Engineering and architectural drawings are the lifeblood of any construction project. They consist of architectural (elevations), site, structural (columns, beams, footings and reinforcement details), plumbing and electrical plans. Prior to the 1980s, 2D engineering and architectural drawings were sketched by hand on paper or mylar. Although precise and well-detailed, drawings were typically large-format, hard to store, and vulnerable to aging and damage.

Today, engineers and architects use computer-aided design (CAD) software such as AutoCAD or Revit to create 2D and3D drawings. Both are cloud-based systems that allow users to manage mountains of interrelated data such as dimensions, utilities, and finishes. CAD files are invaluable assets—data repositories that carefully guide construction at every stage of the process.