How Do Designers Really Use 3D CAD?
To find out how designers use 3D CAD in practice, the project team engaged in substantial market research. Beginning in 1999, the first nine months were aimed at better understanding the design practices and software preferences of registered architects, architectural designers, building developers, and other users of 3D CAD. Detailed interviews, focus groups, a literature review, and a web-based survey were organized to look beyond conventional wisdom and probe more deeply than previous research. The use of CAD software has become virtually a given on projects of any significant scale. A recent survey in California found that nine out of ten design professionals active in the commercial sector reported using some kind of CAD tool, presumably at least a 2D drafting program. Thirty-six percent said they use 3D tools. How do designers use 3D? Common knowledge tells us that at present the most sophisticated 3D drafting tools are used more for marketing presentationto create a snazzy rende
