Engineering & CAD drafting insights.
The ASTCAD Engineering Design and Drafting Blog — practical tutorials, software guides, Australian standards walkthroughs and engineering case studies from our team. Over 200 articles covering CAD drafting, BIM, FEA, mechanical design and structural detailing.
Latest from the blog.
AS 1657 Platform Design: 7 Mistakes in Non-Compliant Designs
The 7 AS 1657 compliance mistakes we see most in platform and walkway designs, what the standard requires, and the lightest-touch fix for...
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Creating Your First CAD Drawing
Learning how to create your first CAD Drawing can feel overwhelming at first, but once you understand the process, it becomes an exciting...
What is CAD Drafting? A Complete Guide for Australian Engineers
If you work in engineering, construction, or manufacturing in Australia, you've almost certainly heard the term CAD drafting — but what...
Claude AI and Autodesk Fusion 360: Automating CAD Modelling and…
How Anthropic's Claude AI integrates with Autodesk Fusion 360 to automate CAD modelling, generate scripts, and accelerate engineering des...
How Much Does CAD Drafting Cost in Australia? (2026 Pricing…
Understanding CAD drafting cost in Australia is the first step to budgeting your engineering or construction project accurately. If you'r...
PDF to DWG Conversions: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
In today's design and engineering workflows, drawings are often shared in PDF format because it's easy to view, print, and distribute. Ho...
DWG to DGN Conversion: A Complete Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide
In today's collaborative engineering and infrastructure projects, working with multiple CAD file formats is common. Two of the most widel...
Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing CAD Automation in Your Projects
In today's fast-paced engineering and construction environment, efficiency and accuracy are no longer optional—they are essential. This...
Tips for Organizing Structural Steel Shop Drawing Projects Efficiently
Structural steel shop drawings are essential in the construction and fabrication process. They serve as a bridge between design and const...
Electrical Drafting: Drawing Types, Standards, Software and Symbols in Australia
Electrical drafting produces single-line diagrams, schematic drawings, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and cable schedules for Australian...
Beginner’s Guide to Structural Detailing in Design and Drafting
Structural detailing plays a vital role in transforming structural concepts into buildable, accurate, and safe construction documents. Fo...
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Creating Your First 2D Mechanical Drawing in AutoCAD
Learning how to create your first 2D Mechanical Drawing in AutoCAD can feel challenging at first, but once you understand the basic tools...