AutoCAD is a CAD (Computer Aided Design or Computer Aided Drafting) software application for 2D and 3D design and drafting. It is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, most notably the IBM PC. At that time, most other CAD programs ran on mainframe computers or mini-computers which were connected to a graphics computer terminal for each user. AutoCAD is one of the most widely used software programs in the marine engineering industry.