Computer-assisted drawing, also known as CAD, has greatly evolved over the past few years and has shaken up the profession of the industrial designer. Indeed, the age of freehand drawings is over, and engineers and manufacturers of all kinds of objects now rely on computer-assisted drawings. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of using them.
What is CAD?
Computer-assisted drawing (CAD) is a technique for executing graphical commands in the aim of creating technical drawings. Using computer software, the pencil is therefore replaced by the mouse and the keyboard, which makes it possible to create plans and increasingly specific technical elements in order to realize any type of project, regardless of the industry.
Fast modification, addition, and deletion
In any design process, it’s rare that the first draft is the one that’s kept for the final rendering of a project. A drawing usually needs to be looked over several times so that each trade working on the project can adjust it according to their own needs. Computer-assisted drawing therefore offers you the great advantage of being able to make multiple modifications, additions, or deletions of elements quickly and easily, without ruining the whole drawing. Unlike handmade drawings, modifying a computer-assisted drawing doesn’t require completely reproducing it.
Easier data use
In the fields of object design, engineering, and architecture, several people often have to work on the same project. While it was previously always necessary to consult or even meet with every other stakeholder in order to make progress on the design of this project, thanks to computer-assisted drawing, this can now be transferred and managed by several people at the same time. CAD therefore allows for simplified management, transfer, and reproduction. It also lets you archive a document without the fear of losing it or not being able to access it on the other side of the world.
Less vulnerable
Any handmade drawing remains a vulnerable object that, unlike a computer-assisted drawing, can be damaged, stolen, lost, or even accidentally destroyed. Because they’re computerized, CADs are automatically saved and therefore remain completely safe as long as the computer that contains them is also protected.
Faster drawing
While before, a freehand drawing could take several hours to be made and require a significant number of items (a drawing board, pencils, a scale, a triangle, or a ruler), a computer-assisted drawing can be created using just a computer. The lines and shapes can be drawn very quickly with a few simple clicks of the mouse, and all the related tasks can be automated, which can greatly increase the chances of success of a project that has to be delivered quickly.
Less prone to mistakes
Because machines have surpassed the human level when it comes to the accuracy of their drawings, computer-assisted drawing involves very few poorly drawn lines and therefore makes it possible to work with extreme precision. In addition, since the error is human, if the designer makes a mistake that’s hard to see in 2D, the 3D representation will allow them to see it immediately, and the error can therefore be corrected quickly, well before the project moves on to its next phase.
Thanks to its many advantages, computer-assisted drawing has quickly become an essential element in custom production in almost every field that uses drawings, such as architecture, engineering, and mechanics.