ARCHITECTURE

Design reviews anywhere, anytime

A leading London-based architectural firm known for its award-winning infrastructure, architecture and product design around the world uses CadFaster|Collaborate for internal design reviews. When working on everything from the scale of an airport down to the detail of a door handle, their teams share 3D models for instant viewing and markup on laptops and iPads. To stay on schedule, control budgets and ensure quality, a few of the many uses the firm finds for CadFaster include:

• Sending large, complex BIM 3D models to senior partners’ iPads for instant review and approval
• Receiving instant feedback from partners on critical decisions made throughout the building lifecycle
• Hosting live meetings with project decision makers to solve issues instantly
• Viewing 3D models on a project site and reporting back any issues instantly through the software’s mark-up feature

ARCHITECTURE

Client meetings with an iPad

Architects in a regional architectural practice in California specializing in healthcare, public safety, and community projects, always carried drawings with them when holding meetings with clients on project sites. When constructing a hospital or even a residence, this meant carrying a lot of paper. Often these drawings became obsolete as changes were made back at the office, challenging the team with design, manufacturing, and modelling efficiencies. After evaluating several software solutions, the architects selected CadFaster|Collaborate to lighten their load and ensure that they are always presenting the latest model to their client.

The practice finds CadFaster useful for:

• Walking through the design model with the client and the contractor
• Recording feedback using the tool’s mark-up feature and sending that feedback instantly back to the office
• Sharing the design with project stakeholders on their iPads and laptops on site
• Hosting live meetings, saving time for both the architect and the client

ARCHITECTURE

Collaboration with subcontractors

A mid-sized architectural firm based in Finland that has been leading design, renovation and urban planning projects for nearly forty years uses CadFaster for collaboration and net meetings with its subcontractors that work on specialized parts of the projects. The firm finds that having the ability to share 3D models using CadFaster and easily collect feedback makes project discussions with others more effective. The difficulty of communicating without visuals is easy to understand for anyone who has tried to deduce where enemy ships are in the popular "Battleship" game. Collaboration with CadFaster has proven to be so effective; the firm will now make it a requirement for certain subcontractors to have CadFaster when issuing its RFPs.

A few of the CadFaster features that the firm enjoyed include:

• Using the CadFaster iPad app to share 3D models and demonstrate design ideas in a net meeting with multiple subcontractors simultaneously, even while they are in the field
• The ability to have collect feedback from multiple subcontractors that can quickly add markups, measurements and notes to drawings
• Using the mark-up history feature of CadFaster to store and archive any changes made to the models by the subcontractor for easy reuse

ARCHITECTURE

Quick 3D walkthroughs inside the model to search for the best rendering views

A mid-sized architectural firm in Finland founded in 1974 with over 20 full-time employees uses CadFaster for quick 3D walkthroughs to find appropriate places for rendering, allowing them to create or change the effective interior.  CadFaster is the 3D CAD software tool of choice due to its fast response time and freedom of movement which enable quick positioning of 3D objects. The results can be stored to the cloud or shared with others in real time. 

• By using the CadFaster iPad app, a number of model related tasks can be done anywhere, anytime, whether at home, on an airplane or in a hotel, with or without an internet connection
• CadFaster’s walk-in-mode is easy to use and playful, making it enjoyable for anyone, regardless of experience

ENGINEERING

Multi-site collaboration

A unified design, architecture, and structural and services engineering firm headquartered in London is a pioneer in collaborative design. It is not uncommon for them to have a geographically dispersed team of collaborators working simultaneously on large 3D CAD/BIM files for a project such as a structural design. CadFaster enables them to look at very complex models in a lightweight and nimble way.

Highlights include:

• Anyone working on a design can distribute, annotate, and view large 3D models quickly, without installing any additional software.
• Everyone has the ability to make annotations in real time on the project that is being discussed.
• Ability to communicate live with team members far away in online design review meetings with approximately 30 people involved at once.

CONSTRUCTION

Walking through large models on site

A U.S.-based national technical builder specializing in highly complex and sustainable projects works with Autodesk Revit models that are up to 200MB in size and construction models that are even bigger.  After arming project managers, estimators, and construction personnel field personnel with iPADs, management sought out a light-weight, easy-to-use software tool to review models on site. After selecting the CadFaster iPad app, they are now continually monitoring progress and reporting back any issues in real-time. 

Results include: 

• The ability to work with models that are enormous in size and deal with an immense amount of data that other platforms simply cannot handle as effectively in the field
• Proactively getting ahead of issues and resolving conflicts before they impact the job
• Putting information into production quickly using CadFaster’s real-time mark-up capability

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Client communication and collaboration

Residential landscape designers strive to create a space that is not just functional, but also unique and beautiful. CadFaster is the ideal 3D CAD software tool for these design professionals to use for presenting their models to their clients for easy visualization. CadFaster is also useful for collaboration meetings with multiple architects who may be working on the project.

Highlights include:

• Walking through complete 3D landscape model with the client on an iPad
• Sharing models to a client’s iPad for instant feedback
• Collaboration with the architect to resolve any issues instantly

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Collaboration to save time

Landscape architects plan and design land areas for parks, recreational facilities, highways, airports, and other properties. As a result, they spend many hours on and off the job site, collaborating with architects, structural engineers and planners, among others.

With the use of CadFaster, they can speed up the process and save money by:

• Discussing ideas without the need for travel
• Marry the model of a building with the proposed landscape model
• Avoiding design mistakes early in the project

ENTERTAINMENT LIGHTING DESIGN

Instant feedback in hectic projects

A U.S.-based entertainment lighting designer develops custom solutions for film, television, theatre, corporate, theme park, live and retail installations.  Since they began using CadFaster for use in client communications, they have realized the power of real-time, multi-user collaboration to explore and confirm their design plans quickly to keep up with hectic projects.

Highlights include:

• Presenting designs to clients, whether from a workstation, laptop or completely untethered from the field with an iPad
• Navigating through designs with ease using the zoom, pan, section views or walk-through mode with inside point-of-views of interiors and design details
• Communicating design changes quickly and getting instant change approvals