Design

“Architectural design and drafting Services” is a broad term — architectural drafting sits at its core — that includes both the technical and creative parts of the field. It means understanding building materials and shapes and designing and making buildings. Architects usually plan their work to fit both the inside and outside of a building. Still, designs can be deadly when they go against what people want and what is expected of them.

Through architectural design services, the client’s ideas come to life. The first step in these services is building planning and design. Engineers tend to care more about how things work than architects do. When people use architectural design services, they can write down their creative ideas. To succeed in this field, you’ll need to know how to use computers, understand the law, understand how engineering works, and follow building codes.

Reasons Why Good Architectural Drafting Is Crucial

Structures inside the built environment significantly affect the built environment as a whole. When putting up a new building, it’s important to think about how it will work, how long it will last, how it will look, and how it will affect the neighbourhood. The best-quality architecture will amaze and shock people with its unique and stylish design. Homes and neighborhoods that make people feel good will always be in demand. Living in a dull, boring place is a surefire way to kill your ideas and creativity.

Instances when Architectural Plans Can Be Used:

Dimensional Modelling in Building Design

Floor plans, wall sections, elevations, lighting plans, furniture designs, foundation diagrams, and roof sections are all referred to by this term.

Proficient 3D Modelling for Buildings

It can make exterior 3D models, interior 3D models, cross-sections, and fixture assemblies. Similarly, landscape architects employ it in their design processes.

Rendering in Three Dimensions for Buildings

It can produce 3D-rendered images of the outside, inside, on furniture, and off of products.

Animation and Exploration in Three Dimensions

Exterior and interior tours, as well as conceptual and industrial tours, are all part of the package.

A building plan is just a set of instructions for how to build something well. Such ideas can come from a thorough look at the site, research into the history and culture of the area where you want to build, or an analysis of how different technologies and techniques could be used to meet a wide range of practical needs.

Want to make your dream house a real place to live? Or maybe you have a great plan for making your office better? With the help of experts, all of your hopes and dreams for the infrastructure can come true. These people are trained architects who can put what you have in mind on paper.

Look online for architectural design firms with a form for entering your home’s basic plan or details like the rooms, the balcony, the style, and anything else you’d like to include. Astcad is a place where you can get Architectural Design Services. They offer 2D drawings and 3D images made on a computer with CAD software.

What is architectural drafting?

Drafters make house plans under the direction of architects, who describe the layout and materials used inside and the driveways, garden beds, fences, and roof types for the outside. These are plans for a house or another building.

Architects and engineers used to draw by hand with pencils, rulers, and protractors. Now, almost all drawings are made with a computer-aided design (CAD) program.

Architectural Design and Drafting Services

The computer-assisted design uses a computer to make a technical picture of a thing or building in three dimensions. This is more efficient and accurate than traditional drawing methods. The electronic version has more information and more options. Architectural Drafting Service uses CAD and ArchiCAD to make most of its plans and designs.

If you’re an engineer, drafter, or buyer of CAD services in Australia, understanding the difference between 2D and 3D drawings is fundamental. The two formats serve different purposes — and choosing the right one for your project affects cost, accuracy, and what your manufacturer can do with the file.

Quick Answer: 2D vs 3D Drawings

What Is a 2D Drawing?

A 2D drawing represents an object on a flat plane using two dimensions: length and width. It communicates the geometry of a part using multiple orthographic views — typically front, top, and side — laid out on a drawing sheet per AS/NZS 1100.

Every manufactured part still needs a 2D drawing (also called an engineering drawing or technical drawing) to define tolerances, surface finish, material, and manufacturing notes — information that 3D models don’t carry natively.

What 2D drawings include

• Orthographic views (front, top, side, auxiliary)
• Dimensions and tolerances (bilateral, unilateral, GD&T)
• Surface finish callouts (Ra values)
• Material and treatment specifications
• Title block (part number, revision, scale, drafter)
• Section and detail views
• Weld symbols (AS 2812 / AS/NZS 2980)
• Bill of materials (for assemblies)

When to use 2D drawings

• Workshop fabrication and machining — the shop floor works from 2D drawings
• Structural steel detailing (AS 4100)
• Architectural construction documentation
• Electrical schematics and wiring diagrams
• Council and building permit submissions
• MEP coordination drawings
• Converting legacy paper drawings to CAD

What Is a 3D Drawing (3D CAD Model)?

A 3D drawing — more accurately called a 3D CAD model — represents an object in three dimensions with length, width, and depth. Unlike 2D drawings, a 3D model lets you rotate, pan, and inspect the part from any angle.

There are three types of 3D CAD models, each with different capabilities:

1. Wireframe models

The simplest 3D format — stores only vertices and edges, no surfaces or mass. Lightweight but hard to visualise and can’t be used for analysis. Mostly used as a stepping stone or reference geometry.

2. Surface models

Adds outer surfaces to the wireframe — the model looks solid but has zero thickness and no mass. Surface models can shade, colour, and texture for visualisation. Used heavily in industrial design, automotive body styling, and any complex freeform geometry. Common software: CATIA, Rhino, Alias.

3. Solid models

The most capable 3D format — stores vertices, edges, surfaces, AND mass. A solid model encloses a volume and contains material properties, enabling:

• Mass properties — weight, centre of gravity, moment of inertia
• FEA / stress analysis — simulate loads and predict failure points
• Motion simulation — verify assemblies move correctly
• 3D printing — export STL direct from the model
• CNC machining — generate toolpaths from the solid
• Rendering — photorealistic product images

The dominant solid modelling packages in Australia are SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, CATIA, Siemens NX, and Revit (for architecture/BIM).

2D vs 3D Drawings: Which Do You Need?

Do 2D and 3D Drawings Work Together?

Yes — and this is how most professional CAD workflows operate. The 3D solid model is built first, then 2D drawings are generated from it automatically. When the 3D model changes, the 2D drawing updates. This model-based design (MBD) approach eliminates the risk of drawings being out of sync with the model.

The 3D model handles: design intent, simulation, interference checking, and CNC programming. The 2D drawing handles: tolerances, surface finish, annotations, and workshop instructions. Both are needed for a complete deliverable.

File Formats: 2D vs 3D

Need 2D drawings, 3D models, or both for your Australian project? ASTCAD’s drafting team works in AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Inventor, Revit, CATIA and more — delivering AS/NZS 1100-compliant drawings and STEP/IGES models to any specification. Get a free quote.

How We Work: Turnaround, Revisions and Confidentiality

Knowing the difference between 2D and 3D is one thing; knowing which one your project should be documented in, and what happens once you hand it over, is another. This is how a drafting scope actually runs at ASTCAD.

Which one your project needs

• 2D is enough when the geometry is prismatic, the fabricator works from dimensioned views, and no downstream simulation or clash checking is required — most sheet metal, structural steel detailing and single-discipline layouts.
• 3D earns its cost when parts must assemble, when the model feeds CNC or additive manufacture, when clash detection across disciplines matters, or when the client needs visualisation for approval.
• Both, in sequence is the most common real answer: model in 3D, then derive the 2D fabrication set from it, so the drawings can never drift out of step with the model.

Turnaround

Lead time is driven by input quality far more than by drawing count. A clean 3D model needing 2D extraction and annotation moves quickly. Marked-up PDFs, photographs or a physical sample needing reverse engineering add a modelling phase at the front of the programme. Tell us the deadline at enquiry stage — where a set is genuinely time-critical we will say so before starting rather than after.

Revisions

Every drawing carries a revision block, and revisions are issued as a clouded and numbered set rather than a silent replacement, so your fabricator can see exactly what changed. Design changes originating from your side are scoped and confirmed before work resumes; corrections to our own output are not chargeable.

Confidentiality and file ownership

We work under NDA as standard, and will sign yours rather than insisting on ours. Native files and drawings belong to you on completion — models are delivered in the source format as well as neutral STEP or IGES, so you are never locked to our toolchain. Client drawings are not used as portfolio material without written permission.

What to send with an enquiry

• Whatever documentation exists — models, drawings, PDFs, sketches or photographs
• The end use: fabrication, machining, tender, approval or visualisation
• The standard the set must satisfy, if one applies — most Australian technical drawing work is called up against AS 1100 (Standards Australia)
• Deliverable formats your downstream contractors need
• Your programme dates

That is enough for a fixed scope and a turnaround commitment. Start at contact us, or read more on mechanical drafting services.

Related reading: convert 2D drawings to 3D in AutoCAD.

New to CAD? Start with our step-by-step tutorial on creating your first CAD drawing.

What Is CADD? Computer Aided Design and Drafting Explained (2026 Guide)

Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD)

Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) is the process of using a computer with CADD software for design and drafting applications. Software is the program or instructions that enable a computer to perform specific functions to accomplish a task. CADD refers to the entire range of design and drafting with the aid of a computer, from drawing basic 2-D objects to preparing complex 3-D models and animations. CAD is the acronym for computer-aided design and a common reference to computer-aided drafting. Computer-aided design and computer-aided drafting refer to specific aspects of the CADD process.

CADD offers solutions to most engineering drawing and design problems, and it allows for increasingly complex projects. Several industries and most disciplines related to engineering and architecture use CADD. Most engineering firms and educational institutions that previously used manual drafting practices have evolved to CADD. Professionals have come to rely on the power and convenience of CADD in all aspects of design and drafting. CADD systems include tools to accomplish any drawing and design requirement, such as preparing the 3-D model of a home shown in Figure.

The CADD workstation

The CADD workstation consists of a variety of computer hardware. Hardware includes the physical components of a computer system, such as the computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and printer. The figure shows a modern CADD work-station. A CADD workstation relies on a computer for data processing, calculations, and communication with peripheral equipment. A peripheral is an external computer hardware device that uses the computer to perform functions that the computer cannot handle.
Peripherals provide input, output, and storage functions and services. Input means to put information into the computer that the computer acts on in some way. Input comes from devices such as the keyboard, a mouse or similar input device, or a digitizer. Output refers to information that the computer sends to a receiving device such as a monitor, a plotter, or a printer. Storage refers to disks and drives that allow the operator to store programs, files, symbols, and data.

CADD software products

The modern CADD workstation is powerful, inexpensive, and supports sophisticated CADD software. Many CADD software manufacturers exist, and numerous products are available to meet industry needs. Some CADD software is general purpose and can apply to any discipline. For example, Autodesk, Inc. produces AutoCAD for 2-D and 3-D design and drafting.

Other products focus on a specific CADD technology, industry, or discipline, such as drawings or models of mechanical parts and assemblies or those for architectural, civil, or structural engineering projects. For example, Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers SolidWorks for 3-D solid modelling and 2-D drafting that is common in the manufacturing industry. Software specifically designed for CADD in the manufacturing industry is sometimes referred to as mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD) software. Some CADD programs support expanded, third-party, or add-on utilities intended to increase system usefulness for specifi c applications.
The CADD software industry changes constantly. Software manufacturers frequently update existing products or combine, change program names, or eliminate programs to adapt to the rapidly evolving CADD market. Software updates typically include additional and refined tools, increased software stability, and graphical user interface (GUI) enhancements.

Computer Aided Design and Drafting

The interface describes the items that allow you to input data to and receive outputs from a computer system. The GUI provides the on-screen features that allow you to interact with a software program. New products regularly emerge to respond to innovative technology and project requirements. Larger software manufacturers, such as Autodesk Inc., Dassault Systèmes, Parametric Technology Corporation, and Siemens PLM Solutions hold the greatest number of CADD users, and they traditionally have the ability to expand their products and acquire smaller software companies or existing software.

ASTCAD provide excellent service for CAD Design and Drafting. Contact Us for more info

A CAD drafter (also called a CAD technician, CAD designer, or drafting technician) is a technical professional who uses computer-aided design software to produce precise engineering drawings, models, and technical documentation. In Australia, CAD drafters work across mechanical, structural, civil, architectural, and electrical disciplines — translating engineer and architect designs into detailed, buildable drawings.

What Does a CAD Drafter Do?

The day-to-day work of a CAD drafter varies by discipline, but typically includes:

• Producing 2D engineering drawings from sketches, specifications, or 3D models (detail drawings, assembly drawings, general arrangement drawings)
• Building 3D CAD models in SolidWorks, Inventor, Revit, or AutoCAD
• Adding dimensions, tolerances, material callouts, weld symbols, and notes to drawings
• Coordinating with engineers, architects, and fabricators to resolve drawing queries
• Updating drawings to incorporate design revisions, issuing revision-controlled drawing sets
• Converting old manual or paper drawings to CAD format
• Producing shop drawings and fabrication drawings for manufacture
• Maintaining drawing registers and document control systems

CAD Drafter Education and Qualifications in Australia

In practice, most Australian CAD drafters enter through TAFE — the Certificate III or IV in Engineering is the most common pathway. Software training (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit) is typically learned through short courses, on-the-job training, or vendor-specific certification programs. There is no licensing requirement to work as a CAD drafter in Australia, though Engineers Australia membership and CPEng registration apply to the engineers who sign off drawings.

CAD Software Skills for Australian Drafters

CAD Drafter Salary in Australia (2026)

Salaries vary significantly by location (Perth and Darwin typically pay 10–20% above Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne for resource-sector roles), discipline (mechanical and structural tend to pay more than architectural), and the specific software stack demanded.

Job Opportunities for CAD Drafters in Australia

CAD drafters are employed by engineering consulting firms, architectural practices, construction companies, mining and resources companies, manufacturers, government agencies, and specialist drafting firms like ASTCAD. The strongest demand is currently in:

• Structural steel detailing — driven by construction activity across major cities and resources infrastructure
• Revit BIM coordination — tier-1 contractors now mandate BIM on most major projects
• Civil infrastructure — roads, rail, water treatment, and renewable energy projects
• Mining and resources — particularly in Western Australia (AutoCAD, MicroStation)
• Defence industry — AUKUS and major defence procurement driving demand in Adelaide and Brisbane

Need a CAD drafter for your project? ASTCAD provides both project-based CAD drafting services and contract drafter placement across all disciplines and software platforms in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and nationally.

Intellectual Property Rights

Patent drawings turn inventions into protectable IP, and the success of a company often relies on the integrity of its employees. Products are normally the result of years of research, engineering, and development. This is referred to as the intellectual property of the company. Protection of intellectual property can be critical to the success of the company in a competitive industrial economy. This is why it is very important for employees to help protect design ideas and trade secrets. Many companies manufacture their products in strict, secure, and secret environments. You will often find proprietary notes on drawings that inform employees and communicate to the outside world that the information contained in the drawing is the property of the company and is not for use by others.

Software Piracy

 Software piracy is the unauthorized copying of software. Most software licenses support use at one computer site or by one user at any time. When you buy software, you become a licensed user. You do not own the software. You are allowed to make copies of the program for backup purposes, but it is against the law to give copies to colleagues and friends. Software companies spend a lot of money creating software programs for your professional and personal applications. Each new release usually provides you with improved features and more efficient use. When you use software illegally, you hurt everyone by forcing software companies to charge more for their products. Ethically and professionally, use software legally and report illegal use when observed.

Copyrights

A copyright is the legal rights given to authors of original works of authorship. The Australian Constitution establishes copyright and patent law and empowers the federal government to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. Copyrights control exclusively the reproduction and distribution of the work by others. In Australia, published or unpublished works that are typically copyrightable include:

• Literary works, including computer programs and
• Musical works, including any accompanying
• Dramatic works, including any accompanying
• Pantomimes and choreographic
• Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural
• Motion pictures and other audiovisual
• Sound
• Architectural works and certain other intellectual

Intellectual Property Rights and Patent Application

Copyright protection exists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The fixed form may not be directly observable; it can be communicated with the aid of a machine or device. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and the work is created when it is fixed in a copy or phono- recorded for the first time. Copies are material objects from which the work can be read or visually perceived directly or with the aid of a machine or device. A copyright notice can be placed on visually perceptible copies. The copyright notice should have the word Copyright, the abbreviation Copr., or the symbol © (or ® for phonorecords of sound recordings); the year of first publication; and the name of the owner of the copyright.

Patents

A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the IP AUSTRALIA. The term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in Australia or, in special cases, from the date an earlier related application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. The IP AUSTRALIA patent grants are effective only within Australia. The patent law states, in part, that any person who “invents or discovers any new and useful process, the machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent,” subject to the conditions and requirements of the law.

The patent law specifies that the subject matter must be “useful.” The term useful refers to the condition that the subject matter has a useful purpose and must operate. You cannot patent laws of nature, physical phenomena, and abstract ideas. A complete description of the actual machine or other subject-matter is required to obtain a patent.

Application for a Patent

 The IP AUSTRALIA offers standard and innovation patent applications. A standard patent application is for the full patent, which lasts 20 years. The innovation patent application is for a temporary patent that lasts for one year.

Standard Application for a Patent

According to the IP AUSTRALIA, a standard application for a patent is made to the assistant commissioner for patents and includes:

1. a written document that has a specification and an oath or declaration,
2. a drawing in those cases in which a drawing is necessary, and
3. the filing fee.

All application papers must be in the English language, or a translation into the English language is required. All application papers must be legibly written on only one side by either a typewriter or mechanical printer in a permanent dark ink or its equivalent in portrait orientation on flexible, strong, smooth, nonshiny, durable, white paper. Present the papers in a form having sufficient clarity and contrast between the paper and the writing to permit electronic reproduction. The application papers must all be the same size, either 21.0 cm by 29.7 cm (DIN size A4) or 21.6 cm by 27.9 cm (81¤2 3 11 in.). Application documents must have a top margin of at least 2.0 cm (3⁄4 in.), a left-side margin of at least 2.5 cm (1 in.), a right- side margin of at least 2.0 cm (3⁄4 in.), and a bottom margin of at least 2.0 cm (3⁄4 in.), with no holes made in the submit- ted papers. It is also required that the spacing on all papers be 11¤2 or double spaced, and the application papers must be numbered consecutively, centrally located above or below the text, starting with page 1. All required parts of the application must be complete before sending the application, and it is best to send all of the elements together. The IP AUSTRALIA numbers all applications received in serial order and the applicant will be informed of the application serial number and filing date by a filing receipt.

Innovation Application for a Patent

If you want protection for an invention with a short market life that might be superseded by newer innovations, such as computer-based inventions, an innovation patent is worth considering.

An innovation patent lasts up to eight years and is designed to protect inventions that do not meet the inventive threshold required for standard patents. It is a relatively quick and inexpensive way to obtain protection for your new device, substance, method or process.

The innovation patent requires an innovative step rather than an inventive step. An innovative step exists when the invention is different from what is known before, and the difference makes a substantial contribution to the working of the invention. The innovation patent protects an incremental advance on existing technology rather than being a groundbreaking invention.

An innovation patent is usually granted within a month of filing the complete application. This is because there is no examination before it is granted.

An innovation patent is only legally enforceable if it has been examined by us and found to meet the requirements of the Patents Act 1990, and has been certified. Examination of an innovation patent will only occur if requested by the patentee, a third party or if the Commissioner of Patents decides to examine the patent. The patentee will not be required to pay for examination until it is requested.

Phase-out of the innovation patent

The Australian Government has begun the process of phasing out the innovation patent with the passing of legislative amendments. This means:

• The last day you can file a new innovation patent will be 25 August 2021.
• Existing innovation patents that were filed on or before 25 August 2021 will continue in force until their expiry. This will ensure current rights holders are not disadvantaged.

The Government remains committed to dedicated support services to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) navigate the intellectual property (IP) system. Australian SMEs will receive further dedicated support, with an SME case management service, the SME fast track service, a dedicated outreach program and online portal, to be launched as the innovation patent is phased out over the next 18 months.

The quick guide to innovation versus standard patents

Patent Drawings

There is no requirement for a specific number of views. However, you must provide sufficient views to fully display your design, which usually requires a number of views.
We prefer traditional views (front, side and top) but will also accept perspective or isometric views. (See image).

All views must show exactly the same design. This particularly applies to colour, as colour is usually a visual feature of the design.

Key points for drawings

Drawings should:

• be accurately drawn, not sketches, with well-defined line-work
• only show the design in question and no descriptive wording or dimensions. However, labelling of views such as ‘perspective view’ or ‘rear views’ is acceptable
• on A4 size paper if lodged by post
• use broken or dashed lines when highlighting:
  • elements of the product other than those bearing the visual features of the design
  • parts of the design that are referred to in the statement of newness and distinctiveness
  • boundaries, such as a pattern applied to part of a surface, stitching and perforations
  • features that establish an environmental context.

Shading and cross-hatching can be used to show a visual feature of the design.

Key points for photographs or digital images

Photographs or digital images should:

• be clear originals
• show the product against a plain contrasting background and avoid matter not relevant to the design
• be A4 or mounted on A4 white paper if lodged by post.

Other details

If it’s a multiple design application, then each design should be clearly indicated, with each design shown on a separate sheet.

Complex products

Sometimes a design is applied to a part of a complex product, and that part can be readily assembled and disassembled from that product. If the component part qualifies as a product, then broader protection may be gained by defining this as a stand-alone part.

Trademarks

According to the IP AUSTRALIA publication Basic Facts About Registering a Trademark, a trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or combination of words, phrases, symbols, or designs that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods or services of one party from those of others. A service mark is the same as a trademark except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product. Normally, a mark for goods appears on the product or on its packaging, whereas a service mark appears in advertising for services. A trademark is different from a copyright or a patent. As previously explained, a copyright protects an original artistic or literary work, and a patent protects an invention.

Trademark rights start from the actual use of the mark or the filing of a proper application to register a mark in the AUSTRALIA stating that the applicant has a genuine intention to use the mark in commerce regulated by the AUSTRALIA. Federal registration is not required to establish rights in a mark, nor is it required to begin use of a mark. However, federal registration can secure benefits beyond the rights acquired by just using a mark. For example, the owner of a federal registration is presumed to be the owner of the mark for the goods and services specified in the registration and to be entitled to use the mark nationwide. Generally, the first party who either uses a mark in commerce or files an application in the AUSTRALIA has the ultimate right to register that mark. The authority of the AUSTRALIA is limited to determining the right to register. The right to use a mark can be more complicated to determine, particularly when two parties have begun use of the same or similar marks without knowledge of one another and neither has a federal registration. Only a court can make a decision about the right to use. Federal registration can provide significant advantages to a party involved in a court proceeding. The AUSTRALIA cannot provide advice concerning rights in a mark. Only a private attorney can provide such advice.

Intellectual Property Rights and Patent

Trademark rights can last indefinitely if the owner continues to use the mark to identify its goods or services. The term of federal trademark registration is ten years, with ten-year renewal terms. However, between the fifth and sixth year after the date of initial registration, the registrant must file an official paper giving certain information to keep the registration alive. The registration is cancelled if this is not done. Please confirm specific trademark details and requirements with the AUSTRALIA.

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 maximise 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.

ASTCAD provide excellent service for CAD Design and  Drafting. Contact Us for more info.

A modern CAD design office makes this possible — imagine being able to walk through your new home or office building, go into every room, try out different colours 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 and the Design Office

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 modelling.

In 1981 two solid modelling 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 modelling 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 modelling 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 modelling represents the high end of CAD. With 3D parametric solid modelling 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 colours and surface textures. Surface modelling combined with solid modelling 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 recognised 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 specialised 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 customise 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. ASTCAD provide excellent service for CAD Design and  Drafting. Contact Us for more info