How CAD on Mobile Transforms Real-World Design Processes

Recent anonymized interviews with Onshape Mobile users explain how the app improves workflows across product development processes. Here are a few examples of how real-life professionals are using Onshape Mobile in their everyday product design workflow. 

Improved On-Site Client Interactions

Engineers report a significant shift in client meetings. Instantly accessing and manipulating CAD models on-site has become an essential communication tool. This immediate access to live data streamlines discussions, accelerating decision-making processes, enhances client relationships, and often speeds up project approvals.

Additionally, AR View mode adds to Onshape Mobile’s power. With the AR View mode on, teams can access live designs within Onshape Part Studios and Assemblies and overlay 3D models into the real world.

READ: How the CAD to AR Connection Builds Better Products

More Informed Shop Floor Prototyping

Onshape Mobile is proving invaluable in the prototyping phase. Product developers leverage the app to access drawings and sketches, take measurements, and review assembly instructions directly on the shop floor. Real-time access to the latest drawing data reduces errors that come from often outdated printed drawings, leading to time saved during critical development stages.

Additionally, while on the shop floor, designers can add images to Onshape for more robust information when redesigning on a desktop.

Better Flow for Design Iteration

Manufacturing engineers are seeing tangible benefits on the production floor. The ability to instantly pull up specific measurements and whole drawings while working with designers has significantly improved communication and feedback loops. This immediate access to data supports efficiency by keeping production moving along smoothly.

Tech Tip: Mastering Gestures in Onshape Mobile

Added Flexibility to Design Workflows

The ability to modify designs anywhere is transforming work patterns. Designers report being able to make quick edits or add notes while working on the shop floor or even outside the office. This flexibility has improved productivity and given designers greater ownership over their work, enabling continuous improvement and iteration beyond traditional work settings. 

Tech Tip: Using Release Management with Onshape Mobile

Quick Access to Critical Information

Rapid access to part information is crucial in fast-paced manufacturing environments. Shop floor managers report that the app has become their go-to solution for quickly looking up part numbers or specific information. This simple access point helps maintain the production pace and reduces part identification and ordering process errors.

The Best Mobile CAD App?

By providing live, on-the-go access to CAD data, Onshape Mobile empowers professionals to work more efficiently and make informed decisions faster than ever, ultimately driving innovation and competitiveness in today's fast-paced business environment.

But what makes Onshape the best mobile CAD app? Let's break it down:

1. Live Data Access on the Go

Onshape is the only CAD software for Android and iOS that provides real-time access to your designs. This means you're always working with the most current version, eliminating version control headaches and ensuring everyone is on the same page. Unlike mobile CAD viewers, Onshape Mobile offers practical tools for viewing, editing, and collaborating on designs. While full functionality is limited, the app provides a new CAD experience that can be carried anywhere.

2. Augmented Reality (AR) at Your Fingertips

Onshape is the only CAD platform that can bring your designs to life with AR without any post-processing or third parties. Simply open the Onshape Mobile app on an iOS device and select the AR Mode view. This new dynamic experience allows engineers to see their designs in the real world. Checking measurements and sizing has never been easier.

3. Cross-Platform Compatibility

Whether you're using an iPad, Android tablet, or smartphone, Onshape Mobile delivers a consistent, powerful experience across all devices.

4. Seamless Integration with Desktop Workflow

Start a design on your computer, continue it on your tablet during your commute, and make final tweaks to sketches on your phone – Onshape keeps your work flowing across all platforms.

5. Enhanced Communication

Easily share design information with clients, colleagues, or manufacturers and gather feedback in real-time, streamlining the approval and iteration process. Additionally, tools like Comments, Follow Mode, and the ability to approve or reject release candidates speed up design iteration, reducing the lag between testing and design updates. Share specific design information through view-only Publications.

Take CAD Wherever You Go

Adopting Onshape Mobile is surprisingly simple, making it an easy choice for product development teams looking to enhance their CAD capabilities. Here are some tips to get started:

• Log in with your existing Onshape account – all your data is instantly accessible.

• Familiarize yourself with the touch-based interface through the Onshape Learning Center and Onshape Help Documentation.

• Download the Onshape Mobile app from your device's app store (Apple App Store or Google Play).

• Start small by using mobile for viewing and making minor edits, then gradually expand your usage.

• Encourage team members to download the app for improved collaboration and communication.
  
  

For more on getting started, the webinar, “Using the Onshape Mobile App”, explains how to get the most out of the Onshape Mobile app.

Leverage Onshape Mobile Today

In short, users in the field have found Onshape Mobile particularly valuable for:

• Making minor edits on the fly

• Communicating design changes internally and externally

• Checking dimensions and assembly details in the workshop

• Reviewing and approving designs without being tied to a desk

• Capturing and attaching photos of prototypes or site conditions directly to CAD documents
  
  

Onshape Mobile's unique offering of live data access, even in read-only scenarios, empowers teams to stay connected and responsive to client needs and market demands.

Ready to experience the power of true mobile CAD? Try Onshape Mobile and see how it can revolutionize your design process today.

First step: Sign up for Onshape.