Don’t overlook AutoCAD’s 3D functionality, though. This means that AutoCAD today now includes:įirst created exclusively for 2D design, AutoCAD is still the first port of call for many users looking for a CAD solution specifically for drafting in two dimensions. This has never been more true than since the launch of AutoCAD 2019, which brought together what were once separate “specialized toolsets” into a single license. When discussing what AutoCAD can do, it’s important to think of it not as a standalone program, but instead as a multidisciplinary software suite. Check out our brief history of AutoCAD for full details. AutoCAD 2019 saw the launch of the first AutoCAD web app, with the first cloud-based version of the software. Autodesk, the manufacturers of AutoCAD, have made major updates to the software over the years, with the once-2D software now at ease in 3D. Of course, AutoCAD hasn’t stayed at the top by standing still.

It remains amongst CAD’s giants to this day, with each new release awaited with anticipation by AutoCAD’s multi-million-strong user base.

In the years following its 1982 launch, it rose to become the world’s most popular design software. It might seem almost impossible to imagine today, but, before AutoCAD, there was no commercially available CAD software built for use on PCs.ĪutoCAD immediately changed the game. Its ubiquity today, however, comes as a direct result of its disruptive impact upon its initial release. If there’s any software in the AEC sector that needs no prior introduction, it’s AutoCAD. Read on to check out the history of these two leading suites, what they have to offer users, and much more. In this article, we’ll compare two of the major players in architectural CAD software: AutoCAD vs Vectorworks. After converting their drawings in Scan2CAD, our users go on to use a wide array of CAD software-and, naturally, we often get questions about which is best. As a comprehensive raster-to-vector solution, Scan2CAD acts as the bridge between an initial sketch and a professional CAD drawing.

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