title: Use of computer-aided design in the preparation of technical manuscripts.
abstract: Decreased computing costs and constantly improving capability are transforming microcomputers into general rather than specialized productivity tools. This has made it possible to increase personal productivity in ways that were not previously cost-effective. We are using computer-aided design (CAD) to prepare technical illustrations for chemical and geochemical manuscripts. CAD offers several advantages over hand-drawn illustrations. Chemical structures are stored in a library of shapes and may be combined or modified to form other structures in subsequent drawings. An original drawing only has to be drawn once with a computer. The drawing may then be scaled to any size and placed in a draft of a manuscript. Revisions require a fraction of the time needed to revise a drawing by hand. All or part of the drawing may be plotted to provide a sequence of drawings without changing the original drawing.
mesh_terms: D003196:Computer Graphics; D003201:Computers; D008838:Microcomputers; D012106:Research; D014956:Writing