How do I run a design review when reviewers don't have CAD?
Send a review pack two working days ahead: a PDF drawing, a STEP file, and numbered views or sections of the areas in question. In the meeting, the CAD owner drives the live model on a shared screen while reviewers refer to those numbers, and every comment goes into one issue list with an owner.
Why reviews stall without CAD
On a small hardware team, one or two people own the CAD. The people who need to check it, such as the electrical engineer, the firmware engineer, manufacturing and the supplier, usually can't open a SLDASM. So they review screenshots, and the screenshots are often a version behind by the time the meeting starts.
The comments then come back in three places: the meeting, an email thread and a chat message. None of them says which view or which feature it means. The CAD owner spends the next day working out what "the clip near the battery" refers to.
The fix is not a CAD seat for everyone. It is a pack that everyone can open, numbered so a comment can point at something exact, and a meeting where the one person who can move the model does.
Worked example: 500-0306 scanner front housing, review 2
The front housing of a handheld scanner is at its third pre-release iteration, P3. Four people outside CAD need to sign off before it goes to the molder for quotes. The CAD owner builds this folder:
/500-0306 Front housing/
/review-02/
500-0306_P3_review.pdf drawing, stamped "for review, not for production"
500-0306_P3.step for anyone who wants to measure
/views/
V01_overall-iso.png
V02_section-A-A_battery-boss.png
V03_pcb-clearance.png
V04_button-and-LED-windows.png
V05_snap-fit-detail.png
500-0306_review-02_questions.txt
500-0306_review-02_issues.csv filled in during the meeting
Step 1: Decide who needs what. Not everyone needs the same files.
| Reviewer | What they check | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical engineer | Board clearance, connector access | V03, STEP |
| Firmware engineer | Button, LED and sensor window positions | V04 |
| Manufacturing or the molder | Wall thickness, draft, snap fits | PDF drawing, STEP, V02, V05 |
| Product manager | Overall size and look | V01 |
Step 2: Write the questions. List what you need decided, each tied to a view. For example: "Q3 (V03): Is 1.5 mm between the board edge and the inner wall enough for the connector housing?" Six questions is plenty for one review.
Step 3: Send it two working days ahead. Ask reviewers to reply against view and question numbers, not in a new thread. Someone who wants to rotate the model can use a STEP viewer or the free eDrawings Viewer. eDrawings Viewer is free to download, and it can measure only if measuring was enabled when the file was saved from SolidWorks (GoEngineer).
Step 4: Run the meeting on the live model. Keep it to 45 minutes. The CAD owner shares the screen and goes question by question, opening the section or view each one names. New comments get logged as they come up, with the view they refer to.
Step 5: Close every comment. Before the meeting ends, each line in the issue list has an owner and a due date. Send the list out the same day. The changes go into P4, and the list says which item P4 closes. The next note covers that log in detail: How do I track action items from a mechanical design review?
Ways to review with people who don't have CAD
| Method | Good for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Screenshots in slides | A quick look at overall shape | Out of date fast; no way to check a hidden feature |
| PDF drawing | Dimensions, tolerances and notes | Early in a design the drawing may not exist yet |
| STEP file in a free viewer | Reviewers who want to measure | Every reviewer needs a viewer installed; comments still go elsewhere |
| eDrawings file | SolidWorks teams; can include measuring | Measuring only if enabled when saved; another install |
| CAD owner on a shared screen | Answering questions live | Only works while the owner is there; nothing left behind |
| Browser share link | Reviewers on any computer | Check what the link lets reviewers do, and who can open it |
Most teams combine two: a pack people can open on their own time, and a live session for the questions.
When this stops working
- Reviews happen more than twice a month, and building the pack takes longer than the review.
- Comments arrive against an older iteration than the one on the screen.
- The supplier and the electrical engineer are reviewing the same part in separate threads.
- Nobody can say which comment led to which change a month later.
At that point the views, comments and iterations need to live together on the part. Recording the reason for each decision helps whichever way you work: How do I document why a part was designed a certain way?
FAQ
What should a design review pack include?
A PDF drawing or annotated views, a STEP file for anyone who wants to measure, numbered images of the areas in question, and a short list of questions you need answered. Number everything so comments can point at it.
Can reviewers look at a SolidWorks model without a license?
Yes. They can open a STEP file in a free viewer, or an eDrawings file in the free eDrawings Viewer. Measuring in eDrawings works only if it was enabled when the file was saved.
How far ahead should the review pack go out?
Two working days is a good default. It gives reviewers time to look without the pack going stale before the meeting.
Who should drive the model during the review?
The CAD owner. They can open the exact section or configuration a question needs, while everyone else keeps their attention on the decision.
Internal links
- How do I share a SolidWorks file with someone who doesn't have SolidWorks?
- How do I track action items from a mechanical design review?
- How do I document why a part was designed a certain way?
Sources
- GoEngineer, eDrawings Explained: Versions, Limitations, Features: https://goengineer.com/blog/edrawings-explained-versions-limitations-features
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