CNC And CAD Software - How Do I Choose The Right CAD Program For Me?

There are multiple CAD programs available for design. Generally people become familiar with one and stick with it. As far as selecting the right one, my advice is this. Most software companies have a free trial. Thirty-day trials are common. Take advantage of these trial periods and test the software out. Then at the end, decide if you want to try another software or stick with your best one. I would advise you try out at least three different packages.

The one you select will probably have to do with you liking the interface or finding it intuitive. Keep in mind it may work for you now. A simple to use and understand interface probably has some limitations for your designs. The very best programs are complex with many tools that give you the most control. I have found that I start with a simple program and outgrow it. At some point I move up to the next level of software. This usually means a higher price as well.

Types of CAD

There are different types of CAD out there. These are the ones I deal with from time to time. 2D CAD, 2.5D CAD, and 3D CAD. Here are some quick explanations of each type.

2D CAD

2D CAD is generally on the low end of CAD software packages. 2D CAD is most often vector based. The design consists on the X and Y-axis only. The designs are made up of lines, circles, ovals, slots, curves, etc. There is no “depth” to the design. Only the outline of the part is visible, to put it in a different way.

2.5D CAD

All of the same descriptions above apply, but the design is prismatic. By that I mean it has the depth of the material. There are Z levels, but they are on singular planes.

3D CAD

3D CAD is on the high end of CAD software packages. 3D CAD can be solid based, wire frame based or nurbs based. The design consists on the X, Y and Z-axis. The designs are made up of lines, circles, ovals, slots, curves, etc, but can also include Spheres, Pyramids, Torrids, Cubes, etc. There is depth to the design. The design can be rotated around 360 degrees. The design is an accurate description of what the part would look like if produced in the real world.

CNC And CAD - Print Reading And Drafting

When I went through college I learned how to read prints and draft. We had a bag of physical tools that we purchased and hauled around campus. T-Squares, French Curves, compasses, pencils and erasers filled this bag. Then you had a pad of drafting paper and a drafting desk. You would pin or tape the paper down and begin drawing or drafting.

Drafting paper has a grid to help keep you aligned as you began you design. In CAD, there is a grid you snap to, or guides to keep you straight. We had hard plastic templates to draw curves. CAD has numerous tools to draw curves and lines. We had calculators to figure out distances and ratios. CAD does this automatically.

Overall, you can view CAD as replacing Drafting. CAD moved the same type of process into a more flexible and efficient environment. CAD has also helped out with networking of designs. Different designers and engineers can work on the same assembly in different parts at the same time. This team effort really moves the overall process along much faster.

However, as far as print reading goes, that is about the same as it was before. Drafting outputs prints and CAD outputs prints. A human still needs to be able to read them and make sense of them. A plus with CAD is that it is much more standardized and clear. Many times before, prints were unique to their maker. Similar to handwriting, you could not always figure out what the engineer wanted to convey to you. CAD cleans all that up.

CAD is the way we work today. I would be very surprised if you could come across a shop that has hand drawn prints. It just isn't practical. Precision and accurate prints are the way manufacturing increases efficiency.