When I came into the industry years ago, if someone told me I’d be using AI to generate 3D models, automate drawing reviews, create site plans from aerial imagery, and collect site data with a handheld scanner, I probably wouldn’t have believed them.

Yet here we are.

What’s interesting is that the biggest productivity gains I’m seeing aren’t coming from replacing designers or engineers; they’re coming from eliminating repetitive tasks that nobody enjoys doing in the first place.

Things like manually updating title blocks, reviewing hundreds of markups, tracing existing conditions, organizing drawing sets, or spending hours collecting field measurements.

The firms embracing automation aren’t necessarily working harder or even replacing roles.

They’re simply spending more time designing and less time doing repetitive and time-consuming work.

This week I wanted to share some of the tools and tricks I’ve been using and testing lately to help automate and speed up various tasks in the design process.

Let’s jump in!

Quick Tip: Use Fields to Automate Your Drawings

If you’re still manually typing sheet numbers, project names, dates, or drawing references into title blocks...

Stop

AutoCAD Fields allow you to automatically populate and update information throughout your drawings.

A few great uses include:

Sheet numbers
Drawing titles
Plot dates
File names
Sheet Set information

Combined with Sheet Sets, Fields can eliminate hours of repetitive updates and dramatically reduce errors.

It’s one of the highest ROI features in AutoCAD that surprisingly few users take advantage of.

Learn more about fields here

Must-Try AI & Automation Tools for CAD Users

This week’s feature isn’t a single video, it’s a collection of some of my favorite AI and automation tools from the past few months that are changing how many of us work.

Bluebeam

AI-assisted PDF review, smart drawing reviews, markup management, quantity takeoffs, drawing comparisons, and automated review workflows.

If you’re reviewing large PDF drawing packages regularly, this can save an incredible amount of time.

Try it here

Videos to check out:
Must Know Tricks to Review, Measure & Track Drawings Faster
Must-Know AutoCAD PDF Workflows: Create, Import & Convert...

Ecopia

Automatically converting high-resolution aerial imagery into engineering-ready GIS data using AI automations.

An online platform where you can order digitized Roads, buildings, sidewalks, vegetation, parking areas, and more can be extracted automatically and brought into Civil 3D and AutoCAD workflows.

If you’ve seen my recent Shapefile tutorial, you’ve already seen how powerful this can be.

How to Import & Export SHP Files in AutoCAD/C3D: Setup Civil Baseplans in Minutes with Shapefiles!

Realsee Galois

One of the most impressive site documentation tools I’ve used.

Instead of manually measuring and photographing existing conditions, the scanner creates:

Digital twins
Point clouds
Floor plans
Walkthroughs

All from a quick site scan.

Watch it in action here
This 3D Scanner Saves Hours! Import Site Scans into Recap/CAD (Realsee Galois P4)

AutoCAD Fields

Automate title blocks, drawing information, dates, and references.
Eliminate many tedious text updates, reduce errors and improve company standards!

It’s one of the highest ROI features in AutoCAD that surprisingly few users take advantage of.

Learn more about fields here

Sheet Sets

Batch plotting, automatic sheet numbering, title block automation, and project-wide management.

Can be tied into fields to completely automate your titleblocks, numbering, revisions, naming and more!

Master sheet sets, templates, automations and more here

Templates (.DWT)

One of the most overlooked automation tools in CAD.

A properly built template automatically loads:

Layers
Styles
Layouts
Title blocks
Typical Blocks
Plot settings

Saving time on every single project.

Master sheet sets, templates, automations and more here

Xrefs

Maintain a single source of truth and automatically update multiple drawings at once.

The common theme?

The biggest productivity gains rarely come from one massive tool.

They come from dozens of small automations working together.

Tech Tool of the Week: Ecopia

If you work with site plans, transportation projects, land development, utilities, or GIS data, Ecopia is worth paying attention to.

Their AI-generated mapping technology can rapidly convert aerial imagery into highly accurate vector data, helping teams build base plans and existing conditions much faster than traditional methods.

For many projects, having quality data at the beginning can be the difference between a smooth design process and weeks of rework later.

The better your base data, the better your design.

Try out Ecopia today: https://cadintentions.com/ecopia

What automation or AI tool has saved you the most time recently?

Hit reply and let me know I’m always looking for new tools and workflows to test and share.

That’s all for today!

Cheers and happy drafting
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague always struggling to keep up with new features, ai, software, etc.. be sure to forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

One lesson I’ve learned over the years is that the quality of your design is often limited by the quality of the information you start with.

Early in my career, I was certainly guilty of taking the shortcut/fastest setup route.

A survey or package of base linework would come in, and instead of properly organizing it into a clean Xref base drawing with organized layers, I’d simply paste everything directly into my working file and start designing right away.

It always feels faster at the time…

The problem usually shows up weeks or months later in the process.

A revised survey would arrive.
Additional utility information would be added.
New topographic data would come in.

Suddenly, updating every drawing became a headache, and keeping everything coordinated took far more time than I “saved” at the beginning.

Today, one of the first things I do on a project is create organized, accurate base drawings and reference them into my design files using Xrefs. That way, when new information arrives, I only need to update it once, and every related drawing automatically reflects the change.

Whether you’re working in civil engineering, architecture, surveying, or construction, having accurate and reliable base data can make or break a project’s budget, schedule, and quality.

Which leads us into today’s video and this week’s sponsor ECOPIA! An online platform that provides high-quality geospatial base data for Civil projects!

Ecopia uses AI and high-resolution aerial imagery to create highly accurate geospatial datasets that can support civil engineering, transportation planning, stormwater management, infrastructure projects, and more.

Try out Ecopia now: https://cadintentions.com/ecopia

I’ve been using ecopia recently and am a huge fan of how easy it’s been to get reliable base data for any site I work on!

Quick Tip

Create separate base drawings for your key project data and reference them into your design files.

Typical examples include:

• Survey / Existing Conditions

• Topography

• Utilities

• Aerial Imagery

• Property Boundaries

• GIS Data

Using Xrefs instead of copying everything into a single drawing keeps projects organized, reduces errors, and makes future updates and collaboration significantly easier.

It’s a little more setup work up front, but it pays dividends throughout the entire project lifecycle.

Featured Video

How to Import & Export SHP Files: Setup Civil Baseplans in Minutes with Shapefiles!

One of the fastest ways to build high-quality base plans is by leveraging GIS and shapefile data like those from Ecopia or most city databases.

In this week’s tutorial, I’ll show you how to import and export SHP files directly within Civil 3D and AutoCAD (using the Map 3D add-on), allowing you to quickly bring in roads, parcels, utilities, environmental data, transportation information, and more already on the proper layers with assigned properties.

If you’ve ever received GIS data from a municipality, consultant, or client and weren’t sure what to do with it, this video will help bridge the gap between GIS and Civil 3D workflows.

Watch the video now here!

How to Import & Export SHP Files: Setup Civil Baseplans in Minutes with Shapefiles!

Tool of the Week

Ecopia

If your projects rely on accurate existing conditions data, Ecopia is a must try!

Ecopia uses AI and high-resolution aerial imagery to create highly accurate geospatial datasets that can support civil engineering, transportation planning, stormwater management, infrastructure projects, and more.

Their platform provides access to detailed mapping information such as roads, buildings, sidewalks, parking areas, impervious surfaces, land/tree cover and transportation features that can help accelerate project setup and planning.

For civil engineers and designers, having access to accurate data before design begins can reduce rework, improve decision-making, and help build stronger project foundations.

You can learn more about Ecopia here:
https://cadintentions.com/ecopia

That’s it for this week!

I hope you feel more comfortable working with shapefiles and GIS data in CAD now, and as always thanks for reading :) Have a great weekend

Cheers and happy drafting,

Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague always struggling with SHPs or any mapping/base data, be sure to forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

This week I’ve been testing something that honestly feels a bit like the future of site visits and existing condition work.

As designers and engineers, we’ve all done it at least at some point in our careers.

Walking around a site with a tape measure, taking dozens of photos, scribbling notes on printed plans, and then inevitably realizing back at the office that we missed something important. Whether it was on us, surveyors or even the client, missing data/info can cause issues.

It usually leads to:

• another site visit

• missing dimensions

• uncertainty

• or trying to piece together incomplete information later

Recently I had the chance to test a 3D LiDAR scanner called the Realsee Galois P4, and it completely changed how I think about capturing existing conditions.

Instead of manually documenting everything, the scanner creates a full digital twin of the site that can then be brought directly into CAD workflows.

Honestly… seeing a real site turned into a usable point cloud and CAD-ready data in minutes was pretty impressive.

Quick Tip: Use Existing Condition Data to Improve Design Accuracy

One of the fastest ways to improve drawing quality and reduce costly rework is improving the quality of your existing condition information.

Even simple things like:

• accurate measurements

• current site imagery

• elevations/slopes

• surrounding objects and utilities

• vegetation and landscaping

• roadway geometry

…can drastically improve concept planning and reduce design conflicts later on.

Modern tools like LiDAR scanning and point clouds are making this easier and more accessible than ever before, especially for smaller firms and consultants.

Even if you don’t use a full 3D scanner, getting more complete and organized site information upfront will almost always save time later in the project.

Featured Video: I Scanned a Real Site in 3D… Then Brought It Into AutoCAD

In this week’s video I test the Realsee Galois P4 on a real outdoor site to see how useful 3D LiDAR scanning could be for engineers, architects, landscape designers, and consultants.

We go through:

• scanning a real site

• processing the scan data

• generating floorplans and point clouds

• bringing the scan into Recap/Civil 3D

• and testing real workflow applications

This is one of the more interesting workflow tools I’ve tested in a while, especially for existing condition documentation and early planning work.

Learn more about the scanner here: https://cadintentions.com/realsee
Use code: CADINTENTIONS to geto $300 off the P4 as well.

Watch the full video here: Stop Measuring Sites Manually — I Tested 3D LiDAR Instead (Realsee Scanner)

Tech Tool of the Week

Realsee Galois P4 + Realsee Software

This week’s featured tech tool is the Realsee platform, apart from the scanner. One cool feature I found when testing this scanner was the fact that Realsee’s platform was great, and it works with a variety of other scanning options even if you don’t have the P4 I used in the video.

The software lets you:

• create digital twins of real spaces

• generate floorplans

• create walkthrough tours

• export point clouds and CAD-ready files

• and bring scan data into design workflows

I was especially impressed by how quickly you can move from a real-world site to usable design data.

You can learn more here:

https://cadintentions.com/realsee

That’s it for this week!

Have you used a scanner for your projects yet? Let me know how it works and what you liked about the process!

Cheers and happy drafting,

Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague always looking for new cool new design tech or higher quality point clouds, be sure to forward them this email or send them a link!



They’ll thank you later.

Ever waste way too much time on a simple PDF?

I’ve been there.

You get a detail or pplan sent over but all you get is a df file and no CAD.
Suddenly you’re redrawing everything, trying to trace lines, double-checking dimensions… a pain and huge waste of time simply because the original CAD file went missing…

What should take 5–10 minutes turns into 30+.

The biggest issue?

Most people are using PDFs the hard way.

These things happen, but they don’t need to take us forever to digitize or setup in our drawings..

Once you understand a few simple workflows, they actually become one of the fastest parts of your process.

Quick Tip: Stop Importing Everything

Before you jump to PDFIMPORT…

Try this instead:

Use PDFATTACH (underlay) first.

• Lightweight

• Clean

• Perfect for tracing or referencing

Only import geometry if you actually need to edit it.

Most of the time:
Attach → Scale → Trace what you need → Done

3 AutoCAD PDF Tips & Tricks That Save Hours

This week’s video is a quick breakdown of simple but powerful PDF workflows:

How to create clean, professional PDFs
How to attach or import/convert PDFs (and avoid messy conversions)
How to work faster with markups, tracing, and revisions
And More!

If you work with PDFs daily (and most of us do)…
this will save you a ton of time.

👉 Watch the video here: 3 AutoCAD PDF Tips & Tricks That Save Hours!

Tech Tool of the Week: Bluebeam

If you’re marking up PDFs, reviewing drawings, or doing quick takeoffs…

Bluebeam Revu is one of the best tools you can add to your workflow.

Fast, clean markups
Easy collaboration with teams/PMs
Built-in measurements & quantities
Simple way to track revisions and changes

I use it constantly for:

• Reviewing checkplots

• Tracking completed markups

• Coordinating changes without reopening CAD

• And even as my AutoCAD PDF Plotter for printing!

It’s a huge time-saver alongside AutoCAD.

Try Bluebeam For Free Now: https://cadintentions.com/bluebeam

Your Turn:

I’m curious what your workflow looks like.

That’s it for this week!

I hope you learned a few useful PDF tricks, and as always thanks for reading :) Have a great weekend

Cheers and happy drafting,
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague always struggling with their PDFs, be sure to forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

You open a file from a consultant or an old project…
And it’s just chaos.

Files seem to be taking longer to open than ever…
Messes of Duplicate lines and exploded blocks everywhere.
Text stacked on top of text.
Layers you don’t recognize.

Before you even start designing, you’re already in cleanup mode.

Over time, I’ve realized something:

The difference between a frustrating drawing and a smooth workflow usually comes down to a few simple tools.

Not more effort… just better commands.

That’s why the focus of today’s video and email is Speed and Organization!

Before we jump in, I had a small favor to ask. I want to get to know you better over the coming weeks, this way I can tailor the content specifically for you and the majority of my readers, just answer this poll here:
(No right or wrong answer, and just pick whichever is closest to the type of work you do)

Quick Tip: Clean Your Drawing in Seconds

If you’re not using OVERKILL regularly — start today.

This command will:
Remove duplicate lines
Combine overlapping geometry
Clean up unnecessary objects

It’s one of the fastest ways to fix messy drawings (especially from external sources).

Pro Tip:
Pair OVERKILL with PURGE for a full drawing cleanup.

It’s basically “declutter mode” for AutoCAD.

Hidden AutoCAD Commands You Should Be Using

This week’s video breaks down some of my favorite and most used lesser-known commands that can seriously improve your workflow:

• OVERKILL

• LAYISO (Object Isolation is a true gamechanger!)

• MATCHPROP (with settings)

• NCOPY

• CHSPACE

• Q……

• and more..

These aren’t flashy… but they’re the kind of tools that quietly keep things organized and save you hours over time.

If you want to work faster, cleaner, and with less frustration, this is a must-watch.

Watch the full video here: AutoCAD Commands That Will Change Your Workflow

Tech Tool of the Week: Bluebeam

If you’re working with PDFs, markups, or large drawing sets, Bluebeam Revu is a game changer.

Here’s where it really shines:
Faster Markups & Review
Quickly add comments, highlights, and check off completed items without going back into CAD.

Seamless Collaboration
Share drawings, assign markups, and track progress across your team, even across different locations.

Built-In Measurements & Takeoffs
Measure distances, areas, and quantities directly from your PDFs, no manual calculations needed.

Compare Drawings Instantly
Easily spot changes between revisions without hunting through sheets.

Personally, I use Bluebeam to:

• Review checkplots

• Track completed markups

• Coordinate with PMs and teams

• Handle quick takeoffs without reopening CAD

It’s one of those tools that quietly saves hours every week.

Check it out and get a free trial here: https://cadintentions.com/bluebeam

That’s it for this week!

Are you using Bluebeam? If not give it a try and let me know what you think.

Cheers and happy drafting,
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague always looking for new commands to try out, be sure to forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

I hope you’re having a great week and doing well!

This week’s a bit different for me.

I’m currently down in Disney World with my wife and kids for their spring break, fully in “dad mode,” riding rides, eating way too much, fitting in a margarita/beer when I can and trying to stay off my phone as much as possible.

But… real life still happens.

I had a project back at the office that needed a quick check-in. Normally, that could turn into a bit of a headache; emails, video review check-ins, screenshots, back-and-forth messages, trying to figure out what’s been done, who’s doing what and what’s been missed.

Instead, I opened up Bluebeam Revu.

Within a few minutes, using their cloud collaboration, I was able to:

• Review the latest drawings

• See all markups and comments from PMs

• Assign a few items to junior drafters

• Confirm what was completed

All from another country and timezone.

Then I closed my laptop and went right back to vacation mode.

That’s the kind of workflow upgrade that doesn’t just save time but removes friction entirely.

Quick Tip: Speed Up Your Checkplots

If you’re not already doing this, here’s a simple workflow upgrade:

When reviewing your PDFs alongside AutoCAD:

• Use Revus PDF Compare to instantly spot changes between versions

• I Keep Bluebeam open while working in AutoCAD

• As you complete markups, highlight or check them off in Bluebeam

Personally, I like using the highlighter tool on completed markups, it gives a super quick visual of what’s done vs what’s left, plus it makes tracking easy.

It sounds simple, but when you’re working through dozens (or hundreds) of redlines, this makes a huge difference in staying organized and efficient.

This Week’s Video

3 Must-Know Tricks to Review, Measure & Track Drawings Faster

In the video, I break down 3 key workflows I use all the time to speed up:

• Drawing reviews

• Pull Quick Takeoffs/measurements directly from PDFs

• Tracking and managing markups without the chaos

If you’re working with PDFs at all (and you definitely are), this is one you don’t want to miss.

👉 Watch the video here: 3 Must-Know Tricks to Review, Measure & Track Drawings Faster

Big thanks to Bluebeam for sponsoring this weeks video!

Honestly, this is one of the easiest and most natural partnerships I’ve done, because I already use Bluebeam daily.

If you’re an engineer, designer, drafter, or architect and you’re not using Bluebeam Revu yet…

You’re making your life harder than it needs to be.

👉 Check it out and grab a 14-day free trial to see what you’ve been missing.

https://cadintentions.com/bluebeam

Remember, before anything goes out, whether it’s to a PM or a client, checkplot your drawings.

Always.

A quick PDF review can catch:

• Missed dimensions

• Incorrect text

• Plotting issues

• Coordination mistakes

It’s one of the simplest habits that separates good drawings from great ones.

That’s it for this week!

Are you using Bluebeam? If not give it a try and let me know what you think.
Also, if you happen to be in Disney World and see me in a park, don’t forget to say hey :)

Cheers and happy drafting,
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a PM, Manager, or Fellow Designer who could benefit from Improved PDf markups, takeoffs or collaboration, forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been playing around with 3D printing again, mostly making small toys and gadgets for my kids.

One thing that always slows the process down though… is modeling the random objects they request.

Even simple shapes can take time to build properly, especially if you’re starting from scratch.

That got me thinking about something we’re starting to see more and more of in the design world:

AI-generated 3D models.

If you could take a simple image, sketch, or concept drawing and instantly turn it into a rough 3D model, that opens up some interesting possibilities for designers, architects, landscape planners, and even hobbyists who enjoy 3D printing.

Quick Tip: Use Simple 3D Assets to Improve Your Drawings

One easy way to make drawings and presentations stand out is by adding simple 3D objects or rendered views.

Even a quick concept model can help:

• Communicate scale
• Show design intent
• Improve presentation visuals
• Help clients better understand a space or design

Here’s something interesting to try.

Plot or take animage from one of your own projects, concepts or even a real life object, maybe a small structure, landscape element, or product concept, and run it through a tool like Hitem3D to quickly generate a fulle concept 3D model, that’s downloadable and printable.

You won’t get engineering-grade geometry, but you can get something good enough for:

• presentation visuals
• concept exploration
• quick 3D prints
• placeholders for renders

Sometimes that’s all you need to communicate an idea.

Try out the App Free right now with this link: https://cadintentions.com/hitem3d

Featured Video: Image → 3D Model in Minutes

In this week’s video I tested Hitem3D, an AI tool that generates 3D models from images.

Then I took it a step further and tried to go from image → 3D model → 3D print with no manual modeling.

We walk through:

• differtent use cases and generating the model
• inspecting the geometry and textures
• exporting an STL
• sending it to a 3D printer

And honestly… the results were pretty awesome, I’ve been playing with this app a ton this week.

Try out the App Free right now with this link: https://cadintentions.com/hitem3d

You can watch the full video here:

Turn Any Image Into a 3D Model (Full Test Hitem3D)

Tech Tool of the Week

The Complete CAD Toolbox

If you’re looking to get faster and more efficient with AutoCAD and design workflows, this is a great place to start.

Inside you’ll find:

• productivity tools
• templates and workflows
• drafting tips and resources
• design tools to speed up your daily work

And coming soon…

We’re adding a new AI module designed specifically for designers, engineers, and architects.

This will cover:

• AI terminology explained simply
• how AI tools actually work
• practical use cases for design workflows
• real productivity applications
• concerns and limitations designers should understand

The goal is to help you cut through the hype and understand where AI can actually help in real design work.

You can check out the Complete CAD Toolbox here:
https://cadintentions.com/hurry

If you’re interested in 3D modeling, need assets for renders, or want to quickly produce concept models from 2d images, watch this weeks video and let me know what you think! Watch Now

That’s it for this week!

Cheers and happy drafting,
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague who is interested in AI, 3D Modeling, or Just likes to play with cool new apps, forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

I remember early in my career, I had an engineer come up to me to chat about a set of IFC drawings we had produced for a somewhat unique geotechnical design involving multiple retaining walls, including some more artistic/creative rock-stack style walls/benches to improve the aesthetics of the finished area.

His initial comment was “Why do these drawings look kind of crappy…”

I think he could tell right away that his comment didn’t come out the way he had meant it, likely from the reaction and look on my face.

He quickly explained, not that my design or production drawing actually had any issues at all, it was a very detailed design and well drawn, and laid out. More so, that it was in Black & White, the “design” linework was technical and flat.

For how much time we spent designing this unique and aesthetic design that once finished would look great in person, the drawings didn’t convey this with any color, extra shading/texture, imagery, or even 3d views that would all make these drawing Pop to the Client.

I agreed..
The Drawings were technically correct. Yes.
Visually compelling? Not even close.

That was one of the first times I was given the push to really go the extra mile for the visual aspects of a design. There isn’t always the time, budget or team to do this but when possible, I always like to give my drawings a little extra something!

AutoCAD drawings don’t have to stay plain black-and-white linework. A few small visual upgrades can completely change how professional and polished your work feels, especially when presenting to clients or building a portfolio.

That’s what this week is all about.

Quick Tip: Use Lineweight Hierarchy

If you do nothing else, start here.

Most drawings look flat because every line has the same weight.

Try this:

• Heavier lineweights for borders and key elements

• Medium for primary geometry

• Lighter or greyed out styles for background or secondary info

Even in black and white, this instantly adds depth and clarity.

Your goal isn’t decoration, it’s visual hierarchy and ensuring the reader knows what’s important.

Visual Tricks That Instantly Upgrade Your AutoCAD Drawings

In this week’s video, I break down simple visual techniques that transform your drawings from plain to polished.

You’ll see how to:

• Use advanced hatches and transparency

• Upgrade your blocks

• Add subtle gradients and texture

• Use text masks for cleaner notes

• Insert isometric views for context

• Post-process for a presentation-ready look

These aren’t gimmicks; they’re small adjustments that make your drawings feel intentional and professional.

Watch the full video here: Visual Tricks That Instantly Upgrade Your AutoCAD Drawings

Need Cleaner Templates & Better Presentation by Default?

If you want your drawings to look polished before you even start designing, the Complete CAD Toolbox helps you build that foundation.

It includes:

• Better templates; build layers, blocks, styles, & titleblocks into every new drawing

• Smarter layout setups

• Cleaner annotation standards

• Workflow systems that reduce rework

Good presentation isn’t just styling, it starts with structuring drawings properly.

👉 Check out the Complete CAD Toolbox here

If you’d like 1 on 1 training and instant improvements to your templates/workflows, reach out for Custom Template Upgrades, Automations, Consulting etc.. Email me: brandon(at)cadintentions.com

Tool of the Week: GIMP (Free Photoshop Alternative)

If you want to take your presentation drawings one step further, try exporting your PDF from AutoCAD and dropping it into GIMP.

GIMP is a free image editor (similar to Photoshop) that lets you:

• Add soft shadows

• Brush in color highlights

• Overlay textures

• Add subtle marker-style effects

This is especially powerful for:

• Concept presentations

• Portfolio sheets

• Client visuals

It’s a simple way to bridge technical drafting and creative presentation.
https://www.gimp.org/

If you’ve ever felt like your drawings are technically solid but visually underwhelming, start with small tweaks, they compound quickly.

That’s it for this week!

Cheers and happy drafting,
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague who is secretly artistic and wants to go the extra mile for their drawings, forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

I remember the first time I opened AutoCAD.

There’s a lot going on… the ribbon, the command line, model space, layout tabs…

Most new users are quickly hit with the same thought:

“I have no idea where to even start.”

Not because it’s impossible, but because no one really explains how the software is structured, and it’s quite a bit different from most software people are used to.

AutoCAD isn’t confusing once you understand the framework.
It’s just layered.

So this week’s video is for anyone who wants that framework and is looking to get started.

Quick Tip of the Week: Learn Structure Before Commands

Most beginners try to learn AutoCAD by memorizing commands.

That’s backwards.

Before learning:

• Line

• Trim

• Offset

• Hatch

Understand:

• Model Space vs Layout

• What layers do

• What Xrefs are

• How drawings are printed

• Where scale actually lives

When the structure makes sense, the commands fall into place much faster.

AutoCAD Explained (For Beginners)

This week, I released a simple, beginner-friendly explainer:

AutoCAD Explained in Under 15 Minutes

In the video, I walk through:

• The interface (Ribbon, Command Line, Properties)

• Model space vs paper space

• What layers are

• What Xrefs are actually for

• Title blocks and annotations

• What beginners should learn first

No overwhelm.
No deep dives.
Just clarity.

If you know someone new to AutoCAD, this is a great one to send them.

Watch here: AutoCAD Explained for Beginners (Start Here)

Want a Structured Path? Complete CAD Toolbox

If you want more than just an explanation, if you want a clear roadmap including step-by-step workflows, templates, example files, and more, my Complete CAD Toolbox includes:

• The AutoCAD Kickstart module

• Real-world templates

• AutoCAD Fundamentals & Workflows Training

• Title blocks

• Checklists

• Productivity tools

It’s built specifically for:

• New and intermediate AutoCAD users

• Freelancers

• Small firms without a CAD manager

• Designers who want structure instead of guessing

Check it out here: https://cadintentions.com/hurry

Tech Tool of the Week: Autodesk DWG TrueView

If you work with clients, PMs, or team members who don’t use full AutoCAD, DWG TrueView is incredibly useful.

It allows your clients/pms to easily:

• Open and view DWG files

• Measure drawings

• Convert between file versions

• Share files without full AutoCAD licenses

It’s simple, lightweight, and helpful for collaboration.

Check it out: https://www.autodesk.com/products/dwg-trueview/overview

If you’re just getting started in AutoCAD, don’t rush.
Focus on understanding the structure first.

That’s it for now, have a great week, and let me know what you’d like to see or learn in the next one!!

Cheers and happy drafting,
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague who’s just starting with AutoCAD/Civil 3d or a PM who could use a simple explainer, forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

That little friction adds up fast, especially when deadlines are tight, and you’re trying to stay in the zone. Over the years, I’ve found that the biggest speed gains don’t come from flashy tools… they come from small habits that remove interruptions.

That’s exactly what this week’s tip and video focus on.

Quick Tip of the Week: Use the Keyboard More Than You Think

If you want AutoCAD to feel smoother, start leaning into the keyboard.

Simple shortcuts like:

• Ctrl + 1 for Properties

• F3 / F8 to toggle snaps and ortho

• Spacebar to repeat the last command

These tiny habits keep you in flow and save far more time than they get credit for. You don’t need to memorize everything, just a few go a long way and lead perfectly into todays new video….

18 Must-Know AutoCAD Keyboard Shortcuts

This week’s video breaks down 18 Must-Know AutoCAD shortcuts that quietly speed everything up.

These are shortcuts I use constantly to:

• Reduce mouse travel

• Stay focused on the drawing

• Control drafting precision on the fly

• Work faster without rushing

They’re simple, practical, and immediately useful, especially if AutoCAD has been feeling a bit clunky lately, whether you’re brand new or a seasoned vet, I know you’ll pick up at least one new trick for the toolbox!

👉 Watch the video here: 18 AutoCAD Shortcuts That Instantly Speed Everything Up

Learn the Foundations and Tools: Complete CAD Toolbox

If you want to go beyond shortcuts and really clean up your workflows, my Complete CAD Toolbox and AutoCAD Fundamentals courses are designed to help you:

• Set up better templates

• Reduce rework

• Draft more consistently

• Build strong CAD fundamentals that scale

• Download the templates/titleblocks I use

These are the systems I wish I had earlier in my career.

👉 https://cadintentions.com/hurry

Tool of the Week: Corridor EZ

If you work in civil design, this one’s worth a look.

Corridor EZ is a newer Autodesk add-on aimed at simplifying and, more importantly, automating common corridor-related tasks in Civil 3D with AI and assistance. It focuses on:

• Faster corridor setup

• Reducing repetitive steps

• Making corridor modeling more approachable

It’s not a replacement for deep corridor knowledge, but it can help speed up everyday workflows, especially for simpler or more repetitive corridor designs.

Let me know if you’ve used it yet and what you think in the comments, and if you’d like to see me do a video on it soon?

That’s it for today!

Have a great week and let me know what you’d like to see or learn in the next one!!

Cheers and happy drafting,
Brandon

P.S. If you’ve got a colleague who needs to stop constantly searching for buttons and buried commands, forward them this email or send them a link!

They’ll thank you later.

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