The significance of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software in creating, verifying, and validating designs cannot be downplayed. Nevertheless, the utility of a tangible, solid model remains invaluable. In fact, tangible models help bridge the information gap by communicating…
The manufacturing industry is pursuing miniaturization, driven by the demand for high-accuracy miniaturized products that comprise tiny features or normal-sized products with tiny features. This demand is not sector-specific, as it is found in the automotive, biomedical, aerospace, electronics, and communication…
Manufacturers have continually evolved their practices seeking enhanced efficiency, speed, precision, quality, and cost reduction. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) has emerged thus, along with other useful technologies. CAM, in particular, is increasingly utilized in automating many manufacturing processes and operations as the…
Computer numerical control (CNC) machining is a manufacturing process. It relies on code to control the movement of tools, such as lathes, router bits, and milling bits, found in CNC machines, to produce parts with certain designed features. However, you have…
DWG, or the drawing file format, is a proprietary format native to the AutoCAD software. It is a primarily binary format that not only stores but describes the content of 2D designs and 3D models as well as their associated metadata….
In the software development world, there exists a notion that applications can always be improved, especially if this role is shared among multiple parties. This principle underlies the ‘open source’ concept, which has seen the rollout of numerous applications. Open source…
AutoCAD simplifies workflows for professionals across various careers by enabling them to batch plot drawings. Batch plotting refers to the process of simultaneously printing or converting to multiple drawings or sheets of a drawing project to PDF in a single operation….
Product development, the process of taking a product from the idea or concept stage through market release, involves collaboration among teams. While a collaborative approach does govern virtually all steps of the process, it is perhaps more clearly seen during the…
While artificial intelligence, or AI, has only become mainstream thanks to the exploits of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, DALL-E, and more, has always existed. For instance, it is responsible for finding answers when you ask a smart assistant such as…
If you have used any 3D CAD modeling software lately, you may have undertaken a few operations involving either parametric modeling or direct modeling. But if you are new to the modeling world and, by extension, the world of CAD and…
Parametric modeling software products are not new in computer-aided design (CAD). Introduced in 1988 with the launch of PTC’s Pro/ENGINEER (since renamed PTC Creo), parametric modeling is still relevant and predominant in 2023, more than three decades later. From a practical…
AutoCAD has multiple features that not only simplify the workflow for users but also considerably reduce the time they would have otherwise spent doing some tasks. One such feature is the AutoCAD palette or tool palettes. In this article, we delve…
The labor market is changing faster now than ever, with competition at an all-time high. Within this increasingly competitive environment, employers ever more expect new talent, and especially entry-level employees, to join the job market already equipped with the necessary skills…
Many of us will agree that manual data extraction is far from accurate, convenient, and appealing. In fact, it can often lead to errors if utilized to extract data from large data sets or even complicated engineering drawings. It can also…
AutoCAD can sometimes post slow performance punctuated by frustratingly sluggish response times. Typically, slow AutoCAD software is the result of hardware and system, network, or file issues. While it will not display error messages or alerts that notify you whenever the…
AutoCAD’s model space is an unlimited drawing space that enables you to draw anything from a map or house plan to a 2D section of a machine part. However, the somewhat infinite space can pose a challenge when it comes to…
Have you ever heard of diecast model cars? Popular among the car enthusiast community, these collectible model cars are produced by injecting molten metal or plastic into a reusable model under extreme pressure. The result? A replica of a vehicle, new…
AutoCAD’s model space is somewhat infinite. If you zoom out, for example, you will notice that the software will continuously regenerate the model. So, any object you will have previously created will disappear from view. Of course, this feature is advantageous…
AutoCAD is significantly different from other computer-aided design (CAD) software such as SolidWorks, CATIA, SketchUp, Fusion 360, Inventor, Creo, and so on. This is because the latter group of applications is predominantly used to create 3D models. And while AutoCAD supports…
In practice, drawings are created and then checked for errors and mistakes. And once the errors have been corrected, the drawing is approved. This is why the title block often features the following separate terms: ‘drawn by,’ ‘checked by,’ and ‘approved…
