AutoCAD is a computer aided design program that allows users to design buildings, products, and public spaces. It was released in 1982 and optimized for the IBM PC. The software has advanced over the years and now offers robust programming interfaces, including C++, VBA, .NET, AutoLISP, and Visual LISP. AutoCAD remains the industry leader and sets standards in the CAD community. Autodesk produces other design programs that focus on all aspects of rendering, both 2D and 3D. The software can export files to prototyping facilities for affordable 3D prototypes. AutoCAD is a professional-grade software suite priced accordingly and protected from piracy with hardware dongles.
AutoCAD was one of the first computer aided design programs to be made available on personal computers. It is built to help people design buildings, products or public spaces, without having to draft plans by hand. It was released in 1982 by Autodesk, Inc. and offered a personal solution to software that was previously only released for larger workstations. While early CAD programs required massive amounts of computing power, this software streamlined how they worked and optimized them for the IBM PC, allowing people to work from home or on their work computers.
In the 1980s, AutoCAD worked primarily using simple lines and circles and text overlays to set custom objects. Beginning in the 1990s, the software began using more robust custom object functionality built with an advanced programming interface using C++. As of 2007, it had much more advanced 3D tools that allow for more modeling and exploration, with high-quality, fast-moving rendering.
The modern version allows for much more than just C++ programming. It has set the standard for operability in terms of advanced programming interfaces in CAD and can use VBA, .NET, AutoLISP and Visual LISP as well as C++ based ObjectARX. This robust set of programming has allowed for great extensibility of the software, and a number of more specialized programs are available, including AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD Civil 3D, and AutoCAD Architecture.
The file format used by this software, the DWG format, has become a standard for all CAD work. Autodesk shifts its estimates to how many DWG files are in operation in the world, but generally puts the number at just over a billion. While a number of other CAD programs exist at this point, including programs for Mac OSX and *NIX systems, AutoCAD remains the industry leader and sets a number of standards in the CAD community.
In addition, Autodesk produces many other design programs, all created to help designers or architects work on specific projects. Their software is focused on all aspects of rendering, both 2D and 3D, and they are constantly looking to push themselves beyond what their technologies can achieve. Autodesk software includes industry standards for animation and product design. For example, files created with their design software can be exported and sent to prototyping facilities, who can feed them into 3D printers to generate immediate 3D prototypes at an affordable cost. This seamless interplay between home software and affordable high-speed prototyping is changing the way design is done in many ways and has largely removed barriers to entry.
It’s important to recognize, however, that AutoCAD is a professional-grade software suite and is priced accordingly. Because of the value of its products, Autodesk has for many years used hardware dongles as a security device to protect its software from piracy.
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