Because development happens quickly within the computer-aided design and manufacturing communities, MIT Professional Education is holding a one-week course this summer for those who want to learn more about those fields. The course offers an overview of what CAD and additive manufacturing is, what they can do, and gives a broad look at using the systems.

“We’re hoping to get a variety of people, from research scientists to product design folks and managers, people maybe with some experience of design but want to experience the more automated CAD pipeline to help them out,” said Justin Solomon, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He’ll helm the summer class along with Wojciech Matusik, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the school.

The class will be held daily from June 26 to June 30 and will enroll about 50 students.

“What we see is tons of development in the CAD and manufacturing communities in the emergence and the wide use of manufacturing tools like CAD and additive manufacturing, which allow you to go from concept to design really quickly,” Solomon said. “They offer wide design freedom and can make many different shapes. They essentially allow users to explore a wider collection of shapes. But you need to be able to simulate and optimize the shapes.”

Another development those in industry may want to background themselves on is the emergence of design-collaboration tools, which the class will also cover.

“They mean many people can design and view CAD models at the same time,” Matusik said.

The instructors don’t assume those taking the course know how to use CAD or advanced manufacturing systems. They’ll cover the important points of the technologies, including additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, systems. Speakers from area companies that make the technologies will address the class, he added.

The instructors will demonstrate CAD techniques using OnShape, a new, CAD-in-the-cloud program developed by the founder of SolidWorks, Jon Hirschtick, who is now OnShape’s chief executive officer.

That CAD company, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., is an example of the many CAD and additive manufacturing businesses in the area, Solomon said. Those members include Dassault Systems, which purchased SolidWorks; RapidCAD; PTC, and others, he added.

The instructors plan to examine common CAD concepts, then “walk them through the art of design from manufacturing,” Solomon said.

“We’ll start with the different types of representation of CAD models, how you communicate a shape to the CAD system, and how you digitally simulate a shape and object you want to manufacture without needing to actually produce it,” he added. “We’ll also talk about how you can use the computer to generate or optimize an object for a task, physical or geometric constraints, how to work in partnership with computer as efficiently and well as possible.”

Talk about shape will segue to how additive manufacturing techniques allow for new shapes represented within CAD systems to be created, Solomon said.

The class is expected to  kick off with a social networking event attended by representatives from area engineering technology industries and those who use the technologies, he added.

More details at the registration site.