Using the Computer to Design Kitchens and Baths

In the field of design today, computer usage for design is increasing and has changed the way businesses are run. Technology changes continuously. Software companies create new versions of their software, which include enhancements and changes to their programs. CAD stands for computer-aided drafting. Today we can do tasks on the computer that were not possible even a short time ago. Computers allow designers to make quick changes to a drawing, produce a drawing with speed, and create a realistic image of a space. Computers are used for business management as well. Even though computer drafting is commonly used, you still must understand hand drafting to better understand the process of design. Many companies use the computer and also hand draft some design components. Several kitchen and bath design programs are available for creating kitchen and bath drawings using the computer. CAD enables the creation of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional drawings. In this chapter, we identify important computer terminology, discuss computer basics, and look at the kitchen and bath design software programs approved for the NKBA certification exams.

• Learning Objective 1: Understand computer terminology.
• Learning Objective 2: Understand importance of computer components for CAD.
• Learning Objective 3: Identify tasks completed with a computer.