Drafting has evolved significantly over thousands of years from early drawings on cave walls and animal hides to modern computer-aided drafting. Key developments include the Chinese inventing rice paper and Egyptians inventing papyrus, allowing drawings to be preserved on surfaces other than stone. During the Renaissance, techniques like linear perspective and scientific breakdowns of drawings advanced the field. In the 19th century, tools like T-squares and protractors became commonly used. The 20th century brought major changes with the invention of blueprints, technical pens, and 2D/3D CAD software, transitioning drafting from physical tools to digital processes. CAD systems now allow for fully digital design and pre-assembly of complex projects.

2. When did it start?
0 It is the oldest documented profession
0 The earliest drawings were found on cave walls
0 Next drawings were found on animal hide, then
vellum.
0 The ancient Chinese and Egyptians made huge
advancements in the field
0 Chinese developed rice paper
0 Egyptians developed papyrus
0 This is the start of drafting as we know it

3. Stone tablet from 4000 BCE

4. What is drafting?
0 It is defined as a descriptive way to deliver an idea
with the use of illustrations and drawings that show
in detail the process of creating the idea into reality
0 Mathematics and science are the foundation from
which drafters work.

5. What is it used for?
0 Everything that is man made has started from a
sketch.
0 The most common thing people think of about
drafting is architecture.
0 There are almost one hundred different work
disciplines for drafters and designers. These include
Aerospace, Highways, Parks and Recreation,
Electronic, Nano-Technology, Medical, Furniture, High
Voltage Electricity, Automotive and many more.

6. Why?
0 Drawing is the universal language!

7. Evolution of paper
0 The Chinese revolutionized drafting when they
invented rice paper
0 A major innovation in physical drafting supplies was
using animal skin to record drawings, which was the
dominant medium until the nineteenth century when
synthetic vellum was created

8. What about tools?
0 The oldest piece of drafting supplies that has been
discovered is a drawing board with a technical plan
for a temple in Lagash, Babylon dating from 3,000
BCE.
0 Aside from the straight edge, the protractor, compass
and T-square are the most commonly used drafting
tools
0 Drafters also require tools to create curves. Among
these tools is the French curve, attributed to Thomas
French, in the early twentieth century, of Ohio State
University

9. More tools
0 Technical pens are used by many drafters because
they can consistently create lines of the same
thickness, depending on the pen
0 The first technical pens were actually a pair of
calipers: the width of the lines could be controlled by
adjusting the caliper. The Graphos technical pen,
created in 1934, was easier to use than calipers. In the
1950s specialized fountain pens were used for
drafting.
0 In 1842, the process of creating a blueprint was
invented by Sir John Herschel

10. Tools

11. Evolution of drafting
0 From 1400 to 1600 we begin to see Technical
drawing.
0 Fillipo Brunellecshi shows this in his linear perspectives
0 Leonardo DaVinci starts to break down drawings
scientifically
0 Renaissance era brings about 3D perspectives

12. Technical Drawing History
~2000BC –
a drawing carved on a tablet
for a temple in Babylonian
Empire
( from a collection of Louvre)

13. Perspective drawing technique was invented during
the Renaissance period (1300-1500)

14. Parallel projection technique was invented during
the Industrial Revolution period (1750-1850)

15. 2-D CAD systems were developed in the
1980s

16. 3-D CAD systems were developed in the
1990s
The Boeing 777 is the first jetliner
to be 100 percent digitally
designed using three-
dimensional computer graphics.
Throughout the design process,
the airplane was "pre-
assembled" on the computer,
eliminating the need for a costly,
full-scale mock-up.
Dodge Neon was
designed using 3-D
CAD system CATIA

17. Concurrent Engineering is the
21th century star

18. Major changes
0 During the 1980s, computers overhauled drafting
supplies into the process of drafting that we have
come to know today
0 In 1982, Autodesk created the program Automated
Computer Aided Design (AutoCAD) which
transformed the process of drafting by making it
accessible to more people
0 AutoPlotter was invented in India by the company
Infycons in 2002. AutoPlotters are able to survey an
area and aid in creating plans for that space