Best CAD Software for Your Business

What is CAD Software?

CAD stands for computer-aided design, which refers to the use of a computer to support the design process. It enables you to create, modify, analyze, and optimize a design. 

When you look around a well-built room, you will find windows, corners, and more located in a specific area. Did you ever wonder how one decides and communicates the same idea to the builder? 

Well, you guessed it right -  it’s CAD! CAD software enables designers to create 2D and 3D design models. 

What is CAD Software Used for?

CAD is a 2D and 3D model computer-aided drafting software application, a desktop application until 2010. It then adopted cloud technology, which is now available on mobile and web-based apps. Sometimes, it is also known as AutoCAD 360.

CAD is used for many reasons. Some of these include:

• For Architectural Designs: The main use of CAD is to help you design, plan, execute, and analyze the strength of a building at the design stage.  It comes with numerous templates of in-built design layout, which fits right into architectural planning and construction. The latest version of CAD also offers analytical tools. Using this, you can easily analyze the individual components of the building. It helps you troubleshoot stress and load levels of building support.

• For Graphical Designs: Yet again, CAD software is well-equipped with tools that enable users to plan and map out spaces to take advantage of available space. Besides, it can be used with various other applications like 3D Max, animation tools, and more. 

• For Engineering Design: It is useful for designing models for the engineering domain. CAD software for designing engineers involves three main branches that CAD is compatible with - mechanical, civil, and electronic. You can use AutoCAD to build both 2D drawings as well as 3D models to help in the visualization of products. CAD Electrical software enables you to plan, design, and analyze drawings. The end product is always accurate with precise dimensions. 

• For the Fashion Industry: Clothes, accessories, boots, and other delicate fashion items don’t come out by chance. They are first designed using the best CAD software. CAD software for PC offers the necessary tools to plan and draw intricate designs for manufacturing fashion items. 

• For Industrial Designs: CAD offers various design tools, including freeform modeling tools, smart dimensioning tools, and more. These tools help reduce manufacturing costs as it saves time and effort by eliminating the need to design manually. 

• For 3D Printing: To print objects in a 3D printer, you must first create a virtual 3D representation. And then feed the design to the printer. CAD can help build those 3D models. It is compatible with a 3D Printer format, and thus, it can export designs in various supported formats. 

How to Use AutoCAD?

People use AutoCAD software for PC to create drawings used to manufacture equipment, construct commercial structures, and build homes. 

• AutoCAD has many specialized programs for your area of interest - civil, aeronautical, mechanical, architectural, or more. You first need to decide what you want to use AutoCAD for. 

• Another critical step is ensuring that your computer is compatible with AutoCAD programs. It requires a minimum of 2GB RAM, 2 GB storage for installation, Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher, and a screen resolution of 1024 x 768.

• The next step involves installing the AutoCAD program. The process is pretty simple; you need to follow the step-by-step instructions from the Installation Wizard. 

After installation, the AutoCAD icon will appear on your desktop and be ready to use. 

Many design institutions offer certification and degree programs in AutoCAD to teach you how to use it. They provide training with hands-on usage of software CAD  for industrial drafting and assembling with accreditation. 

What is the difference between 2D and 3D CAD Software?

• 2D models are flat, two-dimensional drawings - it involves height and width. It doesn’t support the thickness of the item. 2D CAD software is useful in industries like aerospace, civil engineering, interior designing, fashion, and more. However, in a 2D CAD environment, it can be hard to build large assemblies efficiently as one can’t be sure if the individual parts will interfere. 

• 3D CAD models are similar to that 2D, except that it provides more significant details about individual parts. As the name suggests, it is a three-dimensional drawing. The best thing about the 3D model is that it shows you how different components will fit, assemble, and operate. It communicates a lot of details about fit and potential issues. 
• You don’t use 3D models for floor plans. But when it comes to designing automobiles or any other types of machinery, it can be quite a help. 3D models would best represent it. 

Key Features of Online CAD Software

Some of the modern capabilities of CAD design software are: 

• Direct Modelling: The best 2D CAD software enables direct modeling, which allows you to use easy push/pull controls to move, rotate, resize, or scale features from imported geometries.

• Smart Dimensioning Tools: When you create drawings or blueprints, you must add precise dimensions. CAD drawing software comes with ‘smart dimensioning’ tools that automatically create all your blueprint dimensions with just a few clicks.

• Freeform Modelling: Using conventional traditional techniques can be hard to create highly shaped parts using conventional traditional techniques. Freeform modeling tools enable you to freely draw the shape of your design by moving points, edges, and faces. It is an alternative modeling approach to help you create more visually compelling designs using direct manipulations.

• Support Availability: Support available from the vendor is another crucial feature of online CAD software. If the program suddenly crashes or you face any technical issues, you need to have a reliable and active support team. It’s important to consider that the vendor offers live phone support and has solid support resources to solve problems quickly. 

• Compatibility: There will be times you will exchange CAD files with other users. That’s why it’s essential to ensure that the software can get open data from those CAD programs and also allow you to export or save files in various formats.

• Speed and Accuracy: The primary purpose of using it is to improve the productivity and accuracy of the drawings. The software should enable easy edits with commands like a mirror, copy, stretching, rotate and scale, and much more to increase the speed of the work. 

Furthermore, it helps you define precision to any number of decimal places to achieve maximum accuracy in all dimensions. 

Best CAD Software for Engineers and Mechanical Engineers

Hundreds of CAD design software available in the market are specially designed for engineers. Some of the top names are as follows.

• PTC CREO (Pro/ENGINEER): CREO, formerly Pro/ENGINEER, is a product design software created by PTC for 2D or 3D CAD, parametric, and direct modeling. Its wide range of features includes simulation tools for analyzing the product’s performance, including vibration, structural, and thermal analysis.

• NX (or UG): NX, formerly known as UG, is one of the best CAD software for mechanical engineers that helps deliver products faster and more efficiently. It is created by SIEMENS, which includes industrial/electro-mechanical design, product design, and mechatronics design. With its flexible and powerful integrated solution, NX enables companies to realize the full potential of the digital twin. 

• CATIA: CATIA is another best CAD software for computers created by Dassault Systèmes. It lets you deal with parts, assembly drawings, kinetic simulation, mechanism design, parts positioning, and more. Leading aerospace- and automotive-based organizations use this powerful CAD design software. Besides, it easily integrates with existing processes and tools. 

• SOLIDWORKS: SOLIDWORKS is one of the best 3D CAD software created by Dassault Systèmes. It is used for drawing electrical designs, product data management, simulation, concept design, and more. With its robust and innovative features, it aims to help you maximize the productivity of your design and manufacturing resources. And at the same time, it also empowers you to deliver better products faster.

Best CAD Software for Engineers in Other Categories

• CorelCAD: CorelCAD is one of the best CAD software for Macs used by engineers to create visually appealing designs. Its design tools let you experiment with superior 2D drafting and 3D design modeling. The software aims to increase productivity and performance by optimizing the program for Windows and macOS. Besides, it supports most file extensions. 

• ProfiCAD: ProfiCAD is the leading electrical CAD software that assists you in building control circuit diagrams, schematics, and more. Besides, it can also be used for hydraulics, pneumatics, and other technical diagrams. The best thing is that it has been translated into many languages to facilitate cooperation with international partners. You can easily export files in the DXF format. 

• DesignSpark: DesignSpark is a powerful and free CAD electrical software that provides tangibility to your ideas. The software has a collection of millions of electrical parts to choose from so that you can enhance your product designs faster. They also offer video tutorials to help you easily navigate through the program. 

• TurboCAD Pro: TurboCAD Pro is online CAD software specially designed for interior designers, architects, mechanics, and landscapers. It renders 2D and 3D modeling tools that come with advanced functionalities. Besides, it also supports extensive file formats. The software offers hundreds of drawing tools to help you plan, sketch and modify your designs.

• Electra E8: Electra E8 is one of the best CAD software for engineers to help you draw hydraulic, draughting, schematics, and pneumatic circuit designs. This CAD electrical software has an intuitive interface, making it easy to create designs. It contains more than 700 beautiful, standardized symbols to choose from. 

• Altium Designer: Altium Designer is a designing tool that enables professionals, design team leaders, electronic designers, and executives to design a complex project more effectively. It improves productivity by managing all aspects of the design process, including PCB, documentation, schematic, and simulation.