CAD glossary.
The design office runs on acronyms. Here are the fifteen CAD terms you’ll meet most — tap any to see what it means. Reading at least five will unlock your stamp.
CAD
Computer-Aided Design - designing and drawing on a computer instead of by hand.
DWG / DXF
The common file formats used for 2D CAD drawings.
BIM
Building Information Modelling - a smart 3D model holding data about every part of a building.
Scale
The ratio between the drawing and real life, for example 1:50.
Layer
A named level in a drawing used to group elements so they can be shown or hidden.
Line type
The style of a line - solid, dashed, dotted - where each style carries a meaning.
Elevation
A straight-on view of one face of a building.
Section
A cut-through view showing what's inside a wall, floor or building.
Plan view
The view looking straight down from above.
Title block
The boxed panel on every sheet listing drawing number, scale, date, author and revision.
Revision (Rev)
A tracked change to a drawing. The rev letter or number tells you which version you're on.
M&E
Mechanical & Electrical services - heating, ventilation, power, lighting and more.
MEP
Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing.
Rendering
Turning a 3D model into a realistic image.
Snap
A CAD tool that makes the cursor lock onto exact points so drawings stay accurate.
Got the lay of the land?
Expand at least five terms to enable Mark complete — you don’t need to memorise them all now. This stays here as a reference, so come back whenever an acronym shows up on site that you don’t recognise.
Five expanded — you’re good to go.