digital-fabricationlisted

# Digital Fabrication in AEC ## File-to-Factory Paradigm Digital fabrication represents the direct translation of computational design models into physically realized building components through numerically controlled manufacturing processes. The file-to-factory paradigm eliminates the interpretive gap between designer intent and fabricator execution. Every geometric decision encoded in the digital model propagates deterministically into machine instructions, material removal paths, or deposition trajectories. The core promise: what you model is what you build, with quantifiable tolerances at every stage. ### Mass Customization vs. Mass Production Traditional construction relies on mass production: standardized components (bricks, studs, sheets) assembled according to standardized details. This constrains architectural expression to rectangular grids and repetitive modules. Mass customization inverts this constraint. When every component is cut by a CNC machine reading unique coordinates, the cost difference between 500 identical panels and 500 unique panels approaches zero. The machine does not care whether the next cut is the same as the last. The marginal cost of geometric variation is essentially the marginal cost of generating the fabrication data, not executing it. Key economic thresholds: - **Laser cutting**: Customization is virtually free. Nesting efficiency matters more than geometric repetition. - **CNC milling**: Customization adds modest cost through incre