What is CAD

CAD is an acronym for Computer Aided Design or Computer Assisted Drafting. CAD is commonly used in the fields of architecture, engineering and manufacturing to assist in the production of technical drawings and documents. Architectural CAD software facilitates the drawing/drafting of floor plans, elevations, sections, three-dimensional models and renderings. CAD files are "to-scale" and fully editable by capable CAD users.

There is a diversity of CAD software on the market, each offering different levels of specialization, sophistication and cost. AutoCAD by Autodesk is arguably the most recognizable CAD software in use today and the AutoCAD DWG file format is widely accepted for the purpose of sharing and distributing CAD documents. Other popular formats include DXF, DWF, DGN (Microstation) and PLN (ArchiCAD).

Although CAD is not generally intended for novice users, there are a number of free and fee-based "viewers" that allow you to open, navigate and print CAD files. Extreme Measures Inc. is a CAD services company that specializes in architectural drafting.

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