An Introduction to AutoCAD

In this Blog article, Reverse Engineering Service expert Mako GmbH introduces AutoCAD Software and explains why it is used in the industry.

In the old days, the only way that engineers and architects could illustrate their ideas was if they drew them out by hand. These days, pen and paper have been replaced by computers and design software like AutoCAD. With digital designs, those ideas are brought to life much faster and more efficiently.

What Is AutoCAD?

AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) software developed by the company Autodesk (hence the name AutoCAD). It allows you to draw and edit digital 2D and 3D designs more quickly and easily than you could using hand. The files can also be easily saved and stored in the cloud, so they be accessed anywhere at any time.

Here are a few other benefits of AutoCAD:

Easily Editable: Before the age of computers, a designer would have to manually revise designs. You would have to create an entirely new draft or edit the draft you had, which could become messy and difficult to interpret. With AutoCAD, you can easily change and manipulate designs.

Faster Production: You can create a re-useable block library to replicate design parts. Got a window system that works well? Use it again. A manufacturing component that you’ll need repeatedly? Save it to your block library to increase efficiencies. Saved files can be used and re-used later, which makes the design process faster than if you did it by hand.

High Accuracy: You can only draw something so small by hand, but AutoCAD allows you to design down to fractions. This creates a more accurate design in all dimensions.

Once your design is created, you can feed into a 3D printer or a machine for a prototype to be created. Or the measurements from the drawing can be used to create parts of something that can be built such as a building or house.

Who Uses AutoCAD?

As a CAD Drafter, you could use AutoCAD across a variety of industries. In mechanical engineering, you might use it to create manufacturing processes as well as to design motor parts, robots and other innovative objects. In electrical engineering, you might use it to map out electrical systems, and in civil engineering, you might use it as you help to design bridges and roads. Here are other professionals who use AutoCAD:

Architects: AutoCAD is often used to create blueprints and floor plans for houses and commercial buildings. It also comes with built-in tools that can analyze and remedy weaknesses in a building’s design.

Interior Designers: Similarly, AutoCAD can be used to imagine the interior of a building, whether it’s an eating space for a restaurant or a living space in a home.

Fine Artists: The abilities of AutoCAD are so wide ranging that even artists use it to draft sculptures, wood carvings, engravings, and experimental art pieces.

If you want to explore more about Reverse Engineering, CAD software and how to master them check out our Blog Posts here or contact us here to get in touch with a Reverse Engineering expert!