Skip to main content
The CADDle Call

The CADDle Call

By ZenTek Consultants

Computer-Aided Design & Drafting meets humor and practicality, with a touch of business acumen thrown in for fun. Jim and Rocco, owners of ZenTek Consultants, the premiere U.S. technology consulting firm for the architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing industries discuss the fascinating world of CADD with some humor and honesty. Join them, and their industry-expert guests for CADD- focused tech and biz discussions. Learn more at https://zentekconsultants.net/. Warm Duck Shuffle by arnebhus | https://soundcloud.com/arnebhus
Available on
Amazon Music Logo
Apple Podcasts Logo
Castbox Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
iHeartRadio Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

What's the Point of the Point Cloud?

The CADDle CallAug 31, 2022

00:00
43:50
Bluebeam Features You Need: Export to Microsoft 365 Tools

Bluebeam Features You Need: Export to Microsoft 365 Tools

In this episode, we focus on how you can export data from Bluebeam Revu to Microsoft 365 tools like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

Mar 13, 202421:30
Connecting PDF and CAD Data

Connecting PDF and CAD Data

Whether it's markups, as-builts, submittals, or even printing CAD design files to a PDF, there's a struggle when it comes to sharing information between these two file types.

In this episode, we discuss how construction and design firms can move markups and more from a PDF editor and import them as actual linework into CAD.

Mar 06, 202424:46
AI for the Design World

AI for the Design World

Todd Rogers, BIM Manager at Walter P. Moore, joins us to discuss artificial intelligence in the design world. We'll talk about how AI can fit into daily design workflows and its potential benefits.

Feb 28, 202431:00
This Month in Design Build: Wage Theft in Construction

This Month in Design Build: Wage Theft in Construction

In this episode, we discuss the latest news on how construction firms are being given heavy fines from the US government due to "intentional wage theft". What does this mean for the industry?

Feb 21, 202428:15
2D CAD Work: Thriving or DOA?

2D CAD Work: Thriving or DOA?

Is 2D CAD still being used in the design/build industry? Join us as we discuss what we're seeing today and the long-term prognosis for 2D CAD work.

Feb 14, 202424:34
Procore - Making it Work

Procore - Making it Work

David Mills, Construction Technical Specialist at ZenTek, joins us to discuss Procore and how you can make it work in a real-world environment.

Feb 07, 202434:06
Enterprise Software vs Smarter Workflows

Enterprise Software vs Smarter Workflows

In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of using large enterprise software systems versus developing simplified workflows that can help staff work better and smarter.

Jan 31, 202429:04
Software Partnerships: Working Together for the End User

Software Partnerships: Working Together for the End User

Craig Swearingen, Implementation Specialist at Bricsys, is here to discuss the relationship between software partners and developers, and, most importantly, how it affects the end users.

Jan 24, 202431:26
Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: Publishing

Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: Publishing

Publishing a pdf in Bluebeam is not the same as printing a pdf. In this episode, we discuss the options available for publishing multiple files that can make a big difference when storing and sharing these files.

Jan 17, 202420:05
Technical Training Options

Technical Training Options

Training is not a "one-size-fits-all" solution for AEC firms. In this episode, we discuss the different types of technical training options available, how they work, and the pros/cons of each.

Jan 10, 202427:46
ReCap Wrap Up

ReCap Wrap Up

We wrap up Season 4 of The CADDle Call podcast with Ramesh Sridharan, Autodesk Product Manager for the Infrastructure team. He joins us to discuss the point cloud and GIS developments in Autodesk ReCap over the past year. And, he'll give a little insight into the direction the product is headed in 2024.

Dec 20, 202332:14
"Just-in-Time" Technical Support

"Just-in-Time" Technical Support

In this episode, we discuss the idea of getting employees help with software and processes at the moment they need it. While the concept is simple enough, often times the implementation is not.

Dec 13, 202323:28
Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: PDF Packages

Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: PDF Packages

In this episode, we discuss the PDF Packages feature in Bluebeam Revu - what it is and how to use it. We'll go over the process of creating a PDF Package of your entire project and how to use the most common tools in this feature.

Dec 06, 202327:27
Autodesk Service Providers - What Do They Do?

Autodesk Service Providers - What Do They Do?

In this episode, we dive into who Autodesk Service Providers are, what they do, how to find them, and how they differ from Autodesk Value-Added Resellers.

Nov 29, 202324:29
BIM vs 3D Models

BIM vs 3D Models

In this podcast episode, we discuss the difference between Building Information Models and 3D Models, as well as determining which one you need.

Nov 15, 202329:41
Live from the GBCA Tech Expo

Live from the GBCA Tech Expo

It's our first ever live podcast broadcast! We're coming to you from the GBCA Tech Expo where we're talking with hosts and attendees about the technology that's important to the design build industry. Learn about the innovative ways people are using technology to make workflows more efficient.

Nov 08, 202301:01:01
2024 Autodesk Overview

2024 Autodesk Overview

Tim Yarris, AutoCAD Civil 3D Product Manager at Autodesk, joins us to provide a year-end wrap up on the 2024 release of the Autodesk Civil/Site programs and discuss the upcoming Autodesk University conference. We’ll also talk about a few other cool things happening at Autodesk right now and some of the features Tim’s team is working on for next year’s release.


Nov 01, 202336:09
BricsCAD V24 is Here!

BricsCAD V24 is Here!

Julie Keverian, Bricsys North American Technical Manager, is back with us to share the new and exciting tools in the latest BricsCAD V24 release. We'll also discuss the updates related to specific work processes in Civil, Mechanical, and BIM. If you use CAD, this is one podcast you don't want to miss.

Oct 25, 202327:25
3D Scanning - It's More Than You Think It Is

3D Scanning - It's More Than You Think It Is

In this podcast episode, we discuss digital scanning of facilities and sites and, more importantly, all the things you can do with the data once you have it. We'll talk about the benefits that 3D scanning provides throughout construction and post construction, and into facility management for the long term.

Oct 18, 202328:59
Practical Application of Remote Work in the AEC Industry

Practical Application of Remote Work in the AEC Industry

In this episode, we discuss how remote work ties into the design build industry and the practicality of making this type of work available to employees.

Oct 11, 202330:55
Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: Templates

Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: Templates

Increase your efficiency and consistency on all construction projects by using Bluebeam Revu templates. In this episode, we discuss the importance of creating pdf and email templates that you can reuse on every project to save time. We'll also talk about creating and using report templates to output markups to a consistent PDF format.

Oct 04, 202325:24
Importance of CAD Standards

Importance of CAD Standards

CAD Standards have an impact on every design you create. In this episode, Cyndy Davenport, Civil Tech Specialist at ZenTek, joins us to discuss the benefits of well thought out CAD Standards. We'll also talk about the practicalities of developing, or improving, your internal CAD Standards.

Sep 27, 202324:45
Procore - A Field Users View

Procore - A Field Users View

David Mills, Technical Specialist at ZenTek Consultants, is here to discuss how to best use Procore in a practical field-focused construction workflow.

Sep 06, 202332:55
BricsCAD V23 - Why You Need it in Your Office

BricsCAD V23 - Why You Need it in Your Office

Julie Keverian, North American Technical Manager at Bricsys, is back to discuss the newest features in the BricsCAD V23.2 update and how you can incorporate them into your daily workflow to maximize design efficiency and productivity.

Aug 30, 202328:02
Training Your Staff: What's the Right Answer

Training Your Staff: What's the Right Answer

In this episode, we discuss ways firms can properly handle technical training in this busy design/build environment. We'll look into how the focus of technical training shouldn't be on just software training, but a holistic approach that includes workflow processes. Knowing which buttons to push to get an output with understanding what that output means leads to major inefficiencies.

Aug 23, 202332:12
This Month in Design Build

This Month in Design Build

In this episode, we discuss a few of the new and exciting things that have happened in the design build industry recently.

Aug 16, 202326:40
GIS Data - Linking Autodesk and ESRI

GIS Data - Linking Autodesk and ESRI

Ramesh Sridharan, Product Manager of Infrastructure at Autodesk, is back to discuss the growing partnership between Autodesk and ESRI.

In this episode, we'll discuss how this partnership is making it easier for the industry to access and integrate GIS data into standard infrastructure designs and vice versa.

Aug 09, 202341:52
Benefits of Adding BricsCAD to Your Design Environment

Benefits of Adding BricsCAD to Your Design Environment

In this episode, we discuss using more than one CAD system in your firm and the benefits of doing so. In particular, we're focusing on the business and cost benefits of incorporating BricsCAD into your current design environment.

Aug 02, 202328:18
Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: Spaces

Bluebeam Features You Need in Your Life: Spaces

In this episode, we discuss the benefits of using the Spaces feature in Bluebeam Revu.

Jul 19, 202325:20
Construction Estimating with Bluebeam Revu

Construction Estimating with Bluebeam Revu

If you're using Bluebeam Revu for just marking up documents or viewing pdf files, you're missing out on its most powerful feature - creating estimates. In this episode, we discuss how you can ditch doing estimates by hand or in Microsoft Excel, and configure Bluebeam Revu so you can easily and quickly create takeoffs and estimates that meet your requirements.

Jul 12, 202326:26
Subscription Licenses - Benefit or Burden?

Subscription Licenses - Benefit or Burden?

In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of software subscription licenses and the effect they are having on the AEC industry.

Jul 05, 202328:51
Building Better Employees

Building Better Employees

In the design/build industry, technology and work conditions are becoming tighter companions. Making sure your employees have the tools, skills, and time they need to be highly efficient while maintaining a reasonable work/life balance is vital. In this episode, we discuss how to adapt to the changes in the industry to develop more productive, happier, and loyal employees.

Jun 14, 202327:59
This Month in Design Build

This Month in Design Build

In this episode, we discuss recent news and how it affects the design build industry.

Jun 07, 202325:46
MEP & BIM

MEP & BIM

David Robison, President of Design Master Software, joins us to discuss MEP requirements in BIM and how these can be handled using BricsCAD. We'll also dive into the benefits of BIM for MEP engineers and designers.

May 31, 202325:52
CAD Management - Not Just About CAD

CAD Management - Not Just About CAD

Your CAD skills can make you a super user, but they won't really make you a manager. In this episode, we discuss what's required on the management side. CAD Managers need to understand the business from the ROI calcs to selling ideas to executives to preparing training and rolling out support for staff.

May 17, 202323:54
Autodesk ReCap Pro 2024 - What's New

Autodesk ReCap Pro 2024 - What's New

Ramesh Sridharan, Product Manager for Autodesk Infrastructure, is back to discuss the new features and functions in ReCap Pro 2024. He'll also provide tips on better integrating ReCap into your daily workflows.

May 10, 202339:45
We're Open in Canada

We're Open in Canada

Our new subsidiary in Canada is now open and Steve Fahie, President of ZenTek Consultants CA, is here to discuss how we can help Canadian firms.

May 03, 202331:03
Bluebeam Features You Need In Your Life: Overlaying Documents

Bluebeam Features You Need In Your Life: Overlaying Documents

In this monthly feature, we discuss the benefits and practical use of overlaying documents in Bluebeam Revu.

Apr 26, 202322:10
Collaborate for Civil 3D

Collaborate for Civil 3D

Andrew Milford, Autodesk Senior Product Manager for Civil Infrastructure, joins us to discuss the benefits of Collaborate for Civil 3D and how the tools and features have been updated for the 2024 release of the Civil Infrastructure tool sets.

Apr 19, 202338:44
AutoCAD Civil 3D 2024 is Here

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2024 is Here

Tim Yarris, AutoCAD Civil 3D Product Manager at Autodesk, is back to give us the breakdown on the new features and tools in AutoCAD Civil 2024 that will make designing more efficient.

Apr 12, 202336:58
Introducing ZenPipe for AutoCAD Civil 3D

Introducing ZenPipe for AutoCAD Civil 3D

Cyndy Davenport, Civil Technical Specialist here at ZenTek, joins us to discuss ZenPipe for Civil 3D Pressure Networks. These new tools were designed to help those who struggle with development and layout of pressure pipe catalog data in AutoCAD Civil 3D. Listen in to learn more.

Mar 22, 202326:30
Bluebeam Revu Features You Need in Your Life

Bluebeam Revu Features You Need in Your Life

In this episode, we're discussing the Compare Documents feature in Bluebeam Revu and how you can use it in single and batch mode to identify the differences between construction documents and contracts, whether they are drawings or text-based. While using this feature is a simple process, it's one that many construction professionals don't really take advantage of.

Mar 08, 202325:17
Construction Estimating - Which Tools are Best?

Construction Estimating - Which Tools are Best?

The Construction Industry has plenty of tools available to handle QTO and estimating. In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of these tools and where the industry is leaning. We'll also give our listeners an idea of what they should be looking at within their own firms.

Feb 22, 202329:17
This Month in Design Build

This Month in Design Build

We're introducing a new segment, where every month we'll recap recent news in the Design Build industry. While we will try to focus on the technology side, we may also touch on the business and financial aspects, depending on the news story.

This month we're discussing:

  • Digital Twin technologies for infrastructure
  • Gensler's Design Forecast for 2023
  • Dodge Reports - the growth of Prefab and Modular Construction
  • ConstructionDive - the lack of growth in commercial construction for 3D modeling
Feb 15, 202328:22
ZenEstimate Tools - A Faster Way to Estimate

ZenEstimate Tools - A Faster Way to Estimate

In this episode, we discuss construction estimating in Bluebeam Revu, and how using pre-defined tools to automate quantity takeoff, cost, and labor estimating can save you valuable time on your projects.

Feb 08, 202327:03
Procore Analytics for Construction Projects

Procore Analytics for Construction Projects

Procore Analytics is the process of integrating all your data Procore data with Microsoft Power BI to turn your construction projects into visual powerhouses. In this episode, we discuss the importance of converting costs, schedules, KPIs, and performance data into visual charts and graphs that update in real-time, so you and your team can see the data visuals in an easily understandable format when you log into Procore.

Feb 01, 202327:27
AutoCAD - Not the Only Game in Town

AutoCAD - Not the Only Game in Town

In this episode, we discuss AutoCAD, the kingpin of the CAD world, and viable CAD alternatives that provide impressive tools and features.

Jan 18, 202335:33
Marking Up Files the Right Way

Marking Up Files the Right Way

If you do any type of work in the AEC world, at some point you'll deal with markups. Whether you're creating them, reviewing them, or implementing them into a design, markups are the mainstay of communication during the building process.

In this episode, we discuss the processes and tools that allow you to effectively add markups, respond to them, make plan and real-world adjustments from them, and communicate changes with all those involved.

Jan 11, 202332:39
Technology for Local Governments

Technology for Local Governments

Over the last couple of years, we've seen a growing interest of US and Canadian local governments who want to make better use of their technology. In this episode, we focus on the technology and processes (both construction project management and CAD) that bring huge improvements in the daily work life of local government employees.

Jan 04, 202329:45
AutoCAD Civil 3D - The Latest & Greatest

AutoCAD Civil 3D - The Latest & Greatest

Tim Yarris, Civil 3D Product Manager at Autodesk, is back with us to discuss the new features in the AutoCAD Civil 3D 2023.2 update. We'll discuss the improvements in speed and performance, as well as the customer requests - like corridor transitions - that made it into this release.

Dec 14, 202236:42