difference between computer aided design and drafting?

Edwards Finance > CAD Drafting

Q. this is a very basic question and before posting it here i searched a hell lot on net but nowhere i could find the exact difference between CAdrafting and CADesign. every site i encountered refers them as CADrafting/Design combined or goes on saying they are commonly referred as CADD..but there ought to be some difference between design and drafting.. so what is the difference between drafting and design??? I myself feel that drafting refers to only sketching and design referes to calculating the dimensions (i.e designing the components using computer)using the integrated material and etc database in the CAD package but since this process is referred to as CAE then what is left for CAD for a definition?? or is design here related to some industrial kind of designing?? i.e only related to the appearance of the model.. is autocad a CADrafting package or CAdesigning package..?

A. The terms are confusing because the technology and roles have changed recently. Drafting is drawing what was designed. Engineering is making sure what is designed, works. In functional terms, anyone who designs something is a designer. Whoever draws it is the drafter. Who does the engineering for it, is the engineer. In terms of job titles and degrees, engineers go to school for 4 years and are introduced to a broad base of theoretical knowledge. Engineering at work is the practical application of theoretical knowledge to accomplish a desired result. Drafters are trained to create engineering, architectural and other technical drawings. Designers are a subset of Drafters. Designers have additional specialized technical training, so that they can do more than just draw, yet less than what engineers can do. So the usual organization by job title in a corporation, engineering firm or military group is to have: ~ Engineer ~ Designer ~ Drafter in descending order or pay, rank and responsibility. CAD is when you use a computer for this type of work. In practice, the actual roles, responsibilities and capabilities of designers, engineers and drafters vary greatly. Some engineers are very specialized and do not design or draw. Some designers do their own engineering and drawing, as do some drafters. One effect of CAD technology is that it brings engineering, design and drafting back into one activity. Organizations are making an adjustment these days in response to the new technical reality of this type of work. The historical divisions of labor and education, as well as the structure of organizations, no longer make sense considering how design is being done with computers. Confusion about terms is in part due to changing work methods and worker roles, in addition to the fact that practices vary from company to company. Also, it is the CAD/CAM/CAE application developers who label their products, and there is no standard for this. You can put CA in front of anything, and even CA can mean either Computer Assisted or Computer Aided. AutoCAD is a drafting application used by designers and engineers. CAD (computer aided design) CADD (computer assisted design and drafting) CAD/CAM (computer aided design, computer aided machining) CAE (coffee and excuses) Finally, as my old partner in crime used to say every time we got new workstations:

Ask Edwards a Finance Question

Other Questions:

parking bays - any standards?

Does anyone know if there is an Aus standard for the dimensions of kerbside (parallel) parking bays? Our local dimwitted council has just remarked the local high street after resurfacing, which in itself is good except: . the bays are about...

I am a high school student who will be choosing architecture as my major/carrer. I am a junior who has just recently decided on this after years of being asked "what I want to be when I grow up" and only being able to blindly shake my head. I...

Can anybody help me out with any in-house computer aided dispatching / record-keeping companies that have information - demo's on the WWW ? Especially interested in programs that are compatable with the new NCIC 2000 software. I would be par...

I am recently enrolled at ITT. I am having to answer some questions and I hoped ya'll could help me out. I greatly appreciate it if you could answer some of the following questions. What types of careers are there for draftsmen? What a...

When I try to import some dwg files nothing happens. I feel it may be something to do with the version of either the CAD file or Visio. I am using Visio 2002 Proffesional SP2 I do the following: Open up a new visio file. Select Insert ...

Edwards Finance Menu

Ask a Question
About Us / Me
Contact Me
Privacy Policy

Sitemap

My Favorite Sites

PFBlog
Google Finance
Yahoo Finance
Motley Fool
Nveille's Financial Blog
AllFinanceMatters
Free Money Finance
2MillionBlog
The Terror Finance blog

Q&A Subjects