How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love AutoCAD (2005)
article⁄How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love AutoCAD (2005)
abstract⁄The history of computing is expressed through AutoCAD as an accretion of ideas and inventions, each of which was a breakthrough in its time. Learning to use AutoCAD, or any CAD system, is augmented by an understanding of the historical context of its development. In contrast to a ‘deconstructivist’ criticism of AutoCAD that avoids all historical context, this paper discusses the user interface of AutoCAD placed in its historical context by combining facts of history with personal reminiscences. The paper answers mysteries about AutoCAD such as ‘Why a black screen’, ‘Why LISP’, ‘Why a command line’, ‘Why layers, pens and line types’, and ‘Why 2D’ An understanding of context and history is a starting point for understanding, mastering, and improving software.
