--- title: Letting AI into Your CAD and Engineering Workflow description: In CAD and Engineering workflows, what do you hand over to AI and what do you keep? image: https://blog.cadalyst.com/hubfs/Editorial%20-%20Misc/2026_Cadalyst/2026_JustTellJo/2026-10-27_JtJ_AIinWorkflows/AdobeStock_1955784481.jpeg --- [![Cadalyst](https://blog.cadalyst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Cadalyst_logo_w_tagline.png?width=190&height=45&name=Cadalyst_logo_w_tagline.png "Cadalyst")](https://www.cadalyst.com) - [CAD Management](https://blog.cadalyst.com/cadmanagement) - [CAD Management Articles](https://blog.cadalyst.com/cadmanagement) - [CAD Management Newsletter Archive](https://info.cadalyst.com/cad-manager-newsletter-archive) - [Just Tell Jo](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo) - [Design Solutions](https://blog.cadalyst.com/architecture-infrastructure-construction-solutions) - [Architecture, Infrastructure, Construction](https://blog.cadalyst.com/architecture-infrastructure-construction-solutions) - [The Equipped Architect: Generative Design](https://blog.cadalyst.com/the-equipped-architect-generative-design) - [DraftSight Insights](https://blog.cadalyst.com/lynn-allens-draftsight-insight) - [Product Design & Manufacturing](https://blog.cadalyst.com/product-design-manufacturing-solutions) - [CAD Hardware](https://blog.cadalyst.com/cadalyst-cad-hardware) - [CAD Tech News Archive](https://info.cadalyst.com/cad-tech-news-archive) - [Resources](https://info.cadalyst.com/white-papers) - [CAD Cartoon](https://blog.cadalyst.com/cad-cartoons) - [Cadalyst Just Tell Jo Newsletter](https://info.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo) - [Cadalyst Videos](https://www.youtube.com/user/cadalystvideos) - [Whitepapers & Tips](https://info.cadalyst.com/white-papers) - [CAD Benchmark Test](https://info.cadalyst.com/cad-benchmark-test) - [CAD Code/Hot Tip Harry](https://cadtips.cadalyst.com/) - [CAD Podcasts](https://info.cadalyst.com/podcasts-for-cad-users) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. Letting AI into Your CAD and Engineering Workflow 8:11 # Letting AI into Your CAD and Engineering Workflow By [Jo Cadalyst](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/author/jo-cadalyst) [CAD Management](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/cad-management) [MCAD](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/mcad) [AEC](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/aec) [AI](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/ai) [Automation](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/automation) [JtJ](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/jtj) [Cadalyst](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/cadalyst) October 27, 2026 Just Tell Jo: What do you hand over to AI, and what do you keep? AI can write a macro. Whether that macro works, and how much of your afternoon disappears before it does, is where the accounts start to differ. The discussions covered here involve AI-generated macros, engineering report drafts, and preliminary technical questions, with practitioners describing both useful results and work they still had to complete themselves. In recent CAD and engineering discussions, people describe AI helping them save hours completing repetitive work. Others describe spending their time feeding errors back into an AI assistant and getting yet another version that still doesn’t run. Some have found a useful arrangement somewhere in between: let AI get things started, then take over where their expertise is needed. That makes the conversation about bringing AI into the workflow more interesting than a simple vote for or against it. What are people actually handing over? How much work comes back with it? And what have they decided to keep for themselves?  ![Humanoid robot and man work on computers at desks in bright office with city view. Future workplace collaboration shows AI and human teamwork for business tasks. source Viktor/stock.adobe.com, AI-generated](https://blog.cadalyst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Editorial%20-%20Misc/2026_Cadalyst/2026_JustTellJo/2026-10-27_JtJ_AIinWorkflows/AdobeStock_1955784481.jpeg?width=669&height=382&name=AdobeStock_1955784481.jpeg) *Image source: Viktor/stock.adobe.com, AI-generated.*     ## AI Works. Mostly. In a September 2025 r/SolidWorks Reddit discussion, a mechanical CAD user described using an AI assistant to write a macro to export part configurations as STL files. The user’s previous process involved changing dimensions manually, then naming and exporting each version. After learning more about configurations and working through about five revisions of the code, the user had something that reportedly saved them hours. But there was still a catch. Selecting the coordinate system for export hadn’t worked, so that part needed a workaround. The user was pleased with the result and shared the code in the Reddit discussion, while also acknowledging having no coding knowledge and some doubts about its quality. It did the useful part of the job, even with one workaround. That combination of progress and unfinished business also appeared in a March 2025 discussion on Autodesk Community’s PowerMill forum. One participant said AI assistance could either lead them in the wrong direction or get them most of the way there. Another participant in the same PowerMill discussion had used AI frequently and reported success. Their process involved updating the generated code themselves, feeding those changes back to the assistant, and asking it to continue from the corrected version. In that account, the user stayed involved in how the code developed. They could correct the code when the assistant struggled with PowerMill’s macro language.   ## **A Small Request Can Still Eat the Afternoon** An April 2025 post on the SOLIDWORKS CAD user forum described a modest task: write a macro to turn off two assembly display settings. The user knew exactly how to make the changes manually and they laid out the steps in the post. Recording a macro didn’t capture the required actions, so they tried several AI assistants. Unfortunately, the code kept producing errors. The user didn’t know how to fix it independently, and describing those errors back to the assistants hadn’t solved the problem. After repeated attempts, they finally turned to the forum for help. A user on Autodesk Community’s Revit API forum reported a similar difficulty in October 2025. They had created and partially tested a tool that used AI to generate code for connecting pipework elements. According to the post, the code was unreliable. Even attempts that looked promising produced syntax errors. The experience left the user questioning whether AI tools were ready for this kind of work at all. Set alongside the successful export macro, these accounts show why people can come away with very different opinions. One user has a working shortcut. Another has a long conversation and the original task still waiting. --- ## READER POLL ## Does AI save you time in your work after you include checking and corrections? | **[YES](https://info.cadalyst.com/poll-thanks?poll=jo-ai-oct26&vote=yes)** | [**NOT SURE**](https://info.cadalyst.com/poll-thanks?poll=jo-ai-oct26&vote=notsure) | [**NOT YET**](https://info.cadalyst.com/poll-thanks?poll=jo-ai-oct26&vote=notyet) | | --- | --- | --- | --- ## **Even Report Writing Divides the Room** In the March 2026 Eng-Tips discussion, one structural engineer supplied previous reports as examples, along with field notes, to guide an AI-generated report draft. The engineer estimated saving four hours, excluding a couple of hours of initial setup. They still checked the content, edited and formatted the report, and inserted photographs; repeat savings had not yet been established. The person who started the discussion had much less success. AI helped with the general outline, but they expected to replace most, possibly all, of the generated content. They were largely returning to writing the report manually. Another participant reported that AI had selected values from neighboring columns in a supplied load table and used equations from an older standards edition despite instructions to use the newer one. Even within the same discussion, one engineer had a useful draft to finish; another was starting again.   ## **Sometimes the Useful Part Comes Before the Answer** In an October 2025 Reddit r/MechanicalEngineering discussion, a mechanical engineering practitioner described a more limited role for an employer-provided AI assistant. Colleagues were busy, and the AI assistant provided a place for the user to explore technical questions when another person wasn’t available. The practitioner used its suggestions as preliminary possibilities. They then assessed those possibilities through independent analysis and their own judgment about the actual system. Even with that boundary, they weren’t entirely comfortable. They wondered whether this was an appropriate use of AI in the first place. Their account sits between the enthusiasm of someone who has saved hours and the skepticism of someone whose code keeps failing. While they found a use for the assistant, they were still deciding how much confidence to place in the technology.   ## **Jo Suggests** ### Start with a task you can check. To get started with AI, give it a small, clearly defined job. Choose something where you know what a correct result should look like and can easily inspect it. For a batch export, that means knowing which files should appear and how they should be named. Try it on copies and open the results. Also, decide how long you’ll spend on the experiment. If each correction produces another error that you can’t fix or explain, it might be time to stop and get help. You can return to the experiment later. You’re looking for AI help that saves you time and reduces your workload. ### Count the checking and correction time. Include setup, checking, corrections, and finishing work when comparing an AI-assisted task with your usual process. A quick first draft tells you only part of the story. Track the total time and document any workarounds before deciding whether to repeat the process. ### Record limitations and keep technical judgment. Write down the limitations as you find them. If a macro works only with a particular setup, or one feature needs a manual workaround, document it. For technical questions, make a distinction between a suggestion and an acceptable answer. An AI assistant may offer a useful direction to investigate. Taking that from a suggestion into a deliverable needs your expertise. You can be curious about AI and selective about where it belongs. Start with one task and expand its role when the results justify it. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ *Methodology Note:  We based this column on public discussions from the past two years on Autodesk Community’s PowerMill and Revit API forums, the SOLIDWORKS User Forum, Eng-Tips, and Reddit’s CAD and engineering communities. We used AI to find discussions, log accounts against their sources, and develop a first draft. We then checked the source material, rewrote, and edited. The experiences and time savings described are participants’ own accounts; we did not independently test their code or reproduce their results.*  How do you handle this problem? [Email us](mailto:editors@cadalyst.com) and let us know!   | **Would you like to share a story?  Sign up for an [email here](https://info.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo)  (click box "I have a story for Jo!")** | | --- | --- ***This week's Just Tell Jo newsletter is sponsored by:  [Vectorworks](https://www.vectorworks.net/whats-new?utm_source=cadalyst&utm_medium=sponsored_banner&utm_campaign=make_the_move_architect&utm_content=adtracking_10126).*** ***[![Vectorworks-BLDG-paid-placement-AEC-us-banner-728×90](https://blog.cadalyst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Editorial%20-%20Misc/2026_Cadalyst/2026_JustTellJo/Vectorworks-BLDG-paid-placement-AEC-us-banner-728%C3%9790.png?width=728&height=90&name=Vectorworks-BLDG-paid-placement-AEC-us-banner-728%C3%9790.png)](https://www.vectorworks.net/whats-new?utm_source=cadalyst&utm_medium=sponsored_banner&utm_campaign=make_the_move_architect&utm_content=adtracking_10126)*** ---   | ## **Questions about AI in CAD and Engineering FAQ** ## **Can AI help write CAD macros?** The discussions reviewed for this column include working AI-assisted macros and attempts that remained unreliable. One CAD user reported saving hours on STL exports after several code revisions, although a coordinate-system issue still needed a workaround. Test generated code on copies and inspect the results before relying on it. ## **How can you tell whether AI saves time on engineering work?** Compare the complete AI-assisted process with your usual method. Include setup, prompting, troubleshooting, checking, formatting, and finishing work. Keep initial setup time separate from repeat use so you can judge both the first attempt and any later savings. ## **What should engineers keep under human control when using AI?** Jo recommends keeping technical assessment and acceptance of the finished work under human control. AI suggestions can provide directions to investigate, but generated code, calculations, and report content still need checking. The discussions include reports of incorrect table values and equations from an older standards edition. | | --- |   Share This Post [![Share on Facebook](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2115715/ADT%20Blog/Social%20Icons/5e0f3c78452ae7d40a6dbfff_002-facebook-logo.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.cadalyst.com%2Fjust-tell-jo%2Fletting-ai-into-your-cad-and-engineering-workflow%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2115715/ADT%20Blog/Social%20Icons/5e0f3c78452ae70fe46dc000_001-linkedin-logo.svg)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.cadalyst.com%2Fjust-tell-jo%2Fletting-ai-into-your-cad-and-engineering-workflow%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/2115715/hubfs/ADT%20Blog/Social%20Icons/5e0f3c78452ae7625c6dbffd_home-socicon1.png?width=24&name=5e0f3c78452ae7625c6dbffd_home-socicon1.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.cadalyst.com%2Fjust-tell-jo%2Fletting-ai-into-your-cad-and-engineering-workflow%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.cadalyst.com%2Fjust-tell-jo%2Fletting-ai-into-your-cad-and-engineering-workflow%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Letting%20AI%20into%20Your%20CAD%20and%20Engineering%20Workflow) [![Share on Email](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2115715/ADT%20Blog/Social%20Icons/001-envelope.svg)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.cadalyst.com%2Fjust-tell-jo%2Fletting-ai-into-your-cad-and-engineering-workflow%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.cadalyst.com%2Fjust-tell-jo%2Fletting-ai-into-your-cad-and-engineering-workflow%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### Jo Cadalyst Jo is the editorial persona behind Cadalyst’s Just Tell Jo column, which explores the questions and frustrations CAD and engineering professionals share in public forums and with each other. Cadalyst’s editors use AI to assist with research and initial drafts, and then check sources, rewrite, and edit each column. [View All Articles](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/author/jo-cadalyst) ![Get The Cadalyst Briefing](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/251891/interactive-127202009180.png) ### MORE ON THIS TOPIC [![Oh No! 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[![Jo Asks: Forced Migration: Which Version You Have to Use](https://blog.cadalyst.com/hubfs/Editorial%20-%20Misc/2026_Cadalyst/2026_JustTellJo/2026-09-29_JTJ-which%20version/AdobeStock_1961201040.jpeg)](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/jo-asks-which-version) [Upgrade](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/upgrade) [Engineering](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/engineering) [CAD Management](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/cad-management) [MCAD](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/mcad) [AEC](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/aec) [JtJ](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/jtj) [Cadalyst](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/tag/cadalyst) ## [Jo Asks: Forced Migration: Which Version You Have to Use](https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/jo-asks-which-version) *This month, we looked at one form that forced migration takes: the software version someone else picks for you. We used AI to search CAD community...* [![Cadalyst](https://blog.cadalyst.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Editorial%20-%20Misc/Cadalyst_logo-trans-3.png?width=270&height=60&name=Cadalyst_logo-trans-3.png "Cadalyst")](https://www.cadalyst.com) ©2026 Longitude Media, LLC. All rights reserved. - [Privacy](https://info.cadalyst.com/privacy-lm) - [About Us](https://info.cadalyst.com/about-cadalyst) - [Fair Trade Statement](https://info.cadalyst.com/fair-trade-policy) - [Contact Us](https://info.cadalyst.com/contact-cadalyst) - [Terms of Use](https://info.cadalyst.com/cadalyst-terms-of-use) - [Linking & RSS](https://info.cadalyst.com/linking-and-rss-terms-of-use) - [Advertise](https://info.cadalyst.com/advertise-with-cadalyst) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Jo Cadalyst", "url" : "https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/author/jo-cadalyst" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-27T13:13:33.883Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-27T13:13:24.000Z", "headline" : "Letting AI into Your CAD and Engineering Workflow", "image" : [ "https://blog.cadalyst.com/hubfs/Editorial%20-%20Misc/2026_Cadalyst/2026_JustTellJo/2026-10-27_JtJ_AIinWorkflows/AdobeStock_1955784481.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.cadalyst.com/just-tell-jo/letting-ai-into-your-cad-and-engineering-workflow", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.cadalyst.com/hubfs/Editorial%20-%20Misc/cadalyst_logo.gif" }, "name" : "Longitude Media, LLC" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "FAQPage", "mainEntity" : [ { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The discussions reviewed for this column include working AI-assisted macros and attempts that remained unreliable. One CAD user reported saving hours on STL exports after several code revisions, although a coordinate-system issue still needed a workaround. Test generated code on copies and inspect the results before relying on it." }, "name" : "Can AI help write CAD macros?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Compare the complete AI-assisted process with your usual method. Include setup, prompting, troubleshooting, checking, formatting, and finishing work. Keep initial setup time separate from repeat use so you can judge both the first attempt and any later savings." }, "name" : "How can you tell whether AI saves time on engineering work?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Jo recommends keeping technical assessment and acceptance of the finished work under human control. AI suggestions can provide directions to investigate, but generated code, calculations, and report content still need checking. 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