What is Computer Aided Design?

Computer Aided Design or CAD is exactly what it sounds like, it is using computers to create Designs.

Almost everything in your life has been designed by someone. Think about the shoes on your feet, the phone in your bag and the car you came to school in. Who do you think came up with the designs for them and why?

Designers use software to help them to visualise their design ideas.

This term you are going to be exploring three dimensional design (3D).

You are going to learn how to hand sketch in 3D using a system called Isometric.

You are also going to learn how to use a piece of CAD software called 123D Design.

The main thing you need to understand is what we mean by three dimensions.

They can be thought of as width, height and depth

Look at the cube to the right, can you identify it's three dimensions?

CAD software recognises three dimensions by referring to them by their 3 axis.

As you can see from the drawing to the right, they are referred to as the:

x axis

y axis

z axis