CAD

CAD has revolutionized the way we approach and think about design. Today, there are few industries which haven’t been impacted by the creative possibilities opened up by CAD software. As the digital economy booms, CAD has expanded outside of its traditional fields of architecture and engineering, and has become the go-to design tool for game designers and digital content creators. This category plunges headfirst into the world of CAD. We talk about the software that can help you make an impact; the new developments that are changing the design world; and the wide range of applications that go far beyond our traditional perceptions of what CAD is and does.
Building at night with colorful lights

Compared: The 10 Best 3D CAD Software

Building at night with colorful lights

Design is a very crucial step in any manufacturing and creation process. Despite its importance, there was once a time when Design was subjected to limitations and inaccuracies present in the use of the traditional drafting desk and physical tools. Following…

pdf file sketchup icon

How to Convert a PDF for SketchUp

pdf file sketchup icon

SketchUp is one of the more well-known 3D modeling programs out there. Its user-friendly design, smooth workflow, and accessibility make it a popular program of choice for various design and engineering students, weekend inventors, and even professionals. There are both free…

DraftSight Icon, DraftSight Alternatives

Top 5 Affordable Draftsight Alternatives

DraftSight Icon, DraftSight Alternatives

When it comes to 2D drafting and 3D modeling, DraftSight is one of the most popular and widely used software packages. With DraftSight, you can create, edit, view, and markup various kinds of 2D and 3D files. One of the primary…

Desk with notepad, pens, glasses and computer keyboard

CAD Drafting – Everything You Need To Know

Desk with notepad, pens, glasses and computer keyboard

Almost a decade and about 300 articles later, our Scan2CAD blog has touched on topics that revolve around BIM, CAD, and digital drafting with all the complexities and intricacies that go along with all of it. But for now, let’s go…

Onshape logo, flying cash emoji

How Much Does Onshape Cost? – Pricing Explained

Onshape logo, flying cash emoji

There are two fundamental questions that you need to ask whenever you wish to buy a CAD software package. The questions are, can it get the job done? And how much does it cost? As simple as these questions may seem,…

Wood panel wall, free ArchiCAD objects

13 Sites with Free ArchiCAD Objects

Wood panel wall, free ArchiCAD objects

For those of you familiar with BIM work and ArchiCAD model-making, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the whole endeavor – from starting schematics to final plot-able output – is a very tedious process. You’ll try to save time and…

Mac laptop, Autodesk Inventor logo

Autodesk Inventor: Learn the basics in 1 hour

Mac laptop, Autodesk Inventor logo

First released in 1999 by Autodesk, Inventor is a solid modeling design software used for creating precise 3D models. It is mainly used by designers and mechanical engineers for 3D mechanical design, electrical systems design, sheet metal design, tube and pipe…

Circular metal gasket - Convert gasket for CAD/CAM & CNC

How to Scan a Gasket and Convert to CAD

Circular metal gasket - Convert gasket for CAD/CAM & CNC

Gaskets are a fundamental part of any precision or industrial-grade machine. In essence, they are mechanical seals that serve as fillers between two disjointed but interconnecting parts of a machine or assembly. They make it possible for two mating surfaces that…

AutoCAD vs Inventor - Software icons

AutoCAD vs. Inventor: CAD Software Compared

AutoCAD vs Inventor - Software icons

Due to the number of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software packages available today, it can be quite confusing when selecting the appropriate package for your application. There are numerous CAD programs with either similar or varying features, developed by various companies, for…

Woman drawing paper pattern, girl in orange dress, black t-shirts on hangers

How To Digitize Apparel Patterns

Woman drawing paper pattern, girl in orange dress, black t-shirts on hangers

Hobbyist needleworkers and large clothing industries alike make use of digitized apparel patterns to accurately and quickly cut designs for prototyping. In the design and manufacturing processes, these apparel patterns are vital in duplicating and developing apparel designs. The use of…

DraftSight Keyboard Shortcuts, Essential List - PDF Preview

DraftSight Keyboard Shortcuts – With PDF Cheat Sheet!

DraftSight Keyboard Shortcuts, Essential List - PDF Preview

Dassault Systemes – the company made famous for its flagship product, Solidworks – developed DraftSight, a 2D and 3D CAD program that seamlessly works with their other 3D modeling products. Essentially, DraftSight a CAD solution that is rich with features and…

Vectorworks & ArchiCAD software icons. Vectorworks vs ArchiCAD

Vectorworks vs ArchiCAD: CAD Software Compared

Vectorworks & ArchiCAD software icons. Vectorworks vs ArchiCAD

Here at Scan2CAD, we offer vector conversion solutions for all types of digital needs. But once they’ve gotten a workable CAD or vector file, users tend to wonder what program is best to work on when handling these files. There are…

SketchUp icon, flying cash emoji

How Much Does SketchUp Cost? Pricing Explained

SketchUp icon, flying cash emoji

SketchUp is a 3D design and modeling CAD software by Trimble. It is used in a wide range of fields including mechanical engineering, landscaping, video game design, architecture, and civil engineering. SketchUp allows you to design, visualize, analyze, document, collaborate, and…

Autodesk Raster Design, importing images, image icon

How to Import Images with Autodesk Raster Design

Autodesk Raster Design, importing images, image icon

AutoCAD is a commercially-available program for CAD and design work. It was first developed and released by a back in December 1982 and has, since then, slowly put itself above its competitors in the CAD industry. The program has users in…

AutoCAD vs SketchUp application icons

AutoCAD vs SketchUp: CAD Software Compared

AutoCAD vs SketchUp application icons

There was once a time when you could count all existing CAD applications on one hand. Back then, selecting a CAD package was only a matter of opinion A or option B; but that was a very long time ago. Today,…

Revit icon, flying cash emoji

How Much Does Revit Cost? Pricing Explained

Revit icon, flying cash emoji

Two major questions always come to mind when you are considering procuring a software package: Can it get the job done? And how much does it cost? These questions also apply to a software package as popular as Revit. Revit is…

SketchUp Keyboard Shortcuts, Essential List, PDF Preview

SketchUp Keyboard Shortcuts – With PDF Cheat Sheet!

SketchUp Keyboard Shortcuts, Essential List, PDF Preview

SketchUp is one of the most well-known and widely-used 3D modeling software available out there. Ask any architecture student or furniture design enthusiast, and more likely than not they’ll tell you this program is a consistent top contender in their lists…

Siemens Solid Edge, flying cash emoji

How Much Does Solid Edge Cost? Pricing Explained

Siemens Solid Edge, flying cash emoji

Solid Edge is a drafting, solid modeling, and simulation CAD software for mechanical and electrical designs, and product development. It is owned by Siemens PLM software. Through the use of synchronous technology, Solid Edge merges the simplicity and speed of direct…