TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MOMBASA

Computer-aided drawing and design (CADD)

Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or workstations) to aid in the creation,
modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.[1] CAD software is used to increase the productivity
of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to
create a database for manufacturing.[2] CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print,
machining, or other manufacturing operations. The term CADD (for Computer Aided Design and
Drafting) is also usedIts use in designing electronic systems is known as electronic design automation
(EDA). In mechanical design it is known as mechanical design automation (MDA) or computer-aided
drafting (CAD), which includes the process of creating a technical drawing with the use of computer
software.

CAD software for mechanical design uses either vector-based graphics to depict the objects of traditional
drafting, or may also produce raster graphics showing the overall appearance of designed objects.
However, it involves more than just shapes. As in the manual drafting of technical and engineering
drawings, the output of CAD must convey information, such as materials, processes, dimensions, and
tolerances, according to application-specific conventions.

CAD may be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space; or curves, surfaces, and
solids in three-dimensional (3D) space.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, often called DCC digital content creation. 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 geometryThe design of geometric
models for object shapes, in particular, is occasionally called computer-aided geometric design (CAGD)

Starting around the mid 1960s, with the IBM Drafting System, computer-aided design systems began to
provide more capability than just an ability to reproduce manual drafting with electronic drafting, the
cost-benefit for companies to switch to CAD became apparent. The benefits of CAD systems over manual
drafting are the capabilities one often takes for granted from computer systems today; automated
generation of Bill of Material, auto layout in integrated circuits, interference checking, and many others.
Eventually, CAD provided the designer with the ability to perform engineering calculations. During this
transition, calculations were still performed either by hand or by those individuals who could run
computer programs. CAD was a revolutionary change in the engineering industry, where draftsmen,
designers and engineering roles begin to merge. It did not eliminate departments, as much as it merged
departments and empowered draftsman, designers and engineers. CAD is an example of the pervasive
effect computers were beginning to have on industry. Current computer-aided design software packages
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range from 2D vector-based drafting systems to 3D solid and surface modelers. Modern CAD packages
can also frequently allow rotations in three dimensions, allowing viewing of a designed object from any
desired angle, even from the inside looking out. Some CAD software is capable of dynamic mathematical
modeling.

CAD technology is used in the design of tools and machinery and in the drafting and design of all types of
buildings, from small residential types (houses) to the largest commercial and industrial structures
(hospitals and factories).

CAD is mainly used for detailed engineering of 3D models or 2D drawings of physical components, but it
is also used throughout the engineering process from conceptual design and layout of products, through
strength and dynamic analysis of assemblies to definition of manufacturing methods of components. It
can also be used to design objects such as jewelry, furniture, appliances, etc. Furthermore, many CAD
applications now offer advanced rendering and animation capabilities so engineers can better visualize
their product designs. 4D BIM is a type of virtual construction engineering simulation incorporating time
or schedule related information for project management.

CAD has become an especially important technology within the scope of computer-aided technologies,
with benefits such as lower product development costs and a greatly shortened design cycle. CAD enables
designers to layout and develop work on screen, print it out and save it for future editing, saving time on
their drawings.

Computer-aided design is one of the many tools used by engineers and designers and is used in many
ways depending on the profession of the user and the type of software in question.CAD is one part of the
whole digital product development (DPD) activity within the product lifecycle management (PLM)
processes, and as such is used together with other tools, which are either integrated modules or stand-
alone products, such as:

 Computer-aided engineering (CAE) and finite element analysis (FEA)

 Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) including instructions to computer numerical control
(CNC) machines
 Photorealistic rendering and motion simulation.
 Document management and revision control using product data management (PDM).
CAD is also used for the accurate creation of photo simulations that are often required in the preparation
of environmental impact reports, in which computer-aided designs of intended buildings are
superimposed into photographs of existing environments to represent what that locale will be like, where
the proposed facilities are allowed to be built. Potential blockage of view corridors and shadow studies
are also frequently analyzed through the use of CAD.

CAD has been proven to be useful to engineers as well. Using four properties which are history, features,
parametrization, and high-level constraints. The construction history can be used to look back into the
model's personal features and work on the single area rather than the whole model. Parameters and
constraints can be used to determine the size, shape, and other properties of the different modeling
elements. The features in the CAD system can be used for the variety of tools for measurement such as

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tensile strength, yield strength, electrical or electromagnetic properties. Also its stress, strain, timing or
how the element gets affected in certain temperatures, etc.

There are several different types of CAD,[9] each requiring the operator to think differently about how
to use them and design their virtual components in a different manner for each.There are many
producers of the lower-end 2D systems, including a number of free and open-source programs. These
provide an approach to the drawing process without all the fuss over scale and placement on the drawing
sheet that accompanied hand drafting since these can be adjusted as required during the creation of the
final draft.

3D wireframe is basically an extension of 2D drafting (not often used today). Each line has to be manually
inserted into the drawing. The final product has no mass properties associated with it and cannot have
features directly added to it, such as holes. The operator approaches these in a similar fashion to the 2D
systems, although many 3D systems allow using the wireframe model to make the final engineering
drawing views.3D "dumb" solids are created in a way analogous to manipulations of real-world objects
(not often used today). Basic three-dimensional geometric forms (prisms, cylinders, spheres, and so on)
have solid volumes added or subtracted from them as if assembling or cutting real-world objects. Two-
dimensional projected views can easily be generated from the models. Basic 3D solids don't usually
include tools to easily allow motion of components, set limits to their motion, or identify interference
between components.There are two types of 3D solid modelingParametric modeling allows the operator
to use what is referred to as "design intent". The objects and features created are modifiable. Any future
modifications can be made by changing how the original part was created. If a feature was intended to be
located from the center of the part, the operator should locate it from the center of the model. The
feature could be located using any geometric object already available in the part, but this random
placement would defeat the design intent. If the operator designs the part as it functions the parametric
modeler is able to make changes to the part while maintaining geometric and functional
relationships.Direct or explicit modeling provide the ability to edit geometry without a history tree. With
direct modeling, once a sketch is used to create geometry the sketch is incorporated into the new
geometry and the designer just modifies the geometry without needing the original sketch. As with
parametric modeling, direct modeling has the ability to include relationships between selected geometry
(e.g., tangency, concentricity).

Top end systems offer the capabilities to incorporate more organic, aesthetics and ergonomic features
into designs. Freeform surface modeling is often combined with solids to allow the designer to create
products that fit the human form and visual requirements as well as they interface with the machine.

Originally software for CAD systems was developed with computer languages such as Fortran, ALGOL
but with the advancement of object-oriented programming methods this has radically changed. Typical
modern parametric feature-based modeler and freeform surface systems are built around a number of
key C modules with their own APIs. A CAD system can be seen as built up from the interaction of a
graphical user interface (GUI) with NURBS geometry or boundary representation (B-rep) data via a
geometric modeling kernel. A geometry constraint engine may also be employed to manage the
associative relationships between geometry, such as wireframe geometry in a sketch or components in an
assembly.

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Unexpected capabilities of these associative relationships have led to a new form of prototyping called
digital prototyping. In contrast to physical prototypes, which entail manufacturing time in the design.
That said, CAD models can be generated by a computer after the physical prototype has been scanned
using an industrial CT scanning machine. Depending on the nature of the business, digital or physical
prototypes can be initially chosen according to specific needs.

Today, CAD systems exist for all the major platforms (Windows, Linux, UNIX and Mac OS X); some
packages support multiple platforms.Currently, no special hardware is required for most CAD software.
However, some CAD systems can do graphically and computationally intensive tasks, so a modern
graphics card, high speed (and possibly multiple) CPUs and large amounts of RAM may be
recommended.

The human-machine interface is generally via a computer mouse but can also be via a pen and digitizing
graphics tablet. Manipulation of the view of the model on the screen is also sometimes done with the use
of a Spacemouse/SpaceBall. Some systems also support stereoscopic glasses for viewing the 3D
model.Technologies which in the past were limited to larger installations or specialist applications have
become available to a wide group of users. These include the CAVE or HMDs and interactive devices like
motion-sensing technology

CAD software enables engineers and architects to design, inspect and manage engineering projects within
an integrated graphical user interface (GUI) on a personal computer system. Most applications support
solid modeling with boundary representation (B-Rep) and NURBS geometry, and enable the same to be
published in a variety of formats. A geometric modeling kernel is a software component that provides
solid modeling and surface modeling features to CAD applications.

Based on market statistics, commercial software from Autodesk, Dassault Systems, Siemens PLM
Software, and PTC dominate the CAD industry.[10][11] The following is a list of major CAD

applications, grouped by usage statistics.[12]

Commercial Softwares include: Alibre Design, AllyCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor,
AxSTREAM, Bentley Systems - MicroStation, Bricsys BricsCAD,Dassault Systemes CATIA,Dassault
Systemes SolidWorks, Kubotek KeyCreator, Siemens NX, Siemens Solid Edge, PTC PTC Creo (formerly
known as Pro/ENGINEER),T-FLEX CAD, Trimble SketchUp, AgiliCity Modelur, TurboCAD,
IRONCAD, MEDUSA, ProgeCAD, SpaceClaim, PunchCAD, Rhinoceros 3D, VariCAD, Cobalt,
RoutCad, SketchUp,Onshape, Remo 3D, Freeware and open source, 123D, LibreCAD, FreeCAD, BRL-
CAD, OpenSCAD, QCad, SolveSpace [13], CAD kernel, Parasolid by SiemensACIS by Spatial,
ShapeManager by Autodesk, Open CASCADE, C3D by C3D Labs

History of CAD software

Designers have long used computers for their calculations.[1][2][3][4] Digital computers were used in
power system analysis or optimization as early as proto-"Whirlwind" in 1949. Circuit[5] design theory,
or power network methodology would be algebraic, symbolic, and often vector-based. Examples of

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problems being solved in the mid-1940s to 50s include: servo motors controlled by generated pulse (1949),
a digital computer with built-in computer operations to automatically co-ordinate transforms to compute
radar related vectors (1951) and the essentially graphic mathematical process of forming a shape with a
digital machine tool (1952).[6] These were accomplished with the use of computer software. The man
credited with coining the term CAD,[7] Douglas T. Ross, stated, "As soon as I saw the interactive display
equipment," [being used by radar operators 1953] he saw it would be just what his SAGE related data
reduction group needed. With the Lincoln Lab people, they were the only ones who used the big, complex
display systems put in for the pre-SAGE, Cape Cod system. But "we used it for our own personal
workstation.".[8] The designers of these very early computers built utility programs so that
programmers could debug programs using flowcharts on a display scope with logical switches that could
be opened and closed during the debugging session. They found that they could create electronic symbols
and geometric figures to be used to create simple circuit diagrams and flowcharts.[9] And that an object
once drawn could be reproduced at will, its orientation, Linkage [ flux, mechanical, lexical scoping ] or
scale changed. This suggested numerous possibilities to them. It took ten years of interdisciplinary
development[10] work before SKETCHPAD sitting on evolving math libraries emerged from MIT's labs.
Additional developments were carried out in the 1960s within the aircraft, automotive, industrial control
and electronics industries in the area of 3D surface construction, NC programming, and design analysis,
most of it independent of one another and often not publicly published until much later. Some of the
mathematical description work on curves was developed in the early 1940s by Robert Issac Newton from
Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Robert A. Heinlein in his 1957 novel The Door into Summer suggested the
possibility of a robotic Drafting Dan. However, probably the most important work on polynomial curves
and sculptured surface was done by Pierre Bézier, Paul de Casteljau (Citroen), Steven Anson Coons
(MIT, Ford), James Ferguson (Boeing), Carl de Boor (GM), Birkhoff (GM) and Garibedian (GM) in the
1960s and W. Gordon (GM) and R. Riesenfeld in the 1970s.

60s

The invention of the 3D CAD/CAM is attributed to a French engineer, Pierre Bézier (Arts et Métiers
ParisTech, Renault). After his mathematical work concerning surfaces, he developed UNISURF, between
1966 and 1968, to ease the design of parts and tools for the automotive industry. Then, UNISURF became
the working base for the following generations of CAD software.

It is argued[by whom?] that a turning point was the development of the SKETCHPAD system at
MIT[11][12] by Ivan Sutherland (who later created a graphics technology company with David Evans).
The distinctive feature of SKETCHPAD was that it allowed the designer to interact with his computer
graphically: the design can be fed into the computer by drawing on a CRT monitor with a light pen.
Effectively, it was a prototype of graphical user interface, an indispensable feature of modern CAD.
Sutherland presented his paper Sketchpad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System in 1963
at a Joint Computer Conference having worked on it as his PhD thesis paper with Doctoral advisor
Claude Shannon . Quoting, "For drawings where motion of the drawing or analysis of a drawn problem
is of value to the user, Sketchpad excels. For highly repetitive drawings or drawings where accuracy is
required, Sketchpad is sufficiently faster than conventional techniques to be worthwhile. For drawings
which merely communicate with shops, it is probably better to use conventional paper and pencil." Over

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time efforts would be directed toward the goal of having the designers drawings communicate not just
with shops but with the shop tool itself. This goal would be a long time arriving.

The first commercial applications of CAD were in large companies in the automotive and aerospace
industries, as well as in electronics. Only large corporations could afford the computers capable of
performing the calculations. Notable company projects were, a joint project of GM (Patrick J. Hanratty)
and IBM (Sam Matsa, Doug Ross's MIT APT research assistant) to develop a prototype system for
design engineers DAC-1 (Design Augmented by Computer) 1964; Lockheed projects; Bell GRAPHIC 1
and Renault.

One of the most influential events in the development of CAD was the founding of MCS (Manufacturing
and Consulting Services Inc.) in 1971 by Patrick J. Hanratty,[13] who wrote the system ADAM
(Automated Drafting And Machining) but more importantly supplied code to companies such as
McDonnell Douglas (Unigraphics), Computervision (CADDS), Calma, Gerber, Autotrol and Control
Data.

As computers became more affordable, the application areas have gradually expanded. The development
of CAD software for personal desktop computers was the impetus for almost universal application in all
areas of construction.

70s

Other key points in the 1960s and 1970s would be the foundation of CAD systems United Computing,
Intergraph, IBM, Intergraph IGDS in 1974 (which led to Bentley Systems MicroStation in 1984).

CAD implementations have evolved dramatically since then. Initially, with 3D in the 1970s, it was
typically limited to producing drawings similar to hand-drafted drawings. Advances in programming
and computer hardware,[14][15] notably solid modeling in the 1980s have allowed more versatile
applications of computers in design activities.

80s

Key products for 1981 were the solid modeling packages – Romulus (ShapeData) and Uni-Solid
(Unigraphics) based on PADL-2 and the release of the surface modeler CATIA (Dassault Systemes).
Autodesk was founded 1982 by John Walker, which led to the 2D system AutoCAD. The next milestone
was the release of Pro/ENGINEER in 1987, which heralded greater usage of feature-based modeling
methods and parametric linking of the parameters of features.

90s

Also of importance to the development of CAD was the development of the B-rep solid modeling kernels
(engines for manipulating geometrically and topologically consistent 3D objects) Parasolid (ShapeData)
and ACIS (Spatial Technology Inc.) at the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, both inspired by
the work of Ian Braid. This led to the release of mid-range packages such as SolidWorks and TriSpective

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(later known as IRONCAD) in 1995, Solid Edge (then Intergraph) in 1996 and Autodesk Inventor in
1999. An independent geometric modeling kernel has been evolving in Russia since the 1990s

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN (CAD) OVER MANUAL

DRAFTING

In our olden days, engineers, designers and draughtsmen were struggling to produce and submit
engineering drawings in their scheduled times. It was mainly due to tremendous efforts they had taken to
produce both new drawings or edited/updated drawings.Every lines, shapes, measurements, scaling of
the drawings - all made them headache to the design / drafting field. All these difficulties and pressures
over-ridden by Computer Aided Design Drafting (CAD Drafting) technology. Here we look into brief
comparison between CAD Drafting over Manual drafting.

DRAW TO SCALE

The advantages of CAD include: the ability to producing very accurate designs; drawings can be created
in 2D or 3D and rotated; other computer programmes can be linked to the design software. With manual
drafting, you must determine the scale of a view before you start drawing. This scale compares the size of
the actual object to the size of the model drawn on paper.With CAD, you first decide what units of
measurement you will use, and then draw your model at 1:1 scale, should one of the main benefits of
CAD.

LAY OUT THE DRAWING CONVENIENTLY: ANOTHER MERIT OF CAD

When you draft manually, you first select a sheet, which usually includes a pre-printed border and title
block. Then you determine the location for views' plans, elevations, sections, and details. Finally, you
start to draw.With CAD, you first draw your design, or model, in a working environment called model
space. You can then create a layout for that model in an environment called paper space.A layout
represents a drawing sheet. It typically contains a border, title block, dimensions, general notes, and one
or more views of the model displayed in layout viewports. Layout viewports are areas, similar to picture
frames or windows, through which you can see your model. You scale the views in viewports by zooming
in or out.Sample manual drafting work, ammonia print

CAD IS FLEXIBLE TO ORGANIZE DRAWING INFORMATION

With manual drafting, you can separate information onto individual transparent overlays. For example,
a building plan might contain separate overlays for its structural, electrical, and plumbing
components.With CAD, layers are equivalent to transparent overlays. As with overlays, you can display,
edit, and print layers separately or in combination.You can name layers to help track content, and lock
layers so they can't be altered. Assigning settings such as color, linetype, or lineweight to layers helps you
comply with industry standards. You can also use layers to organize drawing objects for plotting.
Assigning a plot style to a layer makes all the objects drawn on that layer plot in a similar manner.

ESTABLISH DRAFTING STANDARDS

Manual drafting requires meticulous accuracy in drawing line-types, line-weights, text, dimensions, and
more. Standards must be established in the beginning and applied consistently.With CAD, you can
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ensure conformity to industry or company standards by creating styles that you can apply consistently.
You can create styles for text, dimensions, and line-types.A text style, for example, establishes font and
format characteristics such as height, width, and slant. You can save styles, layers, layouts, title block and
border information, and some command settings in drawing template files. Using drawing templates
helps you quickly start new drawings that conform to standards.

DRAW EFFICIENTLY

With manual drafting, you use drawing tools that include pencils, scales, compasses, parallel rules,
templates, and erasers. Repetitive drawing and editing tasks must be done manually.In CAD, you can
choose from a variety of drawing tools that create lines, circles, spline curves, and more. You can easily
move, copy, offset, rotate, and mirror objects. You can also copy objects between open drawings.

DRAW ACCURATELY

With manual drafting, you must draw objects carefully to ensure correct size and alignment. Objects
drawn to scale must be manually verified and dimensioned.With CAD, you can use several methods to
obtain exact dimensions. The simplest method is to locate points by snapping to an interval on a
rectangular grid. Another method is to specify exact coordinates. Coordinates specify a drawing location
by indicating a point along an X and Y axis or a distance and angle from another point.With object
snaps, you can snap to locations on existing objects, such as an endpoint of an arc, the midpoint of a line,
or the center point of a circle. With polar tracking, you can snap to previously set angles and specify
distances along those angles. It also has an accuracy of ten decimal places.

VIEW YOUR DRAWING

With manual drafting, the size and resolution of your drawing is fixed.With CAD, the size and resolution
of your drawing can be changed as needed. To do detailed work, you can increase display size by
zooming in. You can zoom out to display more of the drawing. To move to another section of a drawing,
you pan the drawing without changing magnification. You can zoom and pan to create the best working
conditions. This can be invaluable when working on large and detailed drawings, such as this health spa
plan.

CREATE DIMENSIONS AND TEXT

With manual drafting, if you resize any part of the drawing, you must erase and then redraw the
dimensions. Changing text can often involve re-lettering the whole drawing.With CAD, you create
associative dimensions and text on the layout in paper space. Associative dimensions are tied to the
underlying model. Changes to the model automatically update the dimension values. Standard types of
dimensions include linear, radial, ordinate, angular, baseline, and more. You can easily revise the
content, font, size, spacing, and rotation of text in dimensions and notes.

MODIFY YOUR DRAWING

Revisions are a part of any drawing project. Whether you work on paper or with CAD, you will need to
modify your drawing in some way. On paper, you must erase and redraw to make revisions to your
drawing manually.CAD eliminates tedious manual editing by providing a variety of editing tools. If you
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need to copy all or part of an object, you don’t have to redraw it. If you need to remove an object, you
can erase it with a few clicks of the mouse. And if you make an error, you can quickly undo your actions.
Once you draw an object, you never need to redraw it. You can modify existing objects by mirroring,
rotating, scaling, stretching, trimming, and more. You can also change object properties, such as linetype,
lineweight, color, and layer, at any time.

DISADVANTAGES OF CAD DRAWING / DRAFTING

1. Most popular CAD software like AutoCad, ProgeCAD, Microstation are high priced for individuals.
Alternatively, individuals can try free opensource CAD drafting software QCAD, LibreCAD and
OpenSCAD.
2. Every new release of the CAD software, operator has to update their skills.
3. Improper use of blocks and layers make updating and modification of the drawings a cumbersome
task for another person.

AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. Developed
and marketed by Autodesk,AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on
microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. Before AutoCAD was introduced, most commercial
CAD programs ran on mainframe computers or minicomputers, with each CAD operator (user) working
at a separate graphics terminal, Since 2010, AutoCAD was released as a mobile- and web app as well,
marketed as AutoCAD 360.AutoCAD was derived from a program that began in 1977, and then released
in 1979[4] called Interact CAD,[5][6][7] also referred to in early Autodesk documents as MicroCAD,
which was written prior to Autodesk's (then Marinchip Software Partners) formation by Autodesk
cofounder Michael Riddle.[8][9]

The first version by Autodesk was demonstrated at the 1982 Comdex and released that December.
AutoCAD supported CP/M-80 computers.[10] As Autodesk's flagship product, by March 1986 AutoCAD
had become the most ubiquitous CAD program worldwide.[11] The 2020 release marked the 34th major
release of AutoCAD for Windows. The 2019 release marked the ninth consecutive year of AutoCAD for
Mac. The native file format of AutoCAD is .dwg. This and, to a lesser extent, its interchange file format
DXF, have become de facto, if proprietary, standards for CAD data interoperability, particularly for 2D
drawing exchange.

Auto CAD and AutoCAD LT are available for English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean,
Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Czech, Polish and Hungarian,
Albanian (also through additional language packs).[13] The extent of localization varies from full
translation of the product to documentation only. The AutoCAD command set is localized as a part of the
software localization

Autodesk has also developed a few vertical programs for discipline-specific enhancements such
as:AutoCAD Advance Steel, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD CIVIL 3D,AutoCAD Electrical,
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AutoCAD ecscad, AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD Mech, AutoCAD MEPAutoCAD, Structural Detailing,
AutoCAD Utility Design, AutoCAD P&ID,AutoCAD Plant 3D

Since AutoCAD 2019 several verticals are included with AutoCAD subscription as Industry-Specific
Toolset.For example, AutoCAD Architecture (formerly Architectural Desktop) permits architectural
designers to draw 3D objects, such as walls, doors, and windows, with more intelligent data associated
with them rather than simple objects, such as lines and circles. The data can be programmed to represent
specific architectural products sold in the construction industry, or extracted into a data file for pricing,
materials estimation, and other values related to the objects represented.Additional tools generate
standard 2D drawings, such as elevations and sections, from a 3D architectural model. Similarly, Civil
Design, Civil Design 3D, and Civil Design Professional support data-specific objects facilitating easy
standard civil engineering calculations and representations.Softdesk Civil was developed as an AutoCAD
add-on by a company in New Hampshire called Softdesk (originally DCA). Softdesk was acquired by
Autodesk, and Civil became Land Development Desktop (LDD), later renamed Land Desktop. Civil 3D
was later developed and Land Desktop was retired.

AutoCAD LT is the lower cost version of AutoCAD, with reduced capabilities, first released in November
1993. Autodesk developed AutoCAD LT to have an entry-level CAD package to compete in the lower
price level. Priced at $495, it became the first AutoCAD product priced below $1000. It was sold directly
by Autodesk and in computer stores unlike the full version of AutoCAD, which must be purchased from
official Autodesk dealers. AutoCAD LT 2015 introduced Desktop Subscription from $360 per year; as of
2018, three subscription plans were available, from $50 a month to a 3-year, $1170 license.While there
are hundreds of small differences between the full AutoCAD package and AutoCAD LT, there are a few
recognized major differences[15] in the software's features:

 3D Capabilities: AutoCAD LT lacks the ability to create, visualize and render 3D models as well
as 3D printing.
 Network Licensing: AutoCAD LT cannot be used on multiple machines over a network.
 Customization: AutoCAD LT does not support customization with LISP, ARX, .NET and VBA.
 Management and automation capabilities with Sheet Set Manager and Action Recorder.
 CAD standards management tools.
AutoCAD 360 , Formerly marketed as AutoCAD WS, AutoCAD 360 is an account-based mobile
and web application enabling registered users to view, edit, and share AutoCAD files via mobile device
and web[16] using a limited AutoCAD feature set — and using cloud-stored drawing files. The program,
which is an evolution and combination of previous products, uses a freemium business model with a free
plan and two paid levels — marketed as Pro ($4.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly) and Pro Plus ($99.99
yearly) — including various amounts of storage, tools, and online access to drawings. 360 includes new
features such as a "Smart Pen" mode and linking to third-party cloud-based storage such as Dropbox.
Having evolved from Flash-based software, AutoCAD 360 uses HTML5 browser technology available in
newer browsers including Firefox and Google Chrome.AutoCAD WS began with a version for the iPhone
and subsequently expanded to include versions for the iPod Touch, iPad, Android phones, and Android
tablets.[17] Autodesk released the iOS version in September 2010,[18] following with the Android version

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on April 20, 2011.[19] The program is available via download at no cost from the App Store (iOS),
Google Play (Android) and Amazon Appstore (Android).In its initial iOS version, AutoCAD WS
supported drawing of lines, circles, and other shapes; creation of text and comment boxes; and
management of color, layer, and measurements — in both landscape and portrait modes. Version 1.3,
released August 17, 2011, added support for unit typing, layer visibility, area measurement and file
management.[16] The Android variant includes the iOS feature set along with such unique features as
the ability to insert text or captions by voice command as well as manually.[19] Both Android and iOS
versions allow the user to save files on-line — or off-line in the absence of an Internet connection.[19]

In 2011, Autodesk announced plans to migrate the majority of its software to "the cloud", starting with
the AutoCAD WS mobile application.[20]According to a 2013 interview with Ilai Rotbaein, an AutoCAD
WS Product Manager for Autodesk, the name AutoCAD WS had no definitive meaning, and was
interpreted variously as Autodesk Web Service, White Sheet or Work Space.[21]

Student versions; AutoCAD is licensed, for free, to students, educators, and educational institutions, with
a 36-month renewable license available. The student version of AutoCAD is functionally identical to the
full commercial version, with one exception: DWG files created or edited by a student version have an
internal bit-flag set (the "educational flag"). When such a DWG file is printed by any version of
AutoCAD (commercial or student) older than AutoCAD 2014 SP1 or AutoCAD 2019 and newer, the
output includes a plot stamp/banner on all four sides. Objects created in the Student Version cannot be
used for commercial use. Student Version objects "infect" a commercial version DWG file if they are
imported in versions older than AutoCAD 2015 or newer than AutoCAD 2018.[22]

AutoCAD is a software package created for Windows and usually, any new AutoCAD version supports
the current Windows version and some older ones. AutoCAD 2016 to 2020 support Windows 7 up to
Windows 10.[23]

Features of the AUTOCAD software

1. MENUBAR
Menus are available from the menu bar at the top of the AutoCAD drawing area. They contain all the commands
and information available on AUTOCAD arranged in distinct menus.

2. TOOLBARS

Toolbars contain buttons that start commands. When you move the pointing device over a toolbar button, the
tooltip displays the name of the button. Buttons with a small black triangle in the lower-right corner have fly outs
that contain related commands. With the cursor over the icon, hold down the pick button until the fly out appears.
You can display or hide these four and additional toolbars, and you can create your own toolbars. A toolbar can be
floating or docked. A floating toolbar is located anywhere in the drawing area of the AutoCAD window, and you
can drag it to a new location, resize it, or dock it. A docked toolbar is attached to any edge of the drawing area.
While a toolbar is docked, it cannot be resized. You can move a docked toolbar by dragging it to a new docking
location.

3. SHORTCUT MENUS

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Shortcut menus give you quick access to commands relevant to your current activity. You can display different
shortcut menus when you right-click different areas of the screen.

4. COMMAND WINDOW/LINE

You can display commands, system variables, options, messages, and prompts in a dockable and resizable window
called the command window. To enter a command by using the keyboard, type the full command name on the
command line and press ENTER or SPACEBAR, or right-click your pointing device. Some commands also have
abbreviated names. For example, instead of entering circle to start the CIRCLE command, you can enter c.
Abbreviated command names are called command aliases and are defined in the acad.pgp file. When you enter
commands on the command line, AutoCAD displays either a set of options or a dialog box. By default, the
command window is docked. The docked command window is the same width as the AutoCAD window. If text that
is entered becomes longer than the width of the command line, the window pops up in front of the command line to
show the full text of the line. You can resize the window vertically by dragging the splitter bar, which is located on
the top edge of the window when it is docked on the bottom and at the bottom edge of the window when it is
docked at the top.

5. DESIGN CENTER

With DesignCenter™ , you can organize access to drawings, blocks, hatches, and other drawing content. You can
drag content from any source drawing to your current drawing. You can drag drawings, blocks, and hatches to a
tool palette. Source drawings can be on your computer, on a network location, or a on website. In addition, if you
have multiple drawings open, you can use DesignCenter to streamline your drawing process by copying and
pasting other content, such as layer definitions, layouts, and text styles between drawings.

6. LIBRARY/HELP MENU/ACTIVE ASSISTANCE

Contains all the information about the AUTOCAD software. It has a contents, index search and ask me buttons for
easy search for information.

7. DRAWING AREA/ENVIRONMENT

Where drawings are made. It’s divided into model and Layout sections. You can change many of the settings that
affect the AutoCAD interface and drawing environment in the Options dialog box. For example, you can establish
how often AutoCAD automatically saves the drawing to a temporary file, and you can specify the search path for
files that you use most often. Experiment with the settings in the Options dialog box until you find the best
environment for your needs.

8. SPECIAL EFFECTS BUTTONS

These are on/off buttons located and locked at the foot of the interface. They assist in improving efficiency,
accuracy and effectiveness. They include; Object Snap, Ortho mode, Grid, Polar tracking etc.

i. Ortho mode
AutoCAD provides drawing and editing tools similar to the drafter's T-square. As you create or move objects, you can
use Ortho mode to restrict the cursor to the horizontal or vertical axis. The orthogonal alignment depends on the
current snap angle, UCS, or isometric grid and snap setting. Ortho works with commands that require you to specify a
second point. You can turn Ortho on and off at any time during drawing and editing. You can use Ortho not only to
establish vertical or horizontal alignments but also to enforce parallelism or to create regular offsets from existing
objects. By imposing orthogonal constraints, you can draw more quickly. For example, you can create a series of
perpendicular lines by turning on Ortho mode before you start. Because the lines are constrained to be parallel to the

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horizontal and vertical axes, you know that the lines are perpendicular. As you move the cursor, a rubber-band line
that defines the displacement follows the horizontal or vertical axis, depending on which axis is nearest to the cursor.
AutoCAD overrides Ortho when you enter coordinates on the command line, use perspective views, or specify an
object snap.

ii. Object snap

Object snaps constrain point specification to exact locations, such as a midpoint or an intersection, on
existing objects. Using object snaps is a quick way to locate an exact position on an object without having
to know the coordinate or draw construction lines. For example, you can use an object snap to draw a
line to the center of a circle or to the midpoint of a polyline segment. You can specify an object snap
whenever AutoCAD prompts for a point. There are a variety of ways to turn on object snaps. If you
choose an individual object snap on the toolbar or enter its name on the command line, the snap stays in
effect only for the next point you specify. You also can set running object snaps, that is, one or more
object snaps that remain in effect as you work.

.Methods of obtaining and activating AUTOCAD commands.

Toolbars; contain buttons that start commands. When you move the pointing device over a toolbar
button, the tooltip displays the name of the button. Buttons with a small black triangle in the lower-right
corner have flyouts that contain related commands. With the cursor over the icon, hold down the pick
button until the flyout appears.

Menu bar; are available from the menu bar at the top of the AutoCAD drawing area. You can choose
menu options in the following ways:

 Click the menu name to display a list of options. Click the option to choose it, or press DOWN
ARROW to move down the list and then press ENTER.
 Press ALT and then enter the underlined letter in the menu name. For example, to open a new
drawing, press ALT and press F to open the File menu. Then press ENTER to choose the
highlighted option.

Shortcut menus; give you quick access to commands relevant to your current activity. You can display
different shortcut menus when you right-click different areas of the screen. Shortcut menus typically
include options to; Repeat the last command entered , Cancel the current command, Cut and copy to the
Clipboard and paste from the Clipboard, Select a different command option, Display a dialog box, such
as Options or Customize, Undo the last command entered

Command window; You can display commands, system variables, options, messages, and prompts in a
dock able and resizable window. To enter a command by using the keyboard, type the full command
name on the command line and press ENTER or SPACEBAR, or right-click your pointing device. Some
commands also have abbreviated names. For example, instead of entering circle to start the CIRCLE
command, you can enter c. Abbreviated command names are called command aliases. To define your
own command aliases, see Create Command Aliases .When you enter commands on the command
line, AutoCAD displays either a set of options or a dialog box.

Basic Design Commands

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There are three main coordinate systems that you’ll come across when drawing in AutoCAD:

 Absolute coordinates: all input points are specified using standard Cartesian coordinates.
Command: x,y [Enter].
 Relative coordinates: after you’ve entered your first point, your next point can be entered by
specifying the next coordinate relative from your first point. Command: @x,y [Enter].
 Polar coordinates: are used when you need to draw the next point at a specific angle and distance.
Command: @distance<angle [Enter].

AutoCAD also has a User Coordinate System (UCS), which is a moveable Cartesian coordinate system
that establishes the XY work plane, horizontal and vertical directions, and other geometric references.
Of course, this is a very simplified overview of AutoCAD’s coordinate systems. As with many other
AutoCAD tools, we recommend opening a blank drawing to test everything out. While it might seem
difficult at first, you’ll soon get to grips with it.

Geometry

Now onto the actual drawing! AutoCAD comes with a wide variety of basic geometric shapes that you
can use in your 2D sketches (we’ll cover 3D shapes in a later section). These objects range from lines to
circles and hatched areas. Needless to say, you can’t really complain about the selection. You can use
these objects by clicking on their icons, locating them in the toolbar, or by typing their command into the
Command window..

Modifying

Once you’ve gotten to grips with AutoCAD’s drawing tools, the next logical step is modification tools.
This particular category covers everything from a simple erase command to explode and fillet. If a
geometric object isn’t to your liking, you can use these modification tools to create something else
entirely. Yet again, AutoCAD has a wide selection of tools on offer. There are simple tools that you’ll
undoubtedly be familiar with, including ‘move‘, ‘copy‘, ‘rotate‘ and ‘erase‘. These tools of course, are
rather self-explanatory—you’ll recognize them from a variety of other software. You can use these tools
by clicking on their icon, locating them by going to ‘Home‘ > ‘Modify‘, or by executing their command.

3D Modeling

By this point, you’ve probably almost used up your hour—time certainly flies with AutoCAD! To finish
off, we’re going to briefly delve into the exciting world of 3D modeling. We won’t be going beyond the
absolute basics here, as 3D modeling is pretty complex. Firstly, you should be aware that AutoCAD is
predominantly used for generating 2D sketches. While it is possible to create 3D objects, AutoCAD is
built around a flat, sketch-based workflow. If you’re looking for software that specializes in 3D modeling,
you might want to check out software like SolidWorks instead. If you’re already a SolidWorks user, you
might be interested in our top tips and tricks for SolidWorks newbies. Alternatively, you could try out
free 3D CAD modelers in our list of top CAD freeware.As with the 2D drawing tools we covered earlier,
AutoCAD also comes with a range of predefined 3D objects that you can make use of. These 3D objects
range from cylinders to spheres to wedges (to name but a few)! Of course, as with the 2D objects, you
might find that you’ll want to modify them in some way—this is where commands come in handy once
more. If you don’t like a particular predefined shape, you can use a command to modify it. To get a
better idea of AutoCAD’s capabilities, check out the top commands for 3D modeling:

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Viewports

If you’re modeling in 3D, you should be taking advantage of the viewport feature. As we all know, 3D
CAD models can be extremely complex—you have to be aware of every angle and view. With that in
mind, the viewport command allows you to split your drawing area into different windows to project
multiple views of your model. You just need to type ‘Viewports‘ into the command window, and a dialog
box will pop up. You will be given options on how to display your model, e.g. into three sections showing
top, front and right-side. This is great if you need to observe your model from different aspects. If you
make any modifications to one window, it will affect the other windows simultaneously.

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25. "AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 Drawing Compatibility" (PDF). AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 User's Guide.
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