What Is 3D Modeling?

It’s likely that you’ve heard of 3D modeling, even if you don’t work in the world of engineering, product design, development, or production. The concept is fairly simple, and the name pretty much says it all.

3D modeling is the process of digitizing a design on a computer using 3D software—essentially creating a digital 3D model of said design. You can even give your custom order for customized 3D products.

Important note: This process is so widely used, across countless industries, that its name is often misused to refer to individual 3D software or modeling applications.

What Is CAD?

CAD stands for “computer-aided design”, which is simply a phrase used to describe the very literal process of using a computer to help create designs.

The term CAD applies to any computer-based design process, regardless of what is being designed or the business for which it is being used. It is also important to note that CAD is not a software product at all…it’s merely a design process that is assisted through the use of computers!

CAD can be applied to create 2-dimensional or 3D designs. Thus, CAD can be used in 3D modeling and BIM. And while CAD itself isn’t an actual software product, there are many CAD software solutions available on the market.

What Is BIM?

Finally, there is “building information modeling” on this list. BIM is the most comprehensive of the three and is actually a special subcategory of 3D modeling.

BIM refers to the process of creating 3D models for buildings, specifically to guide the construction process and make it easier to manage. These digital models are more than just 3-dimensional representations of how buildings will look when completed; they are highly detailed and include functional information as well.