Scenario:
Maria is overseeing the architectural design for a 30-story commercial building. The project is in the middle of the construction phase, and multiple engineering disciplines (structural, MEP, fire safety) are constantly updating their drawings.
Maria's biggest challenge is managing the sheer volume of drawing revisions submitted by different teams. A minor change by the structural engineer, like altering a beam's position, can have a cascading effect on electrical conduit routing and HVAC duct placement. Previously, her team would manually overlay new and old drawings on a light table or painstakingly check them side-by-side on a screen, a process that was slow, prone to human error, and led to costly on-site rework when clashes were missed.
Solution using Catenda Hub:
Maria now uses Catenda Hub to centralize and streamline the entire design review process. Here’s her new workflow:
1. Identifying Critical Changes with PDF Compare:
The structural engineering team uploads a new revision of the 15th-floor framing plan as a PDF. Instead of a manual check, Maria uses the PDF Compare feature. She selects the new revision and the previous one. The software instantly displays an overlay of both documents.
Old geometry is shown in blue.
New geometry is shown in red.
Using the opacity slider, Maria can clearly see that a key support beam has been shifted by 30 centimeters to accommodate a new structural requirement. This change is immediately obvious, whereas it might have been missed in a manual review.
2. Annotating and Creating an Issue for Action:
Seeing the change, Maria suspects it will clash with the HVAC layout. She uses the Annotation tools directly on the PDF comparison view:
She draws a cloud shape around the affected area.
She adds a text call-out: "Potential clash with main HVAC duct. Please verify clearance."
She uses the freehand tool to draw an arrow indicating the direction of the HVAC run.
Instead of sending an email that could get lost, Maria saves these annotations directly into a new Issue within Catenda Hub. The issue is automatically titled "Potential Clash: 15th Floor Structural & HVAC" and is assigned to both the lead structural engineer and the MEP coordinator. The issue automatically includes a snapshot of her annotation on the compared drawing (showing revisions #3/#4), ensuring everyone has full context.
3. Collaborating and Resolving the Issue:
The MEP coordinator receives a notification. He opens the issue and sees Maria’s precise annotation on the compared PDF. He doesn’t need to search for the files or guess which beam she is referring to. He previews the attached DWG file for the HVAC system directly in the viewer, confirming the clash.
He adds a comment to the issue: "Confirmed. We will re-route the ducting. New drawing will be uploaded by EOD." He attaches a quick sketch of the proposed new route, also created with the annotation tools.
Outcome and Benefits:
By using Catenda Hub's document preview, annotation, and PDF compare features, Maria’s team transformed a cumbersome and error-prone process into an efficient, collaborative workflow.
Drastic Reduction in Errors: The PDF Compare tool made it virtually impossible to miss critical design changes, preventing at least two potential instances of on-site rework that would have cost thousands of dollars and caused significant delays.
Improved Communication and Accountability: All communication is centralized within the context of the specific drawing and issue. There is a clear, auditable trail of who said what and when, eliminating confusion from scattered email chains.
Faster Review Cycles: What used to take Maria and her team a full day of manual checking is now accomplished in under an hour. This accelerates the entire project timeline.
Enhanced Clarity:
Annotations are made directly on the relevant documents, providing precise visual context that is far clearer than text descriptions alone. All stakeholders, from the design office to the field, are looking at the same information.