Some Useful Definitions

The following terms may be useful in reading this chapter.

AutoCAD®: CAD software from AutoDesk, Inc., considered by many to be the benchmark for CAD software.

CAD: Computer aided drawing, a category of software for drawing and maintaining technical drawings for industries such as architecture, engineering, and manufacturing.

DXF: Document exchange format, a proprietary but widely used file format for exchanging technical drawing information between CAD programs.

Shape tree: A hierarchy of shape objects grouped together to describe a complex geometric model. See Shape Hierarchies.

Volo View Express: Freely available DXF file viewing software from Autodesk, Inc.