All major CAD companies offer some sort of collaboration tools to their users. These range from simple viewers to the fully baked-in collaboration that Onshape has (with which the model is shared on the cloud), to others that offer cloud storage and collaboration as an option.
Either way, there is always a catch. Users can collaborate with these tools if they’re all using the same CAD software. But heterogeneous CAD environments are common, especially in big AEC projects employing multiple designers and design firms, as well as multi-tier manufacturing operations. Here, each team might have its preferred CAD and PLM program. Thusly disjointed teams needing to collaborate might need to resort to general-purpose online collaboration tools such as Zoom or Microsoft’s Teams.
Zoom and Teams offer ways to share screens and exchange files, but their methods can be clumsy and may create problems all their own. For example, exchanging files can lead to version confusion, with parties each thinking they have the latest version of a model or drawing when someone, somewhere has an updated version.
Into the void where no CAD-specific collaboration exists flies CADchat. CADchat shouldn’t be confused with ChatGPT, as it’s not a chatbot or even AI-based. Instead, it’s purely a multi-CAD viewing, collaboration and communication-unifying environment.
Why would users want to store their models and files with CADchat when they have their own cloud storage, such as Dropbox or Google Drive? The simple answer is that CADchat is purpose-built for collaboration for CAD users. General purpose cloud storage vendors are not about to create CAD file viewers for all the CAD formats, not even all the popular ones, so no viewing, rotating, zooming, sectioning, etc. They won't have markup tools, either.
Then there is the added benefit of having one central location for all files, rather than have them scattered across various clouds, and the path to the coveted Single Source of Truth, where everyone is using the latest version of a model or building and no one, the outdated version. A Single Source of Truth ends version confusion across the board.
With a CADchat account, engineers can converse with others involved with a big project as engineers would with Zoom or Teams — or not.
“CADchat works fine even if it is used asymmetrically,” says Graham Bredemeyer, CEO and co-founder of CADchat.
In other words, users can store files and models, mark them up and leave them to be viewed/reviewed later. In this way CADchat works as a convenient chronological repository of models, documents and communication for all users, no matter what geography/time zone they are in.
But back to collaborating in real time, for which CADchat was designed and for which it excels. Engineers see a model after CADchat converts it to WebGL format. CADchat has converters for many CAD formats and is working on the rest. AutoCAD DWG conversion is one notable omission. But it’s coming, says Bredemeyer. Users are still looking at their 2D screens at 3D models, so it’s not an immersive experience, but on the other hand, you don’t need an AR/VR headset, either. In that way, CADchat preserves and enhances existing workflows rather than disrupting them by forcing users to buy additional hardware.
CADchat is a startup based in Columbia, South Carolina — hardly where one would expect to find CAD innovation. But it is there that Bredemeyer founded the 3D printer company Collider, which he sold in 2021, and Zverse, where he served as head of platform.