AutoCAD, a cornerstone of modern design, traces its origins back to , a year that marked a seismic shift in the world of engineering and architecture. Before this, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) was the exclusive domain of massive mainframes and specialized workstations, often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The launch of AutoCAD in 1982 by Autodesk founder John Walker and his team democratized the industry by bringing professional-grade drafting tools to the newly emerging class of personal computers. The Dawn of Desktop CAD
The release of AutoCAD in 1982 created a seismic shift in the design professions: