Computer-aided design programmes are widely deployed today

CAD, decoded as Computer-aided design, is used for designing real and virtual objects. CAD is not only shapes. The output of CAD commonly must also comprise symbols, for instance materials, processes, dimensions and tolerances in accordance with application-specific conventions. CAD can be used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space, or curves, surfaces and solids in three-dimensional (3D) space. CAD is widely deployed in automotive, shipbuilding and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics etc.

CAD is also extensively deployed to produce computer animation for special effects in movies, advertising and technical instructions.CAD is used for designing tools and machinery and for drawing and designing all types of architectural structures, from residential buildings to the largest commercial and industrial structures, for example hospitals and factories. CAD is chiefly deployed for detailed engineering of 3D models and 2D drawings of physical constituents, but it is also deployed throughout the engineering process. CAD has grown into an extremely significant technology within the whole scope of computer-aided technologies, as it is economically rational and time-saving.

In the late Eighties when the Computer-Aided Design programmes became widely available, there started massive downsizing in drafting departments of small and mid-size companies. A CAD operator could supplant 3-5 drafters still deploying traditional techniques. Furthermore, a number of engineers began to do their own drafting projects, therefore the demand for traditional drafting departments disappeared. As a result of, a large number of drafters became jobless. Being rather expensive, the new technologies were principally bought by large firms. Therefore, small firms were unable to contend against giant companies that extensively deployed CAD.

Today, prices are reasonable. Even high-end packages need cheaper platforms and some even support multiple platforms. In addition, there have been designed various software packages to convert CAD files to other formats.