the owner’s money and/or add value to the project.

Because a well-conceived project can be built more efficiently and economically. Architects plan projects with us. As your ideas evolve, changes can be made on paper, much less expensively than when construction is going on. Though 3D Architectural Renderings also make it easier for the contractor to accurately price and build the project.

How to Hire the Right Architect

Energy-efficient buildings can save money on fuel bills down the road. An architect can design a building to maximize heating from the sun and let in natural light, thus reducing heating, cooling, and electric bills over time.

Can work with the budget and help us select the appropriate materials and workmanship at a fair price. Architects develop the drawings and specifications to help us get bids for construction that are based on our requirements.

Can help us choose materials and finishes that are durable as well as saving on frequent maintenance and replacement costs. Architects work to stay abreast of advances in roofing, brickwork, floor tiling, paint finishes, etc. Their familiarity with the full range of materials enables them to suggest the appropriate materials for the project.

Good design sells. A well-designed house has a higher resale value. A well-designed store draws customers. A well-designed work environment attracts employees and increases productivity.

Architects are like Machines = Easy Life

The building is a long process that is often messy and disruptive, particularly if you are living or working in the space under construction. They have an all the ideas that will make us contented on the design they offered. The architect looks out on our interests and they try to find ways to make that process go smoothly.

Australian Design & Drafting Services provide excellent service for CAD Design and  Drafting. Contact Us for more info.

How to use Autocad New feature Visual Accuracy

The new release of AutoCAD 2016 features certain significant improvements. These improvements include a more comprehensive canvas, richer design context, and intelligent tools such as Smart Dimensioning, Coordination Model, Enhanced PDFs, and Stunning Visual Experience.

Autocad New feature Visual Accuracy

AutoCAD software tools are known worldwide for providing 2D and 3D design features, documentation and collaboration processes for any design task. Furthermore, the software tools enable designers to share their work with one another by using TrustedDWG® technology.

The purpose of this article is to:

• Look briefly at the new features present in the newest AutoCAD release,
• Identify significant changes between the newest and previous software releases,
• Determine the impact of Visual Accuracy and other major benefits which the newest release of AutoCAD provides.

What New Features are Present in the Autocad 2016 Newest Release?

• With Smart Dimensioning, appropriate measurements are created automatically, based on the drawing context. Bypassing the cursor over a selected object, the designer gets a preview of the dimension before creating it. For example, by selecting and holding a cursor over the cross-section of a duct, modified inner and outer diameters can be previewed before they are created.
• The Coordination Model makes it possible to attach and view Navisworks® and BIM 360 Glue models directly inside AutoCAD. This makes it possible to import architectural design data created by Navisworks or to import a building design project into AutoCAD. The ability to merge design data between AutoCAD and BIM models provides the framework for KBE (Knowledge-Based Engineering), and for maintaining concurrency and synergy between product design teams.
• The Enhanced PDFs feature makes it possible to quickly create smarter, smaller and powerful PDF files which are text searchable.
• The Visual Experience feature enables the engineer to see design details with certain visual enhancements such as Line Fading. True curves are used instead of line segments for image rendering. For example, a circle is created as a continuous curve rather than several straight line segments. Instead of performing several Undo operations, a Command preview enables the designer to see the results of a command before committing to it. Large selection sets are easier to copy or move.
• The designer is able to customize his/her design environment and systems settings and to prevent unwanted changes from being made.

In What Areas Are There Significant Software Changes?

The following list highlights significant software changes between AutoCAD 2016 (newest release) and previous versions of AutoCAD.

In terms of User Interaction, AutoCAD 2016 provides:

• The Help Find tool, Improved graphics, Command preview, and resizable viewports are improved in AutoCAD 2016 and AutoCAD 2015.
• The Move/Copy feature has been boosted in AutoCAD 2016 over previous versions.

In terms of the Design Interface, AutoCAD 2016 provides:

• Center of polygon object snap
• High-fidelity lines and curves
• Coordination model
• Point cloud dynamic UCS (Unified Computing System) and geometry extraction

In terms of Documentation, AutoCAD 2016 provides:

• Revision Cloud enhancements
• Smart dimensioning
• PDF enhancements and optimized file output
• The searchable text and hyperlink support in exported PDFs
• Simplified, powerful rendering
• Overriding of Xref (External Reference File in a cloud system) layer properties

What Major Benefits does the Newest Release of Autocad Provide?

The previous section of this article mentioned significant software improvements between AutoCAD 2016 and previous versions. It may be informative to look more closely at what some of these software improvements mean.

Coordination Models enable design data from Navisworks and BIM360 models (NWC, NWD) to be attached directly into AutoCAD. This feature supports the collaborative and synergistic product development model available in BIM. This feature also supports KBE (Knowledge-Based Engineering) and Expert Systems, which is important for retaining in-house design expertise and knowledge.

Smart dimensioning speeds up design work, because many “Undo” commands can be avoided by using the Preview feature in the new software release. Instead of establishing a dimension for an object and undoing it in order to create a new dimension, the object can be selected with the cursor, previewed or “hovered over”, before establishing the dimension.

The “Snap to geometric centre” feature enables the designer to snap to the centre of closed regular or irregular polylines.

Improvements to the drawing canvas dramatically improve the visual accuracy seen on screen. Although the human visual system can interpret a series of jagged line segments as an integrated smooth curve, it is much better to represent smooth curves and arcs with true curves. Doing so creates graphic objects with true fidelity and visual acuity, and creates a much better viewing experience.

A number of preset rendering options have been introduced, such as “Coffee-Break Quality”. Image-based lighting has been introduced to improve visual rendering.

The “UI finder” utility makes it easy to find just about anything in AutoCAD’s UI, including entries on the application menu and the status bar.

PDF enhancements create smaller files (about half the size of previous PDFs). The PDFs are generated quicker, and they permit text search and selection, even with multibyte and Unicode characters. Furthermore, SHX fonts (which have the source text added as a comment) are supported. Hyperlinks are maintained, whether they are embedded URLs or links between drawing content.

The System Variable Monitor (Sysvar) protects the design engineer from having his established or preset environment from being altered. In a multi-tasking environment, it is likely that an impolite application may alter sysvar settings, but fail to reset them to their previous settings after the application has completed its tasks.

Conclusion

Although this article sounds as if it is focused on sales or marketing, its purpose is to keep the CAD engineer aware of improved software features (such as improved visual accuracy in AutoCAD 2016) which become available in new CAD software releases.

The CAD engineer works in a fast-paced environment in which technological progress should be expected. In order to stay current and not to become obsolete, it is necessary for the CAD engineer to be aware of improved capabilities in new software releases.

Australian Design & Drafting Services provide excellent Autocad service for CAD Design and Drafting. Contact Us for more info

CAD Drafting and Residential Design

Imagine being able to walk through your new home or office building, go into every room, try out different colors on the walls or make changes to the design – before it’s even built. It sounds pretty amazing, and it is. That is the world of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drafting.

Not too long ago you would find the designer or architect bent over a drafting table using a pencil, ruler and eraser, slowly drafting every detail by hand. Today’s designers use sleek, super-fast computers and CAD software systems that can quickly and perfectly create, edit, then display finished projects in breathtaking 3-D computer renderings.

There are other software systems with similar acronyms, but they are essentially the same application with subtle differences in function. Two of these other systems, CADD (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting) and CAID (Computer-Aided Industrial Design) are the most commonly used.

From the minute you get up in the morning, almost everything you will see or touch or use during the day had its beginnings as a CAD drafting project on a computer somewhere. Your car and every part in it, your electronics, furniture, your home and office, even your deodorant jar and the packages your food comes in were more than likely drafted using CAD.

The History of CAD

Like most great inventions, CAD drafting had humble beginnings, but the potential was immediately apparent. Software companies and thousands of dedicated developers and programmers saw that potential and have worked tirelessly for over 30 years now to develop and bring CAD drafting programs to where they are today. The results have been no less than spectacular.

The initial developments that led to today’s CAD programs were first carried out in the early 1960’s and 1970’s in the aerospace and automotive industries. Both industries were independently developing the first CAD systems. Most people agree that the real breakout point was the development of SKETCHPAD at MIT in 1963. The main feature of SKETCHPAD was that it allowed the designer to work with the program by drawing on the monitor with a light pen. This was essentially the first GUI (Graphical User Interface) and is the most

The first programs were only available to large corporations in the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries. These were the only companies that could afford the expensive computers and computing power needed to do the calculations needed to run the programs. The leaders in developing these first programs were GM, Lockheed and Renault.

The first CAD programs in the 1970’s were only capable of creating 2D drawings similar to the hand-drafted drawings of the time. But even those first simple programs were changing the face of manufacturing and construction design. The programs quickly evolved over the years as computer processing speed and power and graphics capabilities increased. In the 1980’s the next major step toward modern CAD was achieved with the advent of the ability to do 3D solid modeling.

In 1981 two solid modeling packages were released- Romulus by (ShapeData) and Uni-Solid by (Unigraphics). In 1982 John Walker founded Autodesk which developed one of the most famous 2D CAD programs, AutoCAD. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s the solid modeling kernels for rendering 3D designs were integrated into the new CAD programs for the first time. As computing prices came down, so did the potential and the promise of CAD drafting for smaller companies. This now made it possible for any company to afford a high-quality CAD design program. The 1990’s saw the release of some of the most popular mid-range packages. SolidWorks was released in 1995, SolidEdge was released in 1996, and IronCAD was released in 1998.
Different Types of CAD SystemsMost CAD computer workstations are Windows-based PCs with some running on Unix and a few on Linux machines. Usually no special hardware is needed except for a high-end OpenGL Graphics card for renderings. Also, more is always better when it comes to computing power. A machine with dual-processors and massive amounts of RAM is needed for maximum performance on complex projects.

CAD systems can be separated into three different types: 2D drafting systems like AutoCAD LT (also known as Autocad “Light”); 3D solid feature modelers like Architectural Desktop, Chief Architect, ArchiCAD, Alibre Design, VariCAD SolidWorks and SolidEdge; and high-end 3D hybrid systems like Pro/ENGINEER and NX (Unigraphics).

The human interface is usually a mouse but a trackball or pen and tablet can also be used. The model can be manipulated and viewed from different perspectives and angles. On some systems you can even use stereoscopic glasses for viewing in true 3D.Today there are many low-end 2D systems available and even a number of free and open source programs. All these programs provide an ease of design not possible with hand drafting on a traditional drawing sheet. For example, in 2D drafting a wall in a house would be drawn as 2 parallel lines spaced a certain distance apart, say, 6 inches. To insert a door into the wall, you would follow a process similar to manual drafting- you would first erase part of the wall, then draw in the lines representing a door. In 2D, each line is inserted manually into the design. The end design has no mass properties and you can’t add features such as holes, etc. directly.

With a basic (low-end) 3D modeling program, to draw that same wall you would not have to draw individual lines- instead, you would click on an icon for the ‘draw wall’ command and use your mouse (or trackball) to specify the length and location. To insert a door, you simply specify the size and location of the door- the software automatically erases that portion of the wall where the door goes. Over the course of designing an entire house or building, tools such as these can save countless hours. You can then use the solid model to generate views of the project from any viewpoint or angle- something that 2D programs cannot do.

3D parametric solid modeling represents the high end of CAD. With 3D parametric solid modeling programs such as Alibre Design, Solid Works and Solid Edge, the designer must use what is called ‘design intent’. This means that the design has to be thought of as a real world representation of the object. You are able or unable to make changes to the object the same way you would make them to a real world object. Therefore, parametric solids require the designer to think ahead and consider his actions carefully.

The top-end systems include the ability to add more organic aesthetics and features to the design, such as photorealistic colors and surface textures. Surface modeling combined with solid modeling is used to create most day-to-day products for consumers.The CAD designer should be forward-looking as he designs and the objective should be to make future work on the design as easy as possible. This means the designer needs to have a firm understanding of the system being used. A little extra attention and careful planning in design now can save a lot of grief later.

In the late 1980’s the advent of affordable CAD programs that ran on desktop computers led to downsizing in the drafting departments of many small- to mid-sized companies. Typically one CAD operator could replace three to five drafters using traditional drafting techniques. Also many engineers opted to do their own drafting work which eliminated the need for dedicated drafters.This phenomenon was also reflected in other areas of the typical office. As word processors, databases, spreadsheets, etc. became the norm, many jobs were eliminated as multiple functions across several jobs could now be done by one person on a single computer.

The adoption of the CAD studio, or as it is also called ‘paper-less studio’, in design schools was met with major resistance. Teachers were afraid that designing and sketching on a computer screen could not duplicate the artistry of traditional sketching on a drafting pad. Also, many teachers were worried that students would be hired, not for their design skills, but for their software and computer skills. Today CAD is recognized as an essential design tool and is taught across the board in architecture schools.It is interesting to note that not all architects have joined the CAD bandwagon. Australian architect Glenn Murcutt, winner of the 2002 Pritzker Architecture Prize, has a small office with minimal CAD capability.

Different CAD Industries

CAD drafting is now used in all phases of design across all industries. Specific industries have developed specialized applications of CAD systems. Below are some of the main industries using CAD and their related CAD applications.
The AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) Industry

• Residential and Commercial Architecture & Design
• Landscape Architecture
• Structural Engineering
• Construction
• Civil Engineering
• Mapping and Surveying
• Highways and Roads
• Water and Sewer Systems
• Factory Layout
• Industrial Plant Design

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Machinery
• Consumer Goods
• Shipbuilding
• Biomechanical Systems

• Electronic and Electrical (ECAD)
• Digital Circuit Design

• Fashion Design
• Computer Graphic Animation (CGA)

CAD Drafting Today

One of the major advantages – and one of the biggest payoffs – of CAD drafting today, is the reduction in design time and therefore the amount of money it can save on a project. In manufacturing, CAD drafting helps keep design costs down which translates into cost savings for the consumer.

In residential or commercial design the amount of time saved can be enormous. As an example, let’s say you are looking for a designer or architect to design your home. The designer can create a design: (a) from scratch based on your idea or concept; (b) from photos of actual houses; or (c) based on a previous design which can be easily modified in CAD.

CAD design companies will typically have many different home or building designs available to choose from. It is easy for a client to look through the designs then select one they like. They can use the design as-is or easily customize it to their own tastes. Clients can even take design elements from different projects and combine them to create an entirely new home or building. The possibilities are endless.

Making small changes to a CAD design- for instance, moving walls, windows or even whole rooms- typically takes minutes or hours, not days. This would have been a huge and very expensive task in the days before CAD drafting.

There are many CAD design companies that can serve your residential or commercial design needs and many of them offer complete project management as well as design and drafting of the project.

CAD drafting will no doubt continue to evolve and become more powerful, and remain, next to the computer, as one of the most important technological developments of our age. Australian Design & Drafting Services provide excellent service for CAD Design and  Drafting. Contact Us for more info