CAD vs the Pencil

Edwards Finance > CAD Drafting

Q. For those who do their own design work, wondering who prefers CAD and who still uses a pencil? For over a decade of architectural consulting (lighting, sound, and staging systems design) I used AutoCAD and CADKey with great success and enjoyment, but for woodworking projects I found I still prefer a pencil and bumwad. For those interested in 'the old stuff' I've got a Hamilton 50" table with a Vemco V-Track drafting machine

A. -I learned mechanical drafting and architectural drafting 30 years ago. 17 years ago I started learning several CAD programs and am self taught on CAD. Today I use AutoCAD LT. . When in school I won several awards in competition drafting. That said, I would not go back to the pencil. I am 47 and retired and now design and build custom furniture for fun. It is much easier to make modifications with CAD when a customer changes his mind. -pencil and paper every time. Don't recall ever actually using a CAD program, although I've played about with a couple, trying to convince myself they are better. -Well its all relative... I do initial sketches on paper. But for real layout I do it on the Cad system. I use Autodesk Inventor 5, slick as &%$#! All my stuff is 3d. The way Cad outperforms "spreading the lead" is in its editing, its far easier and quicker. Also you can parametrically link parts, so that if you change the length of something any other part that is in relation to that length dimension will update automatically with there associated detail drawings. You can even create and store "common details" like mortise and tennons, or anything like that... Posibilities are endless... The inventor program I use even has animation features with collision detection, so i see interferences....

Ask Edwards a Finance Question

Other Questions:

Looking for Acad drafting jobs in CA

I'm a civil struc. Acad drafting and I live in NJ. For some reason, I have to move to CA. Doe's anyone know is there a website to go can find an Acad drafting job on CA.Santa Clara, this is the place I will plan to go.Try http://careers.bayar...

I'm looking for a shareware version of any drafting software. If you know of one that you have used or have heard is pretty good, could you let me know? I know Microsoft is coming out with Visio 2002 but I can 't seem to find a downloadable d...

What do you think about a professional - architect or designer - that still hand draws all his projects? And, can one be financially successful (or efficient) today w/out CAD? BTW, to narrow the focus, let's say small, one or two man office, ...

I'm thinking of going in to buissiness cad drafting. how hard is it to make a living at it?-Good metaphore - CAD is a TOOL! (sorry about the shouting, but that's important) A chainsaw does a six year old little good and much harm. A faller o...

I am looking for advise on what software to purchase for basic drawing. I am designing some steelwork with mainly straight edges and one or two curves. I have looked at some cad programs but they seem to be for building houses rather than fair...

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