Architectural drawings are manual representations of the architect's design. By way of plan and different cross sections, architectural drawing forms the pre planning stage where the vision of the architect gets a tangible shape. In the field of architecture, aesthetic demands are more important and require greater attention to detail while the strength of the building is the concern of the civil engineers. Architectural drawings are a critical blend of the beauty of the design and the strength of the structure.

Architects traditionally worked with drawing sheets on drawing boards with T-squares, scales, drafter, pencils and lots of manual work. With the advent of architectural CAD drafting software, architectural drawing has become a simple and accurate matter. These software come equipped with tools that allow the designer to merely enter the dimensions and the virtual image of the is almost instantaneously created. Architectural CAD drawing software ensures that every relevant standard, every building code and safety factor has been addressed in the drawing.

Many of the architectural design and drafting skills are comprehensively available in drafting and building design software such as AutoCAD, which comes with many courses like Working Drawings and Building Systems. Software such as AutoCAD are user friendly with an easy to use and comprehend user interface. All you need to build the plan in architectural drafting CAD software is a mouse, keyboard or both. Loaded with a wide range of graphical tools and a library of pre-fabricated figures and elements used to represent furniture, fixtures, windows, doors and other features of architectural design. Along with these myriad features, step by step instruction are provided at every stage of
The most popular architectural CAD drawing and drafting software providers include
?Bentley Architecture: "Bentley Architecture is an advanced, yet intuitive and easy-to-use architectural building information modeling (BIM) application that empowers architects and designers to create with unlimited freedom." - http://www.bentley.com/architecture
?Chief Architect: "Chief Architect is specifically designed for the residential and light commercial design professional. Chief Architect makes it easy for you to visualize your design ideas for your client's home or remodeling project. Move a wall, add a room, re-design a kitchen, change materials, estimate costs ? all before you build."- chiefarchitect.com.
Other widely used software includes Home Plan Pro, Softplan Architectural Software, ViaCAD and other.

To keep pace with the changing face of technology, scalability is incorporated in architectural CAD drawing software. They are flexible to upgrades as and when technology changes. Also, technical support is impeccable, they spring into help out as and when you get stuck. Online libraries, forums and discussion boards on the Internet are great resources as well.

CAD drafting software helps you visualize the future of architectural development. Manual paper drawings are bulky to carry and share, cumbersome to edit and difficult to store. There is a constant apprehension among the architects and drafters about the well-being of their drawings. CAD converts manual, paper architectural drawings to digitized format. This makes them easy to edit, share, and store.