Send CAD and 3D files without breaking references

Why CAD and 3D files are hard to send

The problem is rarely one file. A drawing references other drawings, a model loads external textures, an assembly needs every part file, and a building model links to consultants’ models. Send the main file alone and it opens with missing references, pink textures or empty assemblies. And the files are heavy: BIM models routinely reach hundreds of megabytes, scanned point clouds tens of gigabytes, and a single 8K texture is 268 MB of raw pixel data (8,192 × 8,192 × 4 bytes) before compression.

How to send CAD and 3D files with Transfr

1. 1

   Step 1

   Bundle the project in your software

   Use the built-in packaging tool: eTransmit in AutoCAD, Pack and Go in SolidWorks, File › External Data › Pack Resources in Blender, or Collect/Archive in most 3D apps. It gathers references into one folder with relative paths.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Add viewable exports

   Browsers cannot display DWG, RVT or 3D models. Add PDF sheets and a few rendered images so reviewers can look without the software.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Drop the folder on Transfr

   Open Transfr and add it, up to 100 GB per transfer. The folder tree is kept, so relative paths still resolve on the other side.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Protect and share

   Add a password and an expiry, then send the link or email it to up to 10 people: contractor, consultant, printer, client.

Send native files, neutral formats, or both?

When in doubt, send all three in one transfer, in clearly named subfolders (01-Native, 02-IFC, 03-PDF). Size is not the constraint with a 100 GB link, and the recipient picks what they need. Mention the software and version you saved from in the transfer message: a DWG or RVT saved in a newer release may not open in an older one.

Files for 3D printing

Print services usually ask for STL or 3MF. A finely tessellated STL of a detailed sculpt can weigh hundreds of megabytes, far beyond what an upload form on a small print shop’s website or an email will take. Export at the resolution the printer needs, check units (millimetres or inches) in the file name, and send the files with a short note on material and quantity. If the print shop has a Transfr file request link, you can upload straight to it.

Review drawings online, then download

On the download page, PDF sheets and rendered images open in the browser. With comments turned on, a client or site manager can pin a note to a specific page of the drawing set, or to a point on a render: “door swing wrong here”, “check this clearance”. You receive an email for each comment. Teams that only need to look never have to download the heavy models.

Protecting designs and intellectual property

Models and drawings are often a firm’s most valuable work. A public cloud folder shared months ago is a common leak. For each transfer you can:

With Transfr Pro, download tracking shows when the contractor actually downloaded the issued set. More in secure file transfer.

Upload times for big models and scans

A 5 GB BIM package takes about 13 minutes at 50 Mbps of upload; a 60 GB point cloud about 2 hours 40 minutes at the same speed, or 8 minutes on gigabit fibre. Uploads run in parallel parts and resume after a network drop. See sending 50 GB and sending 100 GB for long-upload tips.

For architects, engineers and studios

Architecture practices send plan sets to contractors and receive surveys back; product designers exchange STEP files with manufacturers; 3D artists deliver scenes to studios. The workflow for practices is detailed in file transfer for architects. To receive models from consultants without asking them to sign up, use a file request link. For drawings exported as PDF, see sending a large PDF.