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Comprehensive Tools for Enabling BIM and CAD File Management | Apryse SDKs

By Riley Kooh | 2024 Jan 26

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With the traditional method of handling paper blueprints going by the wayside, it’s crucial to have effective ways to edit digital drawings fast and accurately. Advancements in technology like Apryse SDKs offer a powerful solution for workers in the AEC industry to make real time edits, annotations, and extract data on the fly.

The Significance of PDF & CAD Revisions in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC)

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AEC projects are complex endeavors that involve multiple stakeholders, tight schedules, and intricate plans. At the base of this lies a swath of digital files which all need to align perfectly in order for a project to move forward successfully. With some BIM (Building Information Model) files reaching over 10 GB per file, they can be difficult to render and edit, slowing down any sort of revision or collaboration.

Revisions are an integral part of the construction process, allowing for adjustments to be made to the initial plans as the project progresses. These revisions may stem from a variety of factors, including design modifications, regulatory changes, unforeseen site conditions, or client preferences.

Effectively managing revisions is critical for several reasons:

  • Maintaining Accuracy: Construction plans/drawings serve as the guiding documents for all project stakeholders. Ensuring they accurately represent the current state of the project is absolutely necessary to avoid costly mistakes and rework.
  • Project Timeline Adherence: With over 17% of AEC projects experiencing delays related to project management, timely revisions are essential to keeping the project on schedule. Any delays can lead to confusion among teams and potential disruptions to the construction timeline.
  • Cost Control: Efficient change management helps control costs by minimizing errors and rework. It allows project managers to assess the impact of revisions on the budget and make informed decisions.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Construction projects must adhere to various regulations and building codes based on individual province, state, county, and so on. Document revisions often arise from changes in these regulations, and a dedicated process is necessary to ensure compliance without major slowdowns.

Learn more about Apryse's PDF and DOCX editor functionality.

Apryse SDKs: Transforming How We Interact with AEC Documents

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Apryse SDKs provide a comprehensive set of tools for enabling work with PDF, CAD, or other BIM files. With built in AEC targeted features, more and more AEC professionals are choosing Apryse. Let’s dive into why:

1. Text Extraction and Review

Apryse SDKs enable the extraction of text from PDF documents, allowing project teams to review and analyze the content of AEC plans efficiently. This is particularly beneficial during the initial stages of a revision process, and provides a clear understanding of the proposed changes.

2. Precision Text Editing

One of the key features of Apryse SDKs is their capability for precise text editing within PDF documents. Construction professionals can use these tools to make modifications to text elements directly, such as updating dimensions, annotations, or project notes.

3. Form Field Interaction

Construction documents often include form fields for data entry, such as project names, dates, or specific details about components. Apryse SDKs support interactive form fields, allowing for seamless interaction with text-based data.

4. Collaborative Annotation

Effective collaboration is a cornerstone of successful construction projects. Apryse SDKs facilitate collaborative annotation on PDF documents, allowing team members to add comments, highlight areas of interest, or provide feedback on proposed revisions.

5. Version Control and Comparison

Managing multiple versions of BIMs is a common challenge in construction projects. Apryse SDKs offer version control features that help track changes and maintain a clear audit trail of revisions. Users can compare different versions of a PDF document, highlighting additions, deletions, and modifications. This capability is invaluable for project managers, allowing them to assess the evolution of blueprints over time.

6. Redaction for Sensitive Information

In construction projects, there may be instances where certain information needs to be redacted or removed from the blueprints. This could include proprietary details, confidential information, or elements that are no longer relevant to the revised plan. Apryse SDKs provide robust redaction tools, ensuring that sensitive information is securely removed from the document while preserving the integrity of the overall design.

7. Cross-Platform Compatibility

Construction teams often use a variety of devices and operating systems. Apryse SDKs are designed for cross-platform compatibility, supporting integration with different programming languages and ensuring that users can access and edit PDF documents seamlessly across various devices.

 

Case Study: Drawboard Uses Apryse SDKs

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Drawboard, a leader in AEC productivity, partnered in with Apryse for advanced PDF drawing markup and document processing. CEO Alistair Michener, driven by the inefficiency of paper workflows, developed “Drawboard PDF” for streamlined design collaboration.

Apryse’s Core SDK, integrated in 2013, contributed to Drawboard PDF’s success, making it the best-selling AEC app on Microsoft Store. The collaboration expanded with “Drawboard Projects,” emphasizing intuitive collaboration between AEC groups. Apryse’s SDK addressed challenges posed by complex AEC drawings, and ensured fast, reliable rendering and a flexible UI for user-friendly experiences.

The partnership enabled Drawboard’s rapid growth, raising $4,000,000 in 2020, as Apryse’s SDK allowed them to focus on customer-centric features.

Read the full story here.

Conclusion: Empowering The Future of Construction Projects

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With Apryse SDKs, providing construction professionals with the ability to extract, edit, and collaborate on text elements within PDF documents has never been easier. Not only does this offer an accelerated and more accurate method for change management, Apryse also offers solutions for design automation and 3D modeling. However, we’ll cover more on that in future blogs.

If you’re ready to add AEC targeted file management to your toolkit, start your 30-day trial today, or feel free to get in touch with our team.

 

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Riley Kooh

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