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CAD Software - A Technological Aid to the Design Process

The acronym CAD stands for Computer-aided Design, which refers to the use of computers as a way to design products and buildings in a three-dimensional form without having to build a study model. CAD software takes the design process to a new high as developers are able to take their mental ideas and bring them to life with highly accurate software that produces much better results than a human hand would. Though CAD software does not eliminate the need for drawing in the design process as hands-on activity is often the only way for thoughts to manifest themselves, the program does bring forth a level of ease and precision that was not found up until its development. 

With CAD software, designers simply put the dimensions and components of a certain idea into the program and wait for a three-dimensional object to appear on the screen. If something doesn't look right or looks as if it won't function well, a simple adjustment on the CAD software will produce instant results showcasing the change. This quite obviously speeds up the design process as people are able to put in an idea and see it come alive in the blink of an eye. Since most design is based on trial and error anyways, CAD software eases the process along by accelerating results to a level far greater than anything a human could do alone. 

CAD software is mostly used in industrial design for sectors such as architecture, shipbuilding, aerospace industries, prosthetics and automotive areas. Each sector has a specific need for the CAD software, depending on the requirements for the job. For example, architects use the software to develop drafts and models for the buildings they are designing, no matter the scale or complexity. A person developing prosthetics can utilize the software to see a 3D image of a limb that he or she is developing. The opportunities are endless, for as long as someone has a dimension to plug in, the CAD software can create a computer based model that takes the guess work out of the engineering world.

Just as a person can turn an object in real life, the CAD software allows a person to view all angles of an object with a simple click of a button. Aside from not being able to touch the product, the experience is just the same as if the model was presented in real life. CAD software provides all of the basic design tools that an engineer needs to accurately do a job every time, with the probably of human error being significantly limited. Best of all, CAD software is incredibly cost effective as it saves a lot of money associated with live model making and the experimentation process in general.