Welcome to daneman design

INTRODUCTION

Most objects need to be designed before they can be built or assembled. Many projects begin as hand-drawn sketches that typically evolve into detailed drawings used to define the object. These drawings provide valuable details for fabrication and construction. Other common drawings such as electrical and mechanical schematics, conceptual renderings and many more technical illustrations are critical for project implementation..

For hundreds of years, drawings were performed manually on a special table, often referred to as a drawing board. The tables are large and positioned on an angle that is comfortable for the drafter. Drawing boards have to be square and true, using a parallel bar or a T-Square to maintain a straight reference point to work from. This method of mechanical drawing requires the designer to be proficient in using a host of specialized drafting tools to create lines, angles, circles, arcs, and geometric components to describe the object. Designers and architects are required study and become proficient with all of the elements that detailed drawings require. They have to understand orthographic projection, isometric (3-Dimensional), perspective views, rendering, dimensioning, and line weights , just to name a few. The drafter must also hone their skills to apply text and notes by hand, a skill that takes a lot of practice to become proficient. If editing is needed, it requires time-consuming efforts to erase and redraw the changes, or potentially start all over again. The phrase back to the drawing board was coined to describe this activity.     

The invention of Computer Aided Design (CAD) came on the scene in the early 1980’s and is now the standard method used for drawing. CAD simply supplies the tools that the drafter needs at their fingertips on a personal computer. The user still needs to understand the fundamentals and techniques of mechanical drawing. The primary benefit of CAD is improved productivity and vastly reduced time to completion. Other benefits include the ability to make changes quickly and cut and paste objects and create libraries of commonly used symbols. Lastly, CAD allows the designer to utilize layers for multiple drawing elements.

"I was fortunate to have the opportunity to begin using CAD in 1983 as a contractor at Bell Labs. I continued to use CAD throughout my career in the telecommunications engineering industry until my retirement in 2023. Considered by my former colleagues to be a subject matter expert in CAD, and my affinity for design and engineering, I decided to continue applying my skills as an independent CAD consultant".