It is undeniable that the professional AudioVisual (AV) industry is one of the most prominent and ever-evolving sectors within the general Engineering industry across its constituents. Today, it is a multi-billion-dollar industry comprising a complex hierarchy of participants across the chain not limited to manufacturers, dealers, systems integrators, design consultants, engineers, programmers, sales consultants, presentations professionals and various specialist purveyors of audiovisual products and services.

Following its humble beginnings, the AV industry in contrast today is the primary provider of technological solutions for sound, lighting, video, digital display and projection systems, control/automation systems and IP-based networking and interfacing solutions. Where AV systems were once possibly regarded a luxury commodity - and only taken seriously by the few who acknowledged its potential - its relevance today however is irrefutable. 

The application of AV systems present day are vital to the day-to-day operations of most social, government and educational institutions. AV systems can be found in collaborative audio/video conferencing presentation rooms, auditoriums, university lecture halls, command and control centers, corporate boardrooms, digital signage, prison systems, hospitals and healthcare facilities, training centers... the list goes on and on. Put simply, it is an indispensable proponent of modern day communication, interaction and inter-connection.

Enter CAD. 

The utilization of CAD drafting for AV system design - although now beginning to play a more fortified role in the design process for many companies - is still a fairly new concept if observed over a larger spectrum of the AV industry lifespan. 

Having worked myself in the Australian AV industry for close to 9 years, it was interesting to observe that the practice of CAD there is essentially a standard requirement amongst the majority of its AV integrators and consultants. In fact, generally speaking, it would be considered unusual if a selected company did not allocate resources towards the production of shop drawings for its proposed AV designs. 

However, the point here is not to pinpoint the division between adopters and rejectors of CAD designs for AV integration. Rather, it is about moving towards the cultivation of a Standard across the industry - irregardless of company status or size.

It is interesting to observe the differing views and stances adopted by respective AV companies towards CAD integration. For example, there is a fair percentage currently that regard CAD as an integral component of their design workflow processes - and it's encouraging to see the numbers in this group are growing. These are usually the larger or long-running players in the industry that typically possess the resources and pressing requirement - due to the complex nature and size of their typical projects - to appoint an exclusive, full-fledged in-house CAD design team, or alternatively, outsource the design work to external service providers (like us). 

Smaller to mid-sized companies on the other hand, appear to be a mixed bag. Some adopt a
‘Purist’ approach (usually older veterans in the field) and find CAD to be totally unnecessary, or even in some cases, a hindrance. This group prefers a more intuitive, ‘on-the-go’ approach to system design and configuration. Some others on the other hand see the inherent value of CAD and how it could be useful. However, they also find the shift towards a CAD-based design process to either be (mistakenly I might add) too costly, an added luxury or just simply not worth the time and trouble to explore, opting instead to stick with their existing process that they’re comfortable with. Why fix it if it's not broken?

And finally, the group I personally feel for the most are those who realise the inherent value of CAD and its long-term potential for improved business operations, growth and efficiency - but unfortunately, are unable to afford CAD support (in-house or external) due to tight operating budgets that are only sufficient for core internal business expenditures. This group is usually comprised of startups and/or businesses still within the early stages of expansion.

So the final questions for us to reflect upon are these: 

Is CAD necessary for AV system design and integration? 

If so, what are the potential benefits of its utilization for AV design? 

What types of CAD documentation specifically would be invaluable towards a typical AV design workflow?

We shall explore these areas further in our next post. Thank you for dropping by our page and stay tuned.

Warmest Wishes,
The LD CAD Lab Team