Architectural Drawings – 2D and 3D CAD

Drawings have been the primary way of architects to convey their building ideas for a very long period of time. Even today, they are one of the most important tools of building workers for erecting all types of structures, be it small residential constructions or lofty commercial skyscrapers. With progress of time, however, the method of creating architectural drawings has changed significantly. Nowadays, a large number of professionals make use of computer aided design (CAD) software for fabricating floor plans, site plans, elevations, cross-sections, etc. Due to usage of CAD software, contemporary architectural diagrams have a great deal of accuracy as well as detailing.

The CAD software popularly used for drafting online architectural design drawing in UK can be divided into two categories – 2-dimensional CAD and 3-dimensional CAD:

2D CAD

2-dimensional or 2D CAD is the basic form of digital architectural drawings. The sheets are prepared with utilisation of the knowledge that the architect himself possess. The different methods involved in the process can be repetitive, superfluous and time-consuming. If somebody has been using 2D CAD for a long time, it may require them to overcome a certain amount of apathy. They would require to put in a lot of effort and coordination for achieving any feasible design. Due to the deficiency of a 3-dimensional effect, some extra software would also be needed. However, 2D CAD can be beneficial in some ways as well. The initial costs of drafting 2-dimensional diagrams are usually low. Moreover, the concepts of drafting are quite simple and therefore, easy to study.

3D CAD

3-dimensional CAD was created with one primary aim – to layer a highly interactive design of any proposed structure with informations of the real-world. It allows the architect to think in a more integrated manner about the design, and create a powerful picture, of the building that is to be constructed, within one digital model. Using a 3D CAD can prove to be beneficial in many different ways. First of all, it can eliminate any potential problem with the structure before the plan is implemented. Secondly, it enables inclusion of additional alterations even during progress of the work. Thirdly, drafting a 3D diagram does not require much time or effort at all and due to that, architects can think more deeply about the design instead of engaging in tedious tasks of fabricating delineations. Although integration of 2D CAD may be required in some cases, it does not generally manifest as a major requirement.