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Something I've wondered about CAD for a long time (as a non-user) is whether the sheer physical labor involved in operating the CAD software influences design c
by analog31 3y ago
Something I've wondered about CAD for a long time (as a non-user) is whether the sheer physical labor involved in operating the CAD software influences design choices.
- adhesive_wombat 3y agoIt absolutely does. I've made do, even when feeling I've left a theoretically achievable ideal-to-me outcome on the table, plenty of times with what's easy to do with the tool, in MCAD tools, ECAD tools, drawing tools, as well as software tools like compilers, libraries, OSes, etc. Hell, even the choice to avoid BGA ICs because your assembly ability isn't great can easily in "as good as I can do here right now". For a quick third-party example: the Apple Mac Mini has a very special and deliberate corner design: it's not a radius, it's a "squircle", which makes the curve blend into the straight edge. Many CAD tools don't natively or easily support this, so you see a lot of slightly less "beautiful" designs with a simple circular radius, presumably partly driven by "this was just easy in the CAD tool". From Akin's laws: 38. Capabilities drive requirements, regardless of what the systems engineering textbooks say.