Why Your Drafting Team Needs Editable CAD Files
A napkin sketch can be a great place to start an idea. We’ve even received one as the starting point for shop drawings—literally.
But when it’s time to show how a specified panel system fits a particular building, the drafting team needs more than a concept. We need usable information from the people who designed the building and the people who manufacture the product.
At Innerwall, that means editable DWG files, accompanied by the current issued PDF drawings.
Two sources of information, one coordinated set of shop drawings
The architect’s drawings describe the building and its design intent. The manufacturer’s details describe the product and its installation requirements.
Innerwall brings those two sources together to prepare project-specific shop drawings.
For metal cladding, that work can include panel layouts, joints, attachments, flashings, openings, and transitions to adjacent construction. A standard product detail needs to be evaluated in the context of the actual project.
Editable files give the drafting team a better starting point for that work.
Why a PDF alone is not the same thing
PDFs are essential. They provide the issued drawing set, notes, dimensions, and revisions against which we check our work. However, a PDF does not necessarily preserve the editable geometry, layers, and references available in the original CAD file.
When those source files are missing, someone may have to recreate information that already exists.
Tracing or converting a PDF adds work before project-specific detailing can begin. It can also introduce transcription errors, disconnected linework, and uncertainty about dimensions or scale. Renaming a PDF or running it through a converter does not necessarily produce a usable replacement for the original DWG.
Providing the requested source files lets us spend more time detailing your project and less time reconstructing its starting information.
CAD files support accuracy—they do not replace verification
A DWG is a working resource, not a guarantee that every dimension is correct or that the file reflects the latest revision.
We still need the corresponding current issued PDFs, applicable revisions, and clarification when information conflicts. Dimensions requiring field verification still need to be checked. Shop drawings remain subject to the project’s review and approval procedures.
The goal is to give the drafting team a reliable starting point while keeping those checks in place.
What to send your drafting team
For the relevant scope of work, please provide:
Architectural DWGs, including the plans, elevations, sections, and details needed for coordination. We can provide a list.
Manufacturer DWGs for the specified products and applicable installation details.
Associated external references and supporting files needed to display the drawings correctly.
The corresponding current issued PDF set, including applicable revisions and addenda.
The project name and identification of the product or system being detailed in our online Order form.
If you are unsure which files we need, ask us. We can help define the request so you can forward it to the appropriate project contact.
What if the architect requires a file-release agreement?
That is a normal part of coordinating a file request. Architects may have requirements concerning ownership, confidentiality, permitted use, and reliance on electronic information.
If your architect has a release form, send it to Innerwall for review.
We also offer an Electronic File Use Commitment explaining how we handle source files, restrict their use to the project, respect ownership, and distinguish our shop drawings from the original design documents. A signed acknowledgment is available upon request.
The commitment helps communicate our intentions. The architect still decides whether to release files and may require their own agreement.
Help us start with the right information
If you are coordinating the project, we understand that obtaining CAD files often means asking someone else to release them. You do not need to create the files yourself. Helping the request reach the right person makes a difference.
Before drafting begins, ask the architect and manufacturer for the editable DWGs relevant to your scope, along with the current PDFs.
Need help requesting files? Contact Innerwall for a project-specific file list or a copy of our signed Electronic File Use Commitment.
The better the starting information, the more attention we can give to the details your shop drawings need.
Visit our FAQ for more information
