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What is CAD (or CADD)?

CAD is an acronym that, depending on who you ask, can stand for:

  
   
Computer Aided Design. Computer Aided Drafting.
Computer Assisted Design. Computer Assisted Drafting.
Computer Assisted Design and Drafting. Computer Aided Design and Drafting.

There are many CAD software applications. These replicate the old drafting board as a means to draw and create designs. As CAD applications run on computers they provide a great deal more functionality than a drafting board -- and a great deal more complexity. The lines and text created in CAD are vectors. This means their shapes and positions are described in mathematical terms. These vectors are stored on computer systems in CAD files.
 
  There are a great many different file formats for CAD. Most CAD applications produce their own proprietary file format. The CAD applications from Autodesk, Inc. are used widely. As a result their DWG format is very common. Many other CAD applications from other vendors can produce and open DWG files, as well as their own proprietary formats.

CAD data is often exchanged using DXF format. When CAD drawings are sent to printers the old format taht was commonly used is HPGL. HPGL files typically have the extension PLT.

Trix DrawingCenter software can be used to open, view, markup and print the common DWG, DXF, DWF and HPGL CAD format files. We also offer PDF conversion solutions.

 
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