Computer-Aided Design (CAD) involves using software to design everything from products to buildings. Using software in this capacity allows designers, architects, and various others to operate with greater efficiency and accuracy.
CAD software specifically lets users generate two-dimensional drawings. These drawings usually take the form of blueprints or other such specs. However, some CAD programs also allow users to generate three-dimensional images.
Benefits of CAD Services
CAD drafting services offer significant benefits to both designers and their clients. These benefits include:
- Savings: CAD services allow designers to work quickly without sacrificing quality. Saving time in this capacity gives designers the freedom to accomplish more. In addition, the less time it takes to complete a project, the less costly the project may be. This translates to major savings for customers. Additionally, because users save CAD files digitally, they may save on physical storage space.
- Data integration: The designs and drawings one generates with CAD software may import to or integrate with other types of software easily. As a result, various parties involved in a project can collaborate on it. CAD software may also allow users to easily transfer project data from a drawing to another source, or vice versa.
- Testing ideas: Generating a two-dimensional drawing with CAD software usually doesn’t take as long as it might take to generate such a drawing by hand. Thus, one could use CAD services to test ideas for designs quickly.
- Ease-of-use: Using CAD programs to draft drawings is often a more comfortable task than drawing specs by hand. That might not seem like a major benefit, but it can be. Designers may be more productive and engaged with their work if their tools allow them to work at peak levels of efficiency.
- Sharing with mobile team members: CAD services often play a significant role in engineering, architecture, and construction jobs. Various parties involved in such projects may spend a relatively large amount of their time in the field visiting job sites. With CAD drawings, they can easily access all project files through their mobile devices. Doing so is easier than bringing physical copies of files with them during visits. If they need a file they don’t currently have access to, they can easily ask someone else to share it with them.
Easy sharing of CAD files is particularly beneficial in an age when more and more companies are adopting remote work policies. CAD allows for easy sharing of project files with dispersed teams.
Common Uses of CAD Services
Along with the examples already mentioned, potential applications for CAD services include the following:
- Visualizing design ideas to estimate project costs
- Gradually adding details to designs
- Easily documenting and saving past iterations and design ideas
- Generating maps
- Mapping areas of a patient’s body to simulate potential medical treatments
- Generating specs for 3-D printing
- Designing clothes
Those are just a few examples. The ways in which you leverage CAD services to your advantage may depend on your industry.
What’s most important is hiring professionals with the proper training. Knowing how to use CAD software properly is key to delivering quality results.
ZenTek Consultants offers CAD software and CAD courses for construction and design professionals.