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Introduction Computer-Aided Design (CAD), also known as Computer-Aided Drafting, is the use of computer software and systems to design

and create 2D and 3D virtual models of goods and products for the purposes of testing. It is also sometimes referred to as computer assisted drafting. Differences between CAD and CAM: summary CAM is almost effortless. CAD you need to be around all the time. CAD makes the designs of the objects such as the length, height, and shape e.t.c. Also the output is mainly a file describing how some thing is to be made. This may be a picture or set of instructions.CAM then, with the help of instructions from CAD, makes the object i.e. the finished object with the colour , size, feature etc CAD and CAM are fundamentally different. While CAD defines design features, CAM identifies manufacturing features. In other words, with CAD systems, you are creating something digitalthe product's computer imageand with CAM, you are creating something physicalthe actual product. Because of these basic differences, these systems have divergent focuses. For example, workflow and time are not important factors in CAD. Meanwhile, CAM is concerned with workflow because the sequence in which various processes are carried out can be crucial. Additionally, the concept of time is significant in CAM because a part undergoes changes as it moves through different machining processes overtime In product development, computer-aided design (CAD) automates the design process while computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) automates the manufacturing of CAD-generated product designs. Both systems are now widely used and have transformed much of our country's manufacturing processes. Explained Computer-aided design (CAD) involves creating computer models defined by geometrical parameters. These models typically appear on a computer monitor as a three-dimensional representation of a part or a system of parts, which can be readily altered by changing relevant parameters. CAD systems enable designers to view objects under a wide variety of representations and to test these objects by simulating real-world conditions. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) uses geometrical design data to control automated machinery. CAM systems are associated with computer numerical control (CNC) or direct numerical control (DNC) systems. These systems differ from older forms of numerical control (NC) in that geometrical data is encoded mechanically. Since both CAD and CAM use computer-based methods for encoding

geometrical data, it is possible for the processes of design and manufacture to be highly integrated. Computer-aided design and manufacturing systems are commonly referred to as CAD/CAM. The Origins of Cad/Cam CAD had its origins in three separate sources, which also serve to highlight the basic operations that CAD systems provide. The first source of CAD resulted from attempts to automate the drafting process. These developments were pioneered by the General Motors Research Laboratories in the early 1960s. One of the important time-saving advantages of computer modeling over traditional drafting methods is that the former can be quickly corrected or manipulated by changing a model's parameters. The second source of CAD was in the testing of designs by simulation. The use of computer modeling to test products was pioneered by high-tech industries like aerospace and semiconductors. The third source of CAD development resulted from efforts to facilitate the flow from the design process to the manufacturing process using numerical control (NC) technologies, which enjoyed widespread use in many applications by the mid-1960s. It was this source that resulted in the linkage between CAD and CAM. One of the most important trends in CAD/CAM technologies is the ever-tighter integration between the design and manufacturing stages of CAD/CAM-based production processes. The development of CAD and CAM and particularly the linkage between the two overcame traditional NC shortcomings in expense, ease of use, and speed by enabling the design and manufacture of a part to be undertaken using the same system of encoding geometrical data. This innovation greatly shortened the period between design and manufacture and greatly expanded the scope of production processes for which automated machinery could be economically used. Just as important, CAD/CAM gave the designer much more direct control over the production process, creating the possibility of completely integrated design and manufacturing processes. The rapid growth in the use of CAD/CAM technologies after the early 1970s was made possible by the development of mass-produced silicon chips and the microprocessor, resulting in more readily affordable computers. As the price of computers continued to decline and their processing power improved, the use of CAD/CAM broadened from large firms using large-scale mass production techniques to firms of all sizes. The scope of operations to which CAD/CAM was applied broadened as well. In addition to parts-shaping by traditional machine tool processes such as stamping, drilling, milling, and grinding, CAD/CAM has come to be used by firms involved in producing consumer electronics, electronic components, moulded plastics, and a host of other products. Computers are also used to control a number of manufacturing processes (such as chemical processing) that are not strictly defined as CAM because the control data are not based on geometrical parameters. Using CAD, it is possible to simulate in three dimensions the movement of a part through a production

process. This process can simulate feed rates, angles and speeds of machine tools, the position of partholding clamps, as well as range and other constraints limiting the operations of a machine. The continuing development of the simulation of various manufacturing processes is one of the key means by which CAD and CAM systems are becoming increasingly integrated. CAD/CAM systems also facilitate communication among those involved in design, manufacturing, and other processes. This is of particular importance when one firm contracts another to either design or produce a component. Advantages and Disadvantages Modeling with CAD systems offers a number of advantages over traditional drafting methods that use rulers, squares, and compasses. For example, designs can be altered without erasing and redrawing. CAD systems also offer "zoom" features analogous to a camera lens, whereby a designer can magnify certain elements of a model to facilitate inspection. Computer models are typically three dimensional and can be rotated on any axis, much as one could rotate an actual three dimensional model in one's hand, enabling the designer to gain a fuller sense of the object. CAD systems also lend themselves to modeling cutaway drawings, in which the internal shape of a part is revealed, and to illustrating the spatial relationships among a system of parts. To understand CAD it is also useful to understand what CAD cannot do. CAD systems have no means of comprehending real-world concepts, such as the nature of the object being designed or the function that object will serve. CAD systems function by their capacity to codify geometrical concepts. Thus the design process using CAD involves transferring a designer's idea into a formal geometrical model. In CADCAM: From Principles to Practice, Chris Mc-Mahon and Jimmie Browne summarize limitations of existing CAD/CAM systems as follows: "There is a widespread view that CAD is not yet adequate as an aid to the designer in generating a design. CAD is considered to concentrate rather too much on providing means of representing the final form of the design, whereas designers also need a continual stream of advice and information to assist in decision making. The tasks of CAD systems of the future are therefore to represent a wider variety of a design's properties, in terms that are familiar to engineers, and of a company's organization and equipment that influence design." Other limitations to CAD are being addressed by research and development in the field of expert systems. This field derived from research done on artificial intelligence. One example of an expert system involves incorporating information about the nature of materialstheir weight, tensile strength, flexibility, and so oninto CAD software. By including this and other information, the CAD system could then "know" what an expert engineer knows when that engineer creates a design. The system could then mimic the engineer's thought pattern and actually "create" a design. Expert systems might involve the implementation of more abstract principles, such as the nature of gravity and friction, or the

function and relation of commonly used parts, such as levers or nuts and bolts. Expert systems might also come to change the way data is stored and retrieved in CAD/CAM systems, supplanting the hierarchical system with one that offers greater flexibility. One of the key areas of development in CAD technologies is the simulation of performance. Among the most common types of simulation are testing for response to stress and modeling the process by which a part might be manufactured or the dynamic relationships among a system of parts. In stress tests, model surfaces are shown by a grid or mesh, that distort as the part comes under simulated physical or thermal stress. Dynamics tests function as a complement or substitute for building working prototypes. The ease with which a part's specifications can be changed facilitates the development of optimal dynamic efficiencies, both as regards the functioning of a system of parts and the manufacture of any given part. Simulation is also used in electronic design automation, in which simulated flow of current through a circuit enables the rapid testing of various component configurations. The processes of design and manufacture are, in some sense, conceptually separable. Yet the design process must be undertaken with an understanding of the nature of the production process. It is necessary, for example, for a designer to know the properties of the materials with which the part might be built, the various techniques by which the part might be shaped, and the scale of production that is economically viable. The conceptual overlap between design and manufacture is suggestive of the potential benefits of CAD and CAM and the reason they are generally considered together as a system. Recent technical developments have fundamentally impacted the utility of CAD/CAM systems. For example, the ever-increasing processing power of personal computers has given them viability as a vehicle for CAD/CAM application. Another important trend is toward the establishment of a single CAD-CAM standard, so that different data packages can be exchanged without manufacturing and delivery delays, unnecessary design revisions, and other problems that continue to bedevil some CADCAM initiatives. Finally, CAD-CAM software continues to evolve on a continuing basis in such realms as visual representation and integration of modeling and testing applications. Benefits of Computer-Aided Design In the field of product development there are often immense costs associated with the testing of new products. Every new product must undergo at least a small measure of physical testing not only to ensure that it meets minimum safety standards but also to ensure that it will successfully operate under the range of conditions to which it can expect to be exposed. For instance, the wing of an aeroplane must undergo stress tests to ensure that it will retain its integrity even under the most gruelling weather and turbulence conditions before it is approved for use. Unfortunately, this testing can be ruinously time-consuming and expensive. If an aeronautical company

has to physically build dozens of wings in the course of testing a new design then the final cost and time scale of the project can be far higher than projected. Fortunately, there is no need to physically test all of these designs. Instead, developers can run virtual stress tests using computer-aided design, substituting a wind tunnel for a CAD application that can simulate the same conditions. The benefits of virtual simulations are obvious. In addition to a reduction in the cost of product development and the time required to run tests there is also the advantage that conceptual designs can be modified instantly as the tests progress. Perhaps one of the best examples of this versatility can be seen in the design of the aeroplane wing. The science of aerodynamics is complex, and it is often the case that certain wing shapes can create unexpected turbulence under certain conditions. When this occurs during physical testing it can be a challenge to discover the problem and make alterations. When running virtual tests using CAD, however, alterations to the design can be made quickly and easily, so new designs can be tested and retested until the problem is resolved. Business Applications for CAD While Computer-Aided Design can be an excellent tool for performing stress tests on conceptual products, there are still more potential uses. * Idea Generation With the limiting factor of prototype manufacture removed, CAD allows the process of idea generation to become much more flexible. Enterprises can afford to be more open to new ideas and suggestions than in the past from both employees and potential customers. Suggestions for new products can be quickly tested at a much lower cost than in the past. * Augmentation CAD opens up the possibility to make slight improvements on new product designs instantly. While this can be of great benefit in the design of a new product it can also be extremely useful for investigating possible improvements to existing products or even reverse engineering and augmenting the products of competitors. * Market Testing Through designing new products using CAD it becomes possible to begin the process of market testing much earlier than in the past. Focus groups can be presented with virtual mock-ups of new products more quickly than would be possible with physical prototypes, and alterations can be made based on their feedback almost instantly. Since modifications can be made simply by entering new data into the CAD software, updated virtual mock-ups can be presented to the same audience for further feedback

during the same session. CAD may be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space; or curves, surfaces, and solids in three-dimensional (3D) objects. CAD is an important industrial art extensively used in many applications, including automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics, and many more. CAD is also widely used to produce computer animation for special effects in movies, advertising and technical manuals. The modern ubiquity and power of computers means that even perfume bottles and shampoo dispensers are designed using techniques unheard of by engineers of the 1960s. Because of its enormous economic importance, CAD has been a major driving force for research in computational geometry, computer graphics (both hardware and software), and discrete differential geometry. Components of a CAD system: they can be classified broadly into the software and the hardware. The software being the program that the user will interact with to draw, modify, store & plot his/her work. The hardware contains the workstations (or personal computers), the plotter & the server (for networked systems). The software: it provides the user with all the necessary tools to draw/sketch, modify, add dimensions, cross hatch, send & plot his/her drawing. These tools are displayed on the monitor's screen. The program will allow more than 1 approach for entering the commands or performing the required functions. The screen may be divided into the following sections: menu bar (or sometimes called pull down menus), standard tool bar, ribbon bar (or object properties tool bar), drawing window with cursor, draw (quick) tool bar, modify tool bar, coordinate system icon, model & layout tab, command window with command line, status line with toggle buttons and feature (history) tree. In general, when a tool bar icon is clicked 1 of 3 actions will take place: a dialog box will be displayed, a function (subtool) bar will be displayed having additional functions that relate to the clicked tool bar icon or a specific action occurs. The hardware: The personal computer will be a Pentium or compatible microprocessor with adequate amount of RAM (64 MB or more preferred), compatible operating system, SVGA (or VGA) monitor card, hard drive with sufficient space (capacity) to install the software package, mouse, parallel communication port, serial communication port and modem to connect to the Internet. The plotter connected to the network can be classified into either vector or raster devices. The first receives the information (to be plotted) sent by CAD programs (as vectors (lines based on mathematical coordinate data) and handles it directly (as isvectors). The latter handles the information received indirectly i. e. translating the vector data to form an image composed of dots (raster). An example for a vector device is the pen plotter. Any of the following is a raster devices: dot matrix (impact) printers, thermal, laser &

electrostatic printers/plotters. How does a CAD system work? Vectors are used to describe specific objects (entities) defining their size, position & geometry. The image seen on screen in a CAD application is only a visual representation of the vector file. The vector information in a CAD file is mathematical (it is not stored as an image). All CAD software packages uses vector objects instead of raster. The primary benefits is the ability to precisely describe, create, scale & manipulate individual entities. All graphics objects are modeled in relation to a fixed world coordination systems with global origin at the bottom left corner of the drawing area (X-axis pointing to the right, Y-axis pointing upward). At any time the user can set up a temporary user coordinate system by moving the origin and/or rotating the axis. All data is entered relative to that temporary axis system (but is converted automatically & stored in world coordinates). An entity is the smallest object that can be placed on the screen, for example Line, Circle, Arc, Text, Polylines. The entities are stored & referenced in the drawing database. Each entity has a detailed description in the CAD database. For example the single line may contain the following attributes (equivalent to column heading or field in a database): entity name, entity type, layer upon which the line is drawn, colour of line, beginning XY coordinate, ending XY coordinate, line type plus other data that is needed to fully describe the entity. An entity list for a circle may contain entity name (which is a hexadecimal number, it changes every time a drawing is opened, it is never saved), entity type (in DXF group code it is 0, text string fixed e.g. "CIRCLE", :LINE",..), colour (in DXF group code is 62), primary point (10, the center of a circle as in this case or the start point of a line or text entity), floating point values (40, radius of a circle or text height) & layer name (8, eg. "0", "LAYER1",..). The CAD database objects include both geometrical objects such as circles, lines, poly-lines, etc and nongeometrical objects as symbol tables & dictionaries. The CGMs (computer graphics metafile) are created to become the final output that end users will look at, the IGES (initial graphic exchange specification) files are used for engineering data interchange between different CAD systems. To publish engineering drawings to the Internet, the completed CAD drawing (.dwg or .dxf files) is rasterized (convert to a raster file format) that can be viewed by a Web browser. The rasterized format can be for example PNG, JPEG, GIF. These can be published using IMG tag in HTML. Certain plugins to the browsers can allow the user to view DXF, DWG, HPGL or DWF (hybrid format) without the need to rasterize such drawings. It also allows him/her to modify the drawing prior to saving it to a local drive. Back to the basics, the fundamental functionality of a CAD program would include: 1) Creating or accessing files as drawings, plots, merge. 2) Editing functions as undo, redo, cut/copy, paste, mode.

3) 2D viewing functions as zoom, pan, show, hide. 4) Drawing facilities which create objects (entities) such as lines, circles, arcs, polylines. 5) Dimension functions. 6) Selecting & unselecting functions. 7) Modifying functions as transform, fillet, modifying text. 8) Query functions which inquire about objects as measure. 9) Tools functions as symbols, attributes, preferences. Some of these functions are accessed from the drop down menus other from the tool bars and some are available to be run from menus as well as tool bars. Certain commands are only available from the command line. Features of CAD systems The functions of the modern features of modern CAD systems include: (1) Design component reuse (Reuse of design components) (2) Simple design changes and version control functions (Ease of design modification and versioning) (3) design standard components of the automatically generated (Automatic generation of standard components of the design) (4) Whether the design rules to meet the requirements and the actual test (Validation / verification of designs against specifications and design rules) (5) Without building physical prototypes The design simulation (Simulation of designs without building a physical prototype) (6) Assembly (a bunch of parts or other assemblies) and automatic design (7), the output of engineering documentation, such as manufacturing drawings, BOM (Bill of Materials) (8) Design to production equipment directly to the output (9) To rapid prototyping or rapid prototyping machine manufacturing industry output directly MicroStation CAD Software AutoCAD is famous international and two-dimensional and threedimensional CAD design software, the first version of the Bentley Brothers developed in 1986. Other CAD programs ArchiCAD The Future of CAD Since the early development of Computer-Aided Design we have seen a trend towards increasing accessibility. When CAD applications became available for product development in the 1960s it was only the largest of enterprises that could afford to make use of the technology the aerospace and

automobile

industries,

for

instance.

As computer technology developed, Computer-Aided Design made the move from dedicated systems to general-use personal computers, opening the door for smaller enterprises and individual users. Today it is possible to run most CAD software (and even some high-end 3D packages) on typical desktop PCs. In the future we can expect further advances in 3D software packages, allowing users a more simple and intuitive experience. Perhaps most exciting for CAD users is the fact that the cost of 3D printing will steadily decline, opening up a whole new avenue in the product development process. Not only will CAD users be able to make instant modifications to their conceptual designs, but they will also be able to instantly create a physical prototype solving an inherent drawback of virtual product development. Describe the differences between raster graphics and vector graphics The difference between a raster graphic and a vector graphic refers to the way information is organized to display an image. This means that a raster graphic is created by combining many small points of information. An easy way to think of a raster graphic is to picture an image in a comic book that is made up of many small dots of color. Depending on the number of dots, the quality of the picture is determined. A vector graphic is also a picture but the information is communicated in another way. To use another juvenile example, a vector graphic is like a dot-to-dot. It has important points that determine what the picture will look like. In Flash, we create vector graphics when we turn pictures into symbols. Since the computer only has to store the information about the key points in the graphic, the size of these images is much smaller than that of a raster graphic which stores information about each individual point. In addition, since vector graphics rely on key points to make up the image, changing those points and the information associated with them allow the use to change the image. This can be particularly helpful when creating movies because once the symbol, vector graphic, is programmed into the library it can be use multiple times without taking up more file space. Only the information necessary to describe the changes are stored in the document. The difference between vector and raster graphics is that raster graphics are composed of pixels, while vector graphics are composed of paths. A raster graphic, such as a gif or jpeg, is an array of pixels of various colors, which together form an image. A vector graphic, such as an .eps file or Adobe Illustrator? file, is composed of paths, or lines, that are either straight or curved. The data file for a vector image contains the points where the paths start and end, how much the paths curve, and the colors that either border or fill the paths. Because vector graphics are not made of pixels, the images

can be scaled to be very large without losing quality. Raster graphics, on the other hand, become "blocky," since each pixel increases in size as the image is made larger. This is why logos and other designs are typically created in vector format -- the quality will look the same on a business card as it will on a billboard. AutoCAD allows you to have access to a large number of commands. A general rule is that you will use 20% of the commands 80% of the time. I will start by introducing you to the most common drawing commands. When you combine these with the basic modify commands, you will be able to make elaborate drawings quite quickly. The important thing to remember is that AutoCAD will expect you give it information in a very particular order. The most frustrating thing when you begin using this program is that you will try to do something, but AutoCAD will 'not work'. In most cases, it means that you are trying to input information at the wrong time. This is why it is very important to be in the habit of looking at the command line.

Command Keystroke

Icon

Location

Result Draw a straight line segment from one point to the next

Line

Line / L

Home > LIne

Circle

Circle / C

Home> Circle > Center, Radius Modify > Erase

Draws a circle based on a center point and radius.

Erase

Erase / E Print / Plot CTRL+P U / CTRL+Z

Erases an object.

Print

Quick Access Enables the Print/Plot Toolbar > Print Configuration Dialog Box Quick Access Undoes the last command. Toolbar> Undo

Undo

Why use templates A drawing template file is used to provide consistency in the drawings that you create by providing standard styles and settings. Drawing template files have a .dwt file extension. When you create a new drawing based on an existing drawing template file and make changes, the changes in the new drawing do not affect the drawing template file. AutoCAD uses a template every time it starts up. If you do not designate your own template, AutoCAD will use a default one. A template is a drawing file that includes some of the following settings:

Unit type and precision (DDRMODES) Drawing limits (LIMITS) Snap, Grid, and Ortho settings (Status Bar) Layer organization (LA) Title blocks (Tutorial) Dimension and text styles (DDIM, ST) Linetypes (LT) Common blocks (Tutorial)

In most cases, you do not want to set these things every time you begin a drawing. By having a template with all of these parameters pre-set, you can work more efficiently, faster and consistently. There is no difference between a template file (DWT) and regular DWG other than the extension. Most CAD businesses use a company-wide template that is updated from time to time. Occasionally, you will use a client's template. When you start a project, you will be told which template you are to use. Creating a Template To create a template drawing, you first have to set up any parameters that you feel you would need (see the list above) in a regular drawing. Once you have this, you can save your drawing as a template. Do to this, press CTRL+SHIFT+S to get the Save As' option. You will see this dialog box:

What Are the Benefits of Using a CAD System for Architectural Drafting?

Computer aided design (CAD) refers to the computer-based process of creating drawings needed to manufacture goods in every industrial sector, including those that build homes and other architectural structures. CAD tools replace most of the manual tools that architects have traditionally used, including rulers, compasses and templates. CADs one significant drawback is the time required to learn it.

Automated Drawing

One benefit of using CAD to create architectural plans is automated drawing. This automation is possible because CAD software makes a digital representation of a complete, three dimensional (3-D) structure of an object, rather than isolated 2-D drawings. Assume an example where an architect using hand-based tools is depicting a structure by drawing its top and front views. If this architect were using CAD software, she wouldnt need to draw these two separate views. Instead, she could create a 3-D model that represents the needed structure. Her program will automatically and instantly create the top and front views of this structure, along with any other views (for example, back, bottom, left) needed.

More Realistic Models

Another benefit of using CAD is the ease of making pictorial drawings, including animated ones. Pictorial drawings are 3-D views of a structure being designed. Architects using manual tools draw these views from 2-D views that represent the structures top, left, front or other standard orthographic viewpoints. Architects using CAD software do not draw pictorial views, but let their program generate them from its internal 3-D representation of the structure. Architects can also direct their CAD program to make the pictorial drawing photorealistic, which is extremely difficult and time-consuming for an architect using manual tools to achieve.

Adaptability

Even the most innovative architectural plans are based on existing plans. For example, when an architect is asked to draw up plans for a house, hell base his new drawing on a particular style of house, such as Colonial, or Dutch. If the architect is using CAD to design the house, hell likely have access to complete, existing plans in the styles just mentioned. Such access is analogous to loading form letter templates into a word processing program, when a new letter needs to be written.

After the architect loads in the house template, he can tailor it to meet the specific requirements of his client. Without CAD, an architect can use existing designs, but must physically trace them, then erase and redraw lines to conform the templates design to this specific clients needs. These extra tasks introduce potentially more errors into the final design, not to mention greatly increasing the time needed to produce that design. Advantages of 3D over 2D drafting A number of decisions have to be made which directly affect the product's overall and total cost. One of the first decisions that has to be made deals with the initial design. At one time, engineers had to convert from manual design and drafting on a drawing board to 2D CAD. Now we are starting to see a new shift in the field cad design. Within the past decade, the engineering, design and drafting world has been experiencing a shift from 2d to 3d cad. Many inventors and companies still use 2d drawings and are starting to realize the benefit of skipping the 2d step and starting off with a 3d design because 3d modeling can save time and money as well as improve customer relations. This article will explain why inventors should take 3d cad into strong consideration. These types of transitions occur from time to time and are completely normal. Many engineers will argue with these facts because only about 50% of the engineers out there use 3d modeling software, but the fact still remains that 3d cad models can save time and money in the long run and there are many

facts that prove that the assumption that the use of 2d cad drawings is inexpensive is simply a myth. The truth is that making 2d drawings is fast and easy, but the output is still a 2D drawing, which does not readily work with downstream systems like purchasing and manufacturing. In some cases 2d drawings are sufficient but 90% of the time they are not. In prototyping, for example, a 3d model has to be made because most of the prototyping machines require 3d data. In fact, the majority of the machines used to manufacture parts need 3d cad files and do not read 2d cad drawings because 2d drawings do not contain all information needed to develop a three-dimensional product. When using 2d cad drawings during the manufacturing stage, numerous problems arise. Viewing 3d cad models helps identify errors early. These errors can be found while simulating the matching and mating of parts. Through the use of 3d cad, the assembly process of any given product can be simulated, visualized and analyzed before the design goes into production. 3d cad models are essential beforehand in determining the volume of material needed to mold specific parts as well. The use of 3d cad files also ensures that a design has sufficient room for other parts within the design. Through the use of 3d cad modeling, engineers are able to create better designs than meet the unique requirements of any client in a relatively short amount of time. The internet has many tools that allow multiple individuals to communicate and collaborate online. 3d models of products or parts can be analyzed and looked at and edited in real time through the use of desktop sharing and/or a whiteboard. From an esthetic point of view, the use 3d cad is substantially more beneficial. A design in 3d is more realistic and the engineer has a better ability to make a design more attractive. Collaboration between fellow engineers, clients and suppliers comes at greater ease because 3d cad files are 3 dimensional models of a specific part or application. It's much easier to communicate and collaborate when looking at a 3d model simply because It's easier to point out elements and explain what changes need to be made. In addition, 3d cad is not only advantages for determining the volume of the entire project and of each part included within the design for the sole purpose of knowing how much material is necessary to develop a certain quantity, but all dimensions can be observed with ease. The total weight, width, height, length and volume very often can be crucial elements in a design, especially when performing a structural analysis and when meeting legal requirements. Testing specific alternatives and dimension changes is simple not feasible without a 3D system. Designers must find room for specific elements and components within the design.

3d cad designers are able to test alternatives in less time. Alternative designs having alternative dimensions using alternative materials can be created easily. We all can agree that optimizing designs in a short time frame can also be very beneficial. Reducing a design's physical size and weight by 50% while making the parts stronger is unheard of with 2d cad drawings. This can be done in a relatively short amount of time through the use of 3d cad. The use of 3d cad models is replacing the use of 2d cad drawings. 3d cad is simply more accurate than 2d cad drawings. The end result is better product, optimized in size, weight with better performance, no faults in the design, in less time, for less money. It's advanced nature allows designers to work on more complex models. The use of 3d cad technology reduces human error. Just as the use of the drawing board deteriorated overtime due to the advent of 2d cad software, the use of 2d cad files is becoming extinct because of the growing need for 3d cad technology to create better products, more efficiently.

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