AutoCAD is a commercial software application for 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting — available since 1982 as a desktop application and since 2010 as a mobile, web- and cloud-based app marketed as AutoCAD 360.
Developed and marketed by Autodesk,[1] AutoCAD was first released in December 1982, running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers.[2] Prior to the introduction of AutoCAD, most commercial CAD programs ran on mainframe computers or minicomputers, with each CAD operator (user) working at a separate graphics terminal.[3]
AutoCAD is used across a wide range of industries, by architects, project managers, engineers, graphic designers, and other professionals. It is supported by 750 training centers worldwide as of 1994.[1]
As Autodesk's flagship product, by March 1986 AutoCAD had become the most ubiquitous CAD program worldwide
