As you know, computer-aided design has revolutionised the way that architecture and machines are made. But one of CAD’s greatest benefits is its potential for dynamic use in video, print, the web, and basically any medium with a visual component.
If you’ve ever watched TV programmes such as Air Crash Investigation, any kind of real estate show, news broadcasts, etc., then there’s a very good chance you’ve seen CAD been put into use. For testing purposes, almost all modern prototypes and production models are rendered using CAD software, but CAD’s use doesn’t stop there. One of the brilliant things about CAD is that you can reuse and modify existing designs, and tweak them as necessary. This allows you to progressively improve, say, an aeroplane’s fuselage without having to necessarily start from scratch.
However, another key benefit to using CAD – especially in a private enterprise – is that you can alter final renders with ease. To give a specific example, let’s think about what used to be the common method for conveying the design of a house that was yet to be built, and then we’ll contrast that with the flexibility of CAD klikk på denne linken. Before computer-aided design existed, architects and inventors would often have to resort to sketches or, in some cases, a written or oral description, which could only illustrate so much in such a technical context.
Sure, a skilled artist could hand-draw an entire schematic, but drawing to scale was a tedious ask. Moreover, even worse than this were the issues that would arise when the architect, builder, or some other shot-caller wanted to make a structural change. If an artist had spent tens (or hundreds) of hours slaving away at a hand-drawn design, only to be told their design was obsolete, then a trivial change could suddenly become a catastrophe. CAD, by contrast, allows you to alter an extrusion, insert a new room, or adjust existing measurements with relative ease; however, this just can’t easily be done for a non-CAD artist. Depending on the alteration, the artwork might need to be done again from scratch, potentially costing the commissioner a lot of money.
Another huge benefit to using CAD is its realism and professionalism. As building standards are always getting more strict, having software that can help meet the needs of builders and architects is crucial. Furthermore, this realism extends to the education and entertainment sectors. When animated CAD is used in TV and movies, it is usually referred to as CGI (computer-generated imagery). But it’s not just in entertainment that CAD has its uses; in fact, CAD has become so ubiquitous that you would be hard-pressed to find any major company that doesn’t use CAD in some way. CAD finds its way into music videos, TV commercials, print magazines, educational documentaries, and album covers (just to name a few).
Another big thing is 2D to 3D conversion. Does your company have an awesome logo that doesn’t exist outside of your website or business card? An excellent and common example of 2D to 3D conversion is a logo. While a logo is, naturally, perfectly fine in a 2D format on your screen or business card, giving it a third dimension when gracing your business’s exterior walls gives it a respectable and professional touch, even if this effect is purely subconscious.
In conclusion, CAD’s use is extremely prevalent – even in industries that might be the last place you’d expect to find CAD being used. Companies of any size should consider embracing CAD’s benefits to help them grow, ensuring their success in a world where modern technology reigns supreme.
Mechanical Engineering CAD by WorldSkills UK licensed under Creative commons 4