CAD Evolutions

Most of the CAD programs that are used today have been around over a decade but they virtually trace their lineage to work started more than five decades ago.

Descriptive geometry in the 16th and 17th centuries gave way to modern mechanical engineering design and drafting. But the drafting methods improved with the introduction of drafting machines, but the making of engineering sketches changed very little until post World War II.

During the war, significant work was done in the development of real-time computing, and by 1950s there were dozens of people working on numerical control of machine tools and automating engineering design. But the work of two people in particular namely Patrick Hanratty and Ivan Sutherland, who are mostly credited with creating the platform for today’s CAD.

Fathers of CAD

Hanratty is known as "the Father of CAD/CAM." In 1957, while working at GE, he developed PRONTO (Program for Numerical Tooling Operations), the first commercial CNC programming system.

After five years, Sutherland presented his Ph.D. thesis at MIT with the title Sketchpad, A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System.

The 1960s brought many other developments, including the first digitizer and DAC-1,which is the first production interactive graphics manufacturing system. Towards the end of the decade, many companies were founded to commercialize their emerging CAD programs, including Evans, SDRC & Sutherland, Computer vision, and M&S Computing.

The 1970s,so the transition from 2D to 3D CAD. Major milestones include the work of Ken Versprille. His invention of NURBS for his Ph.D. thesis formed the basis of modern 3D curve and surface modeling, and the development by Alan Grayer, Charles Lang, and Ian Braid of the PADL solid modeler.

With the launch of UNIX workstations in the early ’80s, commercial CAD systems like CATIA and others started showing up in automotive, aerospace and other industries. But the introduction of the first IBM PC in 1981 that began the era of large-scale adoption of CAD. The following year, a few programmers grouped and formed Autodesk, and in 1983 released AutoCAD, the first significant CAD program for the IBM PC.

Now designers seeking a solution for designing products for additive manufacturing, has no alternative other than hybrid modelers. Without the stress of conventional CAD tools, these programs help you explore product designs and develop alternatives all in one place.

In the later part of last century, emerged CAD software to help designers, engineers and other industrial users create precise, dynamic models quickly. As the industry continues to grow, many designers are finding that CAD solutions are too rigid and do not allow sufficient creative freedom when creating products.

CAD is credited for documenting a design after a designer has done all the dimensions and details on paper or with physical 3D models. But if the question is allowing designers the freedom to create new products and experiment with design alternatives, CAD often misses the mark.

A new player taking the lead in 3D modeling industry: hybrid modelers. Hybrid modelers makes the CAD more intuitive and includes tools that leaves room for more creativity.

Hybrid modelers and additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is making it easier to develop new products and prototypes. The hybrid modelers make it easier to idealize the products and prepare them for manufacturing. Thus hybrid modelers are a great solution for additive manufacturing.

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