What is In a Name?

You might hear names and words such as AutoCAD or CADD and wonder what different people mean by CAD or CADD. Here, I adhere to the traditional definition that insists on using two D’s to include both Design and Drafting. While I love both disciplines, in my professional practice, I aim to transcend mere drafting and design by finding ways to make the processes more intelligent and automated. Using Application Programming Interfaces (API’s) bring drafting and design to another level which cannot be replicated by traditional manual methods. The existence of LISP inside AutoCAD, right at the Command: prompt remains one of my favorite features. There is so much power at your immediate disposal. There is no need to compile any source code. What you type is interpreted immediately. My goal is to encourage designers to employ more enjoyable, automatic methods so they can work at a higher level and not worry about constructing anything using old fashioned, simple, geometric shapes such as lines, arcs, circles and text. Instead, use Smart Parametric Architecture Engineering and Construction Objects. But the idea is not to stop there but to think of the entire design process as learning how to deal with Relational Database Management Systems and “Computer Objects.” It is only a matter of time before architectural and engineering education become more about how to design anything programmatically and less about learning how to draw and assemble objects, assemblies or buildings. This is one of the reasons why I insist introducing even the most beginner students to whatever API is accessible in their CAD programs, from AutoLISP to Dynamo or anything else that allows you to create geometry programmatically.

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