Although CAD is used extensively in many industries, especially in the process of manufacturing, but still a lot of us are not aware of its wide ranging use. People still do not have a clear idea of what exactly CAD is. The simple answer for this would be that CAD involves using a range of computer tools, which assist professionals like architects and engineers in their design activities. People may be curious to know the kind of industries which actually use CAD. Well, when it comes to usage of CAD by industries, there is hardly any industry left which does not use CAD. Engineering, construction, aviation, aerospace, ship building, and automotive industries are some of the industries which use CAD extensively during their manufacturing process.

We sometimes come across various other terminologies like CADD or CAID for example, which are equally confusing for people. They are essentially synonyms for CAD, with certain subtle differences in meaning and application. The abbreviation for CAID is Computer Aided Industrial Design and CADD stands for Computer Aided Design and Drafting.

For those of you who are interested in knowing the leading brands or vendors of CAD in the market, the simple answer would be, there are many. But more than half of the market is covered by leading players like AutoDesk, Dassualt Systems, PTC, PLC, and UGS Corporation. The smaller players usually cater to the needs of a niche segment.

Some of you may have a simple question, such as whether you can use CAD on a PC. Yes, you can, provided your PC has the requisite software or operating system which supports CAD. A large number of modern day PCs are enabled to support CAD. In fact, it is the growth of the PC market that led to the increased usage of CAD, particularly in the construction industry.

One can find extensive information on CAD and its related aspects by visiting online resources dedicated to the subject. Most of these online resources provide visitors with exhaustive details on CAD.