Computer-Aided Design Software

Computer-Aided Design Software

 

What is a Computer-Aided Design?

Computer-Aided Design or CAD is a computer software-based technology to design a product and document its design process in detail. Further, it is a digital form of engineering drawing and design created by using CAD software.

So, it gives complete detail of a product geometry in graphical form using engineering drawing graphical symbols such as lines, planes, and shapes.

Computer-Aided Design software is very helpful to create a 2D or 3D drawing, model, or assembly of a product or anything. Also, it has completely replaced the manual drawing and drafting work.

So, it provides tons of benefits in the form of resource-saving, design consistency, dimensional accuracy, and tolerances.

Further, designers, drafters, architects, and engineers use 2D or 3D CAD software. Because this software helps them to draft construction documentation, generate more design ideas, analyze the design model, and simulate the designed model.

Moreover, professionals also use some other concepts related to CAD such as computer-aided geometric design (CAGD) and computer-aided design and drafting (CADD).

Uses of Computer-Aided Design Software

Computer-aided design software has applications in almost every product design or architecture work. Thus, the use of computer-aided design tools is very helpful for designers, drafters, architects, and engineers.

So, the detailed 2D and 3D engineering design of components help in the manufacturing process to understand the product geometry, dimensions, and tolerances. Moreover, it can be integrated into computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software to generate code for CNC Manufacturing of the product.

Further, it helps to create conceptual designs, analyze the design parameters, and simulate the real-world model. Also, a rendered model of the product helps to perceive the actual look of the product.

The architects use CAD software to make a 2D or 3D draft of the conceptual design idea. So, structural tools are applied to analyze the structural parameters or design.

Best Computer-Aided Design Software

There are several CAD software available in the market. Some are very specific to the end-user. However, some are general and helpful for a wide range of applications.

Thus, the following are the most popular and developed CAD software in the market at this moment:

  1. AutoCAD
  2. Autodesk Inventor
  3. SolidWorks
  4. SketchUp
  5. Solid Edge
  6. Siemens PLM Software
  7. CATIA
  8. PTC Creo
  9. Fusion 360°
  10. Rhino
  11. PowerShape
  12. ArchiCAD
  13. Tinker CAD
  14. GrabCAD Workbench
  15. Codeware COMPRESS
  16. CorelCAD