CAD Blocks

How to get a CAD block of a specific product

First, look on the maker's website: some makers put CAD or BIM files on the product page or on a trade page. If there is no file, draw the block from the product photo and its size. CAD Blocks (cadblocks.app) does this for you: add the photo or the product link, type the width, depth and height, and download a DXF with the plan, front and side. A block takes about a minute and a half.

1. Look for the maker's own file

Look on the product page for a link called Downloads, Technical, Trade or BIM. Some makers keep their CAD files on a separate trade site, and some send them if you email their trade team.

Check that the file is for the exact model and size you specify. A file for the whole range, or for a similar model, can put the wrong size on your drawing.

2. If there is no file, draw it from the photo

  1. Add the product

    Paste a link to the product page, or drop in a photo, a screenshot from the maker's website or a PDF spec sheet. You can add up to four images of the same item.

  2. Give the size

    Type the width, depth and height from the spec sheet. Every view is fitted to those three sizes, so the plan and both elevations agree.

  3. Download the DXF

    The plan, front and side arrive as three named blocks, drawn true size in millimetres or inches. Insert them into your drawing.

3. Check it before you issue

Every view is fitted to the width, depth and height you type. Parts the photo can't show, such as the back or a true side profile, are worked out from what it can show. Treat each block as a good first draft, not a measured survey, and check it against the maker's spec sheet before you issue drawings.

Drawing it by hand instead

You can also trace the photo in your CAD program. Insert the photo, scale it so its width matches the spec sheet, and draw over it. Then do the same for the side, and work out the plan from the two views. This works, but it takes much longer for each item.

Questions

Is it free?

Your first three blocks each month are free, and you don't need a card. After that, buy blocks as you need them or choose a monthly plan. See pricing.

What if the shop doesn't list the size?

Type the sizes you know. If you only know one, the rest follows the photo. You can also let it estimate the size and resize the block later, which is free.

Can I get a DWG file?

Not yet. DXF opens in every major CAD program, and you can save it as DWG from there.

Which programs open the file?

AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp Pro, Vectorworks and Chief Architect. The free block library has an import guide for each, and for Archicad and Rhino.

More guides

Can't find your exact product?

Draw it from a photo. Drop in a product photo or a screenshot from the maker's website, give the size, and CAD Blocks draws its plan, front and side as a DXF. Your first three blocks each month are free.

Draw your own block