The CADDle Call

Tim Yarris, Senior Product Manager for Civil 3D at Autodesk, is back to help us delve into the details of the Civil 3D 2026 release.

Rob Herrington, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Market Development at TopBuilder Solutions, joins us as we delve into the concepts of controlling and understanding construction data via Business Intelligence.

Specifically we'll discuss Contractor BI and how its business and data intelligence is really changing the way senior construction management is addressing and controlling all the information challenges that come with running construction projects.

We have two special guests joining us today: Ramesh Sridharan, Director of AEC - Building & Infrastructure at Autodesk and Michael Davidson, Product Manager for BIM/CAD Integrations at ESRI.

Ramesh and Michael join us to discuss the integration of tools and processes from both tech giants and the benefits this partnership has for the AEC industry.

In this episode, we discuss simple configuration setups you can make in your current software to improve work performance.

Tim Yarris, Senior Product Manager for Civil 3D at Autodesk, joins us to discuss what's included in the Civil 3D 2025.1 update, some new processes in Civil 3D, and future plans at Autodesk.

Studies suggest that as much as 60% of the AEC workforce will retire by the end of the decade. This will be a major issue for firms already struggling to fill open positions today.

In this episode, we discuss options firms have to handle their advanced software systems with limited staff.

Keith Cox, Senior Channel Account Manager at Matterport, joins us to discuss scanning and how Matterport plays a vital role in taking scans to the next level.

Learn more about Matterport at https://zentekconsultants.net/matterport/.

We've been doing The CADDle Call podcast for a little over 4 years now! In this episode, we're sharing insights into ZenTek Consultants as a firm and how we got here. We'll also talk about the best and worst parts about running a business and where we hope to go in the future.

Join us as we discuss the major and up-and-coming players in the Civil Design software marketplace, along with the pros and cons of their tools.

This week we discuss roadway design, how AutoCAD Civil 3D and Civil Site Design each work in different ways, and which one tackles the lengthy design process better.

In this podcast, Andrew English and Andrew Banson from Civil Site Solutions in Australia join us to discuss Civil Site Design, a plugin for Civil 3D, AutoCAD, and BricsCAD with A.I. capabilities. If you design any civil or site projects, you need to listen to this podcast.

In this episode, we're discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the benefits it brings to the civil design world. We'll also provide insight into 2 big players in this market - Civil Site Design and BricsCAD.

Every system and workflow on the planet can be improved and AutoCAD Civil 3D is no exception, even though it's the most popular tool for civil design. In this episode, we discuss common issues we hear about Civil 3D from those working in the civil design world and some of the tools available on the market today that can address those issues.

Listen to The CADDle Call podcast on these platforms: Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Breaker, RadioPublic, Stitcher, iHeart Radio. Visit https://zentekconsultants.net/category/the-caddle-call-podcast/ for all CAD podcast episodes.

It's a never-ending concern in the industry - you want to be better, faster and more efficient at design, but don't want the headache of changing your current design system.

In this episode, we discuss how to improve your civil site design process, from field-to-finish, without changing to a new CAD system.

Special guests Shane O'Rorke and Andrew Banson from Civil Survey Solutions join us to discuss Civil Site Design & Stringer Topo. They'll explain the key new features of Stringer Topo, which has been completely redesigned, and the AI tools in Civil Site Design. They'll also discuss the direction of their products and the industry as a whole.

Cyndy Davenport, Civil Tech Lead at ZenTek, joins us to discuss the newest release of Stringer Topo - V23. We'll talk about how it's different from other systems on the market and dive into some of the new tools that are helpful for survey firms.

This week's podcast deals with the realities of site and road design processes. We'll discuss the best ways to start a design and the different tools you can use to begin and, eventually, complete a project.

While AutoCAD Civil 3D is still the king in the civil design world, it's always good for us to look for ways to improve functionality to make our designs better, more efficient, and to reduce costs. In this episode, we focus on the tools that work with AutoCAD Civil 3D to enhance its capabilities - or shore up areas we find frustrating.

In this episode, we discuss the process of designing roads and corridors in AutoCAD Civil 3D. In particular, we're focusing on Corridor EZ - a plugin for Civil 3D from Civil Survey Solutions. Corridor EZ automates the entire corridor and road design process, including cul-de-sacs and intersections, right inside AutoCAD Civil 3D. You can take your design time from hours to just minutes.

Construction scheduling is one of the most important functions in the construction industry, but many firms still struggle with it. In this episode, we discuss scheduling tools to help you advance your construction scheduling process.

In this episode, we discuss how construction firms and building product manufacturers can use Microsoft Excel as part of their estimating workflows.

Danielle Hart, the Regional Director of Membership Services for the Eastern PA chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors joins us today. We'll talk with her about the benefits of working with trade associations, including apprenticeships, training, and job placement.

When AEC firms are busy, they don't have the time to train or develop their staff and processes. When they're slow, they can't afford to. In this episode, we discuss what we're hearing from those in the industry and ways to work around this Catch 22 to position yourself to be more efficient, productive, and profitable.

Ramesh Sridharan, Director of Reality Conditions at Autodesk, joins us to discuss important updates to Autodesk ReCap 2025. We'll also touch on new product offerings from Autodesk in the reality capture space, including PointFuse.

Craig Swearingen, Implementation Specialist at Bricsys, joins us to discuss the features within BricsCAD Lite and the benefits of using it in your CAD workflow. What sets BricsCAD Lite apart from other Lite CAD systems is that it offers customization and configurations features, as well as network licensing.

Learn more about BricsCAD Lite at https://zentekconsultants.net/bricscad-lite-2/.

In this episode, we discuss supporting construction field staff with the technology, training, and support they need to get their work done as efficiently as possible.

Just the mention of changing CAD systems inspires fear among CAD managers and users. But, with CAD license prices skyrocketing the last few years, it's becoming a necessity for firms to look at other CAD solutions. In this episode, we discuss the trifecta of terror - compatibility, familiarity, and affordability - and explain how to get around these issues so you can comfortably integrate a new CAD solution into your current workflow.

In this episode, we discuss the concept of digital dashboards and what they provide. This very powerful concept can save time on tedious tasks and every company should look to implement dashboards in their processes.

Recently, Autodesk released its Autodesk 2025 product line. Tim Yarris, AutoCAD Civil 3D Product Manager at Autodesk, join us to discuss the cool new features in the Civil Infrastructure tools.

Ken D'Amato, CEO and founder of SmarTwin AI™, joins us to discuss the benefits of AI for construction and how it can positively impact construction challenges.

Matt DeBasio, Construction Technologist at P. Agnes, is with us to discuss the construction industry's need for custom, or purpose-built, estimating systems.

Jeff Perry, leadership and development expert as well as the host of "The Engineering Career Coach" podcast is here to discuss concepts in his book "The Intentional Engineer". We'll discuss the concepts of intentionality, upgrading your mindset, and genius zones. These concepts apply to all professionals, so grab a cup of your favorite beverage and listen in.

Learn more about the book and grab your copy at https://www.theintentionalengineer.com/.

In this episode, we focus on how you can export data from Bluebeam Revu to Microsoft 365 tools like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

Whether it's markups, as-builts, submittals, or even printing CAD design files to a PDF, there's a struggle when it comes to sharing information between these two file types.

In this episode, we discuss how construction and design firms can move markups and more from a PDF editor and import them as actual linework into CAD.

Todd Rogers, BIM Manager at Walter P. Moore, joins us to discuss artificial intelligence in the design world. We'll talk about how AI can fit into daily design workflows and its potential benefits.

In this episode, we discuss the latest news on how construction firms are being given heavy fines from the US government due to "intentional wage theft". What does this mean for the industry?

Is 2D CAD still being used in the design/build industry? Join us as we discuss what we're seeing today and the long-term prognosis for 2D CAD work.

David Mills, Construction Technical Specialist at ZenTek, joins us to discuss Procore and how you can make it work in a real-world environment.

In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of using large enterprise software systems versus developing simplified workflows that can help staff work better and smarter.