Computer-aided design or CAD software is popular with professionals who work in the manufacturing and construction industry. Engineers, contractors, graphic artists, architects, interior designers and others use it for various purposes. It includes architectural designs, building plans, blueprints, technical drawings, mechanical drawings & other renderings.

Nowadays, there is so much to be viewed in three dimensions for the most effective and efficient process. 3D CAD enables to manipulate, extract and render technical data points into incredibly realistic models. It allows designers and their clients to see what an accomplished project might look like before the foundation. Manufacturers can create visual prototypes of a new product. The virtual prototypes allow seeing its accessibility and identifying possible issues without having to construct a physical device.

Before the invention of CAD design software, drafting technicians had to draw and sketch manually. It used to be a tedious task and labor-intensive. Before the advent of 3D CAD Modeling, computer-aided design software was used as an alternative to the traditional hand drafting method. While this was certainly helpful, but it allowed only for necessary, fundamental, 2D drawings.

But what is the history of 3D CAD designing? How did it begin, evolve and got acceptance? It is worthwhile to look at where it started and how it got to where it is now.

The history of drafting in the field of engineering dates back to the middle of the 20th century. In 1957, "The Father of CAD," Dr. Patrick Hanratty created the first numerical control system, which later became the first commercial CAD software system.

This first CAD program was able to incorporate responsive visual graphics for the user. It is an exceptional development in computing. The CAD system was primarily used in automotive industries and later, it became outdated and was replaced with another system. In the 1970s, Hanratty launched his own company to provide CAD drafting solutions. But, the business was not successful as the code used was not widely used.

However, Hanratty finally made a commercial success with the "Manufacturing and Consulting Services" company. He created a new software Automated Drafting and Machinery (ADAM). He wrote the program in a widely-used programming language, which certainly helped create a favorable outcome. Around 90% of modern-day commercial drafting is traced back to Hanratty and his Adam programming code.

AutoCAD marked a significant milestone in the evolution of computer-aided design software. Its developers set out to deliver 80% of the other CAD programs’ functionality, charging a fraction of the cost. But, it was still mostly 2D.

The release of Pro/ENGINEER, a CAD program, altered the landscape yet again. It gave the design world another dimension. It was a CAD solution founded on 3D geometry. Its feature-rich, value-based operations helped to determine aspects and assemblies of engineering and design projects. It ran on UNIX computer terminals. The later years of the decade saw the release of several like-minded programs, most notably ACIS and Parasolid.

CAD systems are widely accepted and used throughout the industry. It consists of programs and packages that can perform anything that a designer or engineer could imagine.

With this article, you now have an understanding of 3D CAD design evolution and its importance. If you’re looking for 3D modeling and design services for your EPC project, consider hiring a reliable engineering design partner.