iPhone app enables CAD on the go

For architects, engineers, surveyors and others who depend on computer-aided design, working remotely typically means gathering data offsite by hand and then bringing it back to the office for input and use with the CAD software installed there. SitePAD is a new iPhone app that aims to change all that by allowing users to create, manage and exchange CAD files on the go. Launched in March by UK-based Fresh Design Base, SitePAD bills itself as the first truly mobile CAD solution. Rather than having to re-draw hand sketches back at the office, for example, users can employ SitePAD offsite to capture information in a format that integrates directly into their desktop solution. Capabilities included in Release 1 of the software are line, arc, polyline, circle, rectangle, freehand, move, copy, rotate, mirror, offset, trim, extend, group, ungroup, snaps, orthos, numeric input, pan and zoom, among others, with many more coming soon. When accompanied by a SitePAD online account, meanwhile, users don’t even have to wait to get back to the office themselves; rather, they can send their drawings ahead as soon as they’ve finished them, allowing colleagues to begin work on them instantaneously. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, SitePAD is priced at GBP 5.99 in the iTunes store. An online account ranges from GBP 7 to GBP 15 per month, depending on requirements, according to an interview on eggtea.com, but Fresh Design Base is currently offering a free 30-day trial. For all those in design professions, this could be one to try out. For all others: how could you bring some new mobility to professionals in the industry closest to *your* heart…? (Related: iPad app delivers real-time trend forecasts.) Spotted by: Liv Slack