Types of CADD Software
There are many types of CADD software available. You can get CADD software from computer centers or install them from CADD CDs.
Some of the CADD software are AutoCAD, IntelliCAD, AutoCAD LT, Catiar, MarterCAM, Pspice, Autosketch and others. Among the many types of CADD software, the most common commonly used is AutoCAD.
Advantages of using CADD
Although there are other methods used to design and draft activities, CADD offers the following advantages over other methods in many cases :
* Accuracy
* Productivity for repetitive operations
* Sharing the CADD file with other software programs
Accuracy
Since CADD technology is based on computers, it offers great accuracy as compared to older "manual" methods of drafting and design. When you draw with a CADD system, the graphical elements, such as lines, arcs, and circles, are stored in the CADD file as numeric data. CADD systems store that numeric data with great precision. For example, AutoCAD stores values with fourteen significant digits. The value l, for example, is stored in scientific notation as the equivalent of 1.0000000000000. This precision provides you with the ability to create designs and drawings that are 100% accurate for almost every case.
Productivity for Repetitive Operations
It may be faster to create a simple "rough" drawing, such as a sketch by hand (pencil and paper), than it would by using a CADD system. However, for larger and more complex drawings, particularly those involving similar shapes or repetitive operations, CADD methods are very efficient. Any kind of shape or operation accomplished with the CADD system can be easily duplicated since it is stored in a CADD file. In short, it may take some time to set up the first drawing and create some of the initial geometry, but any of the existing geometry or drawing setups can be each duplicated in the current drawing or for new drawing.
Likewise, making changes to a CADD file (known as editing) is generally much faster than making changes to a traditional manual drawing. Since all the graphical elements in a CADD drawing are stored, only the affected components of the design or drawing need to be altered, and the drawing can be plotted or printed again or converted to other formats.
As CADD and the associated technology advance and software becomes more interconnected, more pro¬ductive developments are available. For example, it is possible to make a change to a 2-dimensional model that automatically causes a related change in the linked 2-dimensional engineering drawing. One of the main advantages of these technological advances is productivity.
Sharing the CADD File with Other Software Programs
CADD is not the only form of industrial activity that makes technological advances. Most industries use computer software to increase capability and productivity. Since software is written using digital information and may be written for the same or similar computer operating systems, it is possible and desirable to make software programs with the ability to share data or even inter-connect, possibly appearing simultaneously on one screen. Another advance in CADD technology is the automatic creation and inter-connectivity of a 2-dimensional drawing and a 3-dimensional model in one CADD file.
CADD however may not be the best tool for every design related activity. For example, CADD may help develop ideas but probably will not replace the idea sketch, at least not with present technology. A 3¬-dimensional CADD model can save much time and expense for some analysis and testing but cannot replace the "feel" of an actual model, at least not until virtual reality technology is developed and refined.
With everything considered, CADD offers many opportunities for increased accuracy, productivity, and inter-connectivity. Considering the speed at which this technology is advancing, many more opportuni¬ties are rapidly obtainable. However, we need to start with the basics. Beginning by learning to create an AutoCAD drawing is a good start.
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