Few people today remember the old computer aided design (CAD) programs of the 80’s. These programs had to be run on dedicated workstations or graphics terminals connected to expensive mainframes. Working on these programs was time consuming and complicated, as they often had complex interfaces that were not user friendly. Autodesk was the first manufacturer of CAD software that could run on a personal computer. They entered the market with the groundbreaking AutoCAD. The customization and add-on features of AutoCAD secured its place as the industry standard for professional design software.

Since then Autodesk has been developing a long list of specialized design software for different fields of drawing professionals. AutoCAD Architecture, Civil Design, Civil Design 3D and Civil Design Professional is CAD software designed for engineering and architecture. AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoDesk Inventor, Revit and AutoCAD Map 3D are field specific vertical expansions on the basic AutoCAD kernel.

AutoSketch is CAD software that appeals to illustrators and designers especially, although engineers and architects will also find this program useful. AutoSketch features a highly customizable interface based on the Windows XP theme, supplying the user with a familiar work surface. It supports digital pictures of almost all formats so that the designer can enhance surfaces with textures or photo’s. Rich text capabilities further extends the functionality of the program.

AutoSketch is capable of producing the following styles of drawings: Conceptual sketches, architectural drawings, technical drawings, electrical drawings, product specifications and informative graphics. AutoSketch is CAD software that has Windows XP Logo Certification which means that it is compatible with the latest Microsoft Windows XP operating systems.

AutoSketch is extremely productive CAD software. It does a number of the more repetitive tasks automatically which saves the end user time. It features:

• Customizable grids (rectangular, circular and isometric grids)
• Associative dimensioning
• 3D special effects
• Guidelines (Geometry easily created with user defined construction guides)

AutoCAD LT is a scaled down version of AutoCAD that is meant for the entry-level market. AutoCAD LT is a 2-dimensional drawing program. It lacks some of the programming languages found in the more expensive CAD software, and does not have the CAD standards management utility. You can view .DWG files though, created in AutoCAD, which are 3D. You can not edit them however. There is a range of plug-ins for AutoCAD LT, like the ‘LT Toolkit MAX’ enabling you to run the LISP programming language; this enables some of the features in AutoCAD to work in LT. The plug-ins is relatively inexpensive.

No matter which field of design you are currently in, whether it is graphic design, architecture or civil engineering, AutoDesk will have the CAD software to meet your specific needs. The software has become so popular that a number of reference books have been published to address certain areas or add-ons related to AutoCAD. Whole libraries of symbols and architectural construction drawings have been released. Armed with these reference works and libraries, you will be able to draw the most professional and accurate drawings possible.