Computer-aided design facts for kids
Computer-aided design (CAD) is when people use computers to help them create, change, look at, or make designs better. This special software helps designers work faster and create higher quality designs. It also makes it easier to share ideas and keep track of all the design information. CAD designs can even help protect new inventions when applying for a patent. The designs often become digital files used for printing, making parts, or other manufacturing steps. Sometimes, people also call it computer-aided drafting or computer-aided design and drafting.
CAD is used in many areas. For designing electronic systems, it's called electronic design automation (EDA). For mechanical things, like machines or car parts, it's called mechanical design automation (MDA). This includes making technical drawings using computer software.
CAD software for mechanical design can use different types of graphics. Some use vector graphics, which are like lines and shapes, to show traditional drawings. Others might create raster graphics, which are like pictures, to show what the finished object will look like. But CAD is more than just shapes! It also includes important details like what material to use, how to make the product, its dimensions (size), and how exact the measurements need to be.
You can use CAD to design curves and shapes in two-dimensional (2D) space, which is flat. Or, you can design curves, surfaces, and solid objects in three-dimensional (3D) space, which has depth.
CAD is a very important tool used in many industries. This includes designing cars, ships, and airplanes. It's also used for industrial and architectural design (like designing buildings), prosthetics (artificial body parts), and much more. CAD is even used to make computer animation for special effects in movies, commercials, and technical manuals. This is often called digital content creation. Today, computers are so powerful that even perfume bottles and shampoo dispensers are designed using CAD. Because CAD is so important for businesses, it has helped a lot of research in computer graphics and computational geometry.
Sometimes, designing shapes for objects is specifically called computer-aided geometric design (CAGD).
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What CAD Does
CAD is one of many tools that engineers and designers use. It helps them in different ways, depending on what they are designing and the software they use.
CAD is a key part of creating new products digitally. It works with other tools, which can be built into the same software or be separate programs. These other tools include:
- Computer-aided engineering (CAE): This helps engineers test designs virtually.
- Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM): This creates instructions for machines to build the designs.
- Photorealistic rendering: This makes designs look like real photos.
- Document management: This helps organize and track changes to designs.
CAD is also used to create realistic pictures for environmental reports. For example, designers can put computer-made images of new buildings onto photos of existing places. This helps people see what the area will look like. CAD can also check if a new building will block views or create shadows.
Types of CAD
There are different types of CAD software, and each one makes you think about designing in a slightly different way. Almost all CAD tools use "constraints." These are like rules that define how parts of your design relate to each other, like making sure two lines are always parallel.
2D CAD
Many simple 2D drawing systems exist, including some free ones. These programs make it easy to draw flat designs. You can easily change the size and placement of things on your drawing, which is much harder when drawing by hand.
3D CAD
3D wireframe is like drawing in 2D but in a three-dimensional space. You have to add each line manually. These models don't have weight or volume, and you can't easily add features like holes directly to them. However, you can use a wireframe model to create final engineering drawings.
3D "dumb" solids are made by adding or subtracting basic 3D shapes, like building with blocks. You can easily create 2D drawings from these models. But these basic 3D solids usually don't have tools to easily move parts, set limits on their movement, or check if parts crash into each other.
There are several types of 3D solid modeling:
- Parametric modeling lets you design with "design intent." This means you create objects and features in a way that makes them easy to change later. If you want a hole to always be in the center of a part, you design it that way. If you change the part's size, the hole will stay in the center. This helps keep the design working correctly even after changes.
- Direct or explicit modeling lets you change the shape of your design directly, without needing to go back to how it was first made. Once you create a shape, you can just modify it. Like parametric modeling, direct modeling can keep relationships between parts, like making sure surfaces touch perfectly.
- Assembly modelling is when you put together many single parts that you've already designed into a final product. These assemblies can be very complex, especially in building design, where people use computer-aided architectural design software.
Freeform CAD
The most advanced CAD systems let designers create more natural, artistic, and comfortable shapes. Freeform surface modeling is often combined with solid models. This allows designers to create products that not only work well with machines but also look good and fit the human body comfortably.
How CAD Works
In the past, CAD software was made using older computer languages like Fortran. But with newer ways of programming, this has changed a lot. Today's CAD systems are built from many parts, often using the C programming language. They have a graphical user interface (GUI) that you interact with. This GUI works with complex math to create shapes (like NURBS geometry) or solid models. A "geometry constraint engine" helps manage how different parts of your design relate to each other.
These smart relationships in CAD have led to something new called digital prototyping. Instead of building a physical model, you can create a virtual one on the computer. This saves time because you don't have to actually build anything. Sometimes, a physical object is scanned into a computer to create a CAD model. Depending on the project, you might choose to start with a digital or a physical prototype.
Today, you can find CAD systems for almost all computer types, including Windows, Linux, UNIX, and Mac OS X. Some software even works on multiple types of computers.
Most CAD software doesn't need super special computer parts. However, some CAD tasks can be very demanding. So, a good graphics card, fast CPUs (maybe even more than one), and lots of RAM are often recommended for the best performance.
You usually control CAD with a computer mouse, but you can also use a pen and a graphics tablet. To move around and look at your 3D model, some people use special devices like a Spacemouse. Some systems even let you wear special glasses to see the 3D model in a more realistic way. Technologies that used to be only for big companies or special uses are now available to many people. This includes virtual reality headsets and motion-sensing devices.
CAD Software
Starting in the mid-1960s, CAD systems began to do much more than just let you draw on a computer. Companies saw that switching to CAD saved money and time. The software started doing many tasks automatically, like creating lists of parts needed (bills of materials) or checking if parts would crash into each other. Eventually, CAD even helped designers do engineering calculations. This was a huge change in engineering, as the jobs of drafters, designers, and engineers started to combine. CAD showed how much computers were changing industries.
Today's CAD software ranges from simple 2D drawing programs to advanced 3D solid and surface modelers. Modern CAD programs often let you rotate designs in three dimensions. This means you can look at your design from any angle, even from the inside! Some CAD software can also do dynamic math modeling.
CAD technology is used to design tools and machines. It's also used for drawing and designing all kinds of buildings, from small houses to huge hospitals and factories.
CAD is mainly used for making detailed 3D models or 2D drawings of physical parts. But it's also used throughout the entire engineering process. This includes the first ideas for a product, checking how strong parts are, seeing how assemblies move, and figuring out how to manufacture them. You can also use CAD to design things like jewelry, furniture, and appliances. Many CAD programs now offer advanced ways to make designs look real and even create animations. This helps engineers see their product designs better.
CAD has become a very important technology. It helps lower the cost of developing new products and makes the design process much faster. CAD lets designers create and develop their work on a computer screen, print it out, and save it for future changes. This saves a lot of time compared to drawing by hand.
List of CAD Software
CAD software helps engineers and architects design, check, and manage engineering projects. They do this using a graphical user interface (GUI) on a computer. Most programs support solid modeling and let you share your designs in many different file types.
Based on how much they are used, commercial software from Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, Siemens PLM Software, and PTC are the most popular in the CAD industry. Here is a list of some major CAD applications:
Commercial software
- AutoCAD
- CATIA
- Fusion 360
- Inventor
- NX
- PTC Creo
- Revit
- Rhinoceros 3D
- SketchUp
- Solid Edge
- SOLIDWORKS
- TurboCAD
Open-source software
- FreeCAD
- LibreCAD
- OpenSCAD
Freeware
- Tinkercad
Images for kids
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A robot designed with CAD
See also
- 3D computer graphics
- 3D printing
- Computer-aided manufacturing
- Digital twin
- Finite element method
- Rapid prototyping
- Virtual reality
