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FAQs - Platform Overview
What is CAD ROOMS?
CAD ROOMS is a Cloud-based PDM (Product Data Management) and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) platform designed specifically for engineering teams. It functions as a secure, centralized workspace where engineers, designers, and managers can store CAD data, manage product changes, perform design reviews, and collaborate seamlessly throughout the entire product lifecycle. It provides a single source of truth for product data, which helps in eliminating version conflicts, file duplication, and communication gaps
Who is CAD ROOMS designed to support?
CAD ROOMS is primarily intended for engineering and product teams but also supports various collaborators. The platform is useful for:
- Mechanical Engineers & Designers who need to manage CAD files and track revisions.
- Product Teams who coordinate product data, Bills of Materials (BOMs), Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), and product releases.
- Executives & Decision Makers who require visibility into product development status and approvals.
- Manufacturing & Quality Teams who track approved designs and ensure compliance.
- Suppliers & External Collaborators who can securely view or review files with controlled access
What are the key things I can do with CAD ROOMS?
With CAD ROOMS, you can:
- Manage Product Data (PDM): Upload, organize CAD files, and control file release with full traceability.
- Control Design Changes (PLM): Create and track ECOs/ECRs, manage BOMs, and manage approvals for released designs.
- Collaborate in Real Time: View, measure, and add comments directly in CAD models without needing a CAD license.
- Control Access: Define who can view, edit, create, or approve designs using role-based permissions.
- Integrate Your Workflow: Connect to ERP systems, CAD software, or custom tools via API & Webhooks
What plans are available?
CAD ROOMS offers three distinct plans tailored to various organizational sizes and needs:
- Team Plan: This plan is ideal for small teams (1–5 users). It includes core features like collaboration, version control, and File Release functionality. Clients can start with a free 14-day trial of the Team Plan.
- Business Plan: This plan is designed for growing organizations (5+ users).
- Enterprise Plan: This plan is tailored for large-scale engineering environments.
What's the difference between Team and Business plans?
The difference lies primarily in features required for advanced governance and compliance:
Feature Area | Team Plan (1–5 Users) | Business Plan (5+ Users) |
Target Size | Small teams (1–5 users) | Growing organizations (5+ users) |
Core Functions | Collaboration, Version Control, and File Release. | Includes all core functions plus ECO workflows, Audit Logs, and advanced compliance tools. |
Change Management | Focuses on file versioning and basic release. | Enables Structured Change Control through seamless Engineering Change Order (ECO) workflows. |
Compliance & Traceability | Basic collaboration and version control. | Provides detailed Audit Logs to track every action for accountability and compliance. |
What's the difference between Team and Business plans?
The difference lies primarily in features required for advanced governance and compliance:
Feature Area | Team Plan (1–5 Users) | Business Plan (5+ Users) |
Target Size | Small teams (1–5 users) | Growing organizations (5+ users) |
Core Functions | Collaboration, Version Control, and File Release. | Includes all core functions plus ECO workflows, Audit Logs, and advanced compliance tools. |
Change Management | Focuses on file versioning and basic release. | Enables Structured Change Control through seamless Engineering Change Order (ECO) workflows. |
Compliance & Traceability | Basic collaboration and version control. | Provides detailed Audit Logs to track every action for accountability and compliance. |
Does CAD ROOMS offer an Enterprise plan?
Yes, CAD ROOMS offers an Enterprise Plan.
This plan is built for large-scale engineering environments and includes specific features necessary for complex organizations, such as:
- Custom integrations.
- Enhanced security.
- Dedicated enterprise support.
- The platform also offers custom or region-specific hosting options to match strict compliance, IT, or performance requirements
Do I need to install any software or plugins?
For reviewing and collaborating, no plugins, installs, or special software are required. You can instantly open and review complex CAD files in the browser.
- Browser-Based Review: CAD ROOMS includes Unlimited CAD Viewers. Users can take accurate dimensions/measurements directly inside the browser viewer without needing a CAD license.
- File Syncing by Desktop App: While viewing is browser-based, the platform supports File Syncing between the cloud and local devices to ensure teams always work with the most current design version.
Can I use CAD ROOMS on mobile/tablet?
Yes — you can use CAD ROOMS on mobile and tablet through the web app.
- Access anywhere: Just log in from your mobile or tablet browser to view projects, open shared files, and stay updated while you're away from your desk.
- What works best on mobile/tablet: Reviewing files, checking revisions, viewing CAD models, and following project activity. CAD ROOMS is designed to be cross-device accessible.
- Good to know: For heavy CAD upload/sync workflows, you'll generally want a desktop environment (and the Desktop App Windows where available), but reviewing and collaboration are fully supported in-browser on mobile/tablet.
Is CAD ROOMS a CAD design tool like SolidWorks or Onshape?
No, CAD ROOMS is not a CAD design tool. It's a cloud-based PDM/PLM (Product Data Management/Product Lifecycle Management) platform designed to help engineering teams manage their CAD files and collaborate effectively.
What CAD ROOMS does:
- Provides secure storage for CAD data
- Tracks changes with version control
- Manages product lifecycle processes (revisions, releases, ECOs)
- Supports collaboration through check-in/check-out functionality to prevent conflicts
- Offers CAD Diffing to review design changes between versions
- Maintains history logs with time travel capabilities
How it works:
- You continue designing in your preferred CAD software (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Rhino, etc.)
- You use CAD ROOMS to manage, store, and collaborate on those files
- The platform supports over 35 CAD and design file types
Supported file formats include:
- 3D formats (STEP, IGES, STL)
- 2D drawings (DWG, DXF)
- Various native CAD files
Benefits for multi-CAD environments:
- Centralizes files from different CAD systems in one platform
- Provides multi-CAD compatibility for diverse file formats
- Facilitates smooth collaboration regardless of which CAD tools team members use
Why should I use CAD ROOMS instead of Dropbox or Google Drive?
CAD ROOMS is a Cloud-based PDM (Product Data Management) and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) platform, which provides engineering-specific tools that generic cloud storage solutions lack. Using CAD ROOMS eliminates the chaos and friction associated with scattered files and legacy systems.
CAD ROOMS provides the specific structure, control, and traceability engineers need, preventing costly mistakes that occur when the wrong data slips into production.
Key advantages over generic file sharing:
Feature | CAD ROOMS (PDM/PLM) | Generic Cloud Storage (Dropbox/Google Drive) |
Data Integrity | Acts as a single source of truth. Ensures everyone works with the most current design version. | Leads to scattered files and forces teams to second-guess which file is current. |
Version Control | Version Control allows creation of versions, restoration of former progress, and maintains a complete record for audits and traceability. | Often results in lost versions. |
Concurrent Work | Features Check-in / Check-out to see who is working on what, actively preventing work conflicts across your team. | Does not offer engineering-specific check-out, potentially causing conflicts. |
Change Management | Manages formal ECO workflows (Engineering Change Orders), BOMs, and lifecycle approvals with Structured Change Control and full traceability. | Offers no structured change management or approval workflows for engineering data. |
Design Review | Offers Advanced CAD Diffing to visually compare changes across versions, highlighting exactly what changed. | Does not natively compare complex CAD geometry. |
Access & Security | Uses role-based permissions and Secure Access Control to define who can view, comment, edit, or approve. | Offers generic sharing permissions, not specific engineering roles (e.g., Approver). |
Using CAD ROOMS is like moving from a general-purpose filing cabinet (Dropbox/Google Drive) to a specialized, automated vault (CAD ROOMS) that not only holds your blueprints but also manages the approval process, tracks every edit, and clearly flags the differences between Version 1.0 and 1.1, ensuring that the right design always makes it to the factory floor
What is the main benefit of using CAD ROOMS over legacy systems?
CAD ROOMS provides a single source of truth for product data, which helps in eliminating file duplication, version conflicts, and communication gaps. It is designed to eliminate friction and bottlenecks across PDM and PLM workflows
The main benefit is lightweight, cloud-native collaboration with real engineering traceability—without the overhead of legacy PDM/PLM.
Concretely, CAD ROOMS gives teams:
- A single source of truth in the cloud: no more emailing files, duplicate "final_v7" folders, or guessing which revision is official.
- Fast, frictionless workflows: check-in/out, contributions, revision history, manual or ECO releases—built to keep iteration speed high instead of slowing engineers down with admin-heavy processes.
- Clear visibility of changes: built-in revision history, Time Travel, and CAD Diffing so reviewers can see what changed and why in minutes.
- Tool-agnostic collaboration: 35+ CAD formats viewable and comparable in-browser, so teams and suppliers don't need the same native CAD stack to review.
- Modern access control: controlled sharing with external users, plus roles/permissions that are simple to manage.
So versus legacy systems, the win is: you keep enterprise-grade control and traceability, but with a much faster, simpler user experience that teams actually use day-to-day.
What are the system requirements for CAD ROOMS?
CAD ROOMS runs in the browser for viewing and managing projects, and (optionally) through the Desktop App for local sync and check-in/out.
Browser / Desktop App
To use CAD ROOMS smoothly (especially 3D viewing and CAD Diffing), we recommend:
- Supported browsers (latest versions)
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari (macOS)
- Desktop App
- Currently supported on Windows only.
- Minimum 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and a stable internet connection.
FAQs - Platform OverviewWhat is CAD ROOMS?Who is CAD ROOMS designed to support?What are the key things I can do with CAD ROOMS?What plans are available?What's the difference between Team and Business plans?Does CAD ROOMS offer an Enterprise plan?Do I need to install any software or plugins?Can I use CAD ROOMS on mobile/tablet?Is CAD ROOMS a CAD design tool like SolidWorks or Onshape?Why should I use CAD ROOMS instead of Dropbox or Google Drive?What is the main benefit of using CAD ROOMS over legacy systems?What are the system requirements for CAD ROOMS?