Structural Drafting Completed on the NSW Central Coast
Sydney projects move fast. Whether it’s a façade upgrade, structural strengthening, or new plant installed into an existing building, designers are constantly fighting one problem — knowing what is really on site.
Traditional site measurement is slow, disruptive, and often incomplete. Modern 3D laser scanning in Sydney captures the entire structure in millimetre detail, and that data can be turned directly into professional structural drafting on the NSW Central Coast by the Hamilton By Design team.
Capture in Sydney – Drafting on the Central Coast
Our workflow is simple and effective:
3D scan the Sydney site – building, structure, or plant
Process the data into an accurate point cloud
Structural drafting completed on the Central Coast
Issue drawings for engineers, fabricators, and builders
This approach removes re-measurement, reduces site visits, and allows the drafting work to be completed in a focused engineering environment on the Coast while the project continues in Sydney.
Why 3D Scanning Changes Structural Drafting
For structural projects such as:
steel strengthening to existing buildings
new mezzanines and platforms
façade replacements
plant upgrades and tie-ins
heritage structures
a point cloud becomes the single source of truth. Every beam, slab, column and service is captured exactly as it exists.
This means our Central Coast drafting team can:
model new steel to suit real conditions
detail connections without guesswork
check clashes before fabrication
produce accurate shop drawings
support engineers with as-built geometry
The need for a traditional “drafting checker” is greatly reduced because the scan itself validates the geometry.
Deliverables for Sydney Projects
From a single scan we can provide:
Structural GA drawings
Steel fabrication drawings
2D plans, sections and elevations
Revit / Tekla models
DXF, STEP or Parasolid files
Clash and constructability reviews
Engineers receive information they can design from; fabricators receive drawings they can build from.
Ideal Projects
3D scanning and Central Coast drafting is suited to:
Commercial building upgrades in Sydney CBD
Industrial sites in Western Sydney
Warehouse modifications
Aged structures with poor drawings
Fast-track fit-outs
Insurance and remediation works
Local Drafting – Sydney Accuracy
Having the drafting completed on the NSW Central Coast gives you:
direct access to experienced structural detailers
fast turnaround without Sydney overheads
close collaboration with your engineer
practical fabrication knowledge
We capture in Sydney, but the thinking, modelling and detailing happens here on the Coast.
Talk to Our Team
If you have a Sydney project that needs accurate as-built information and professional structural drafting, we can help from scan to finished drawings.
Hamilton By Design – Structural Drafting Central Coast
SolidWorks Designers Lean on LiDAR and 3D Scanning to Deliver Fit-First-Time Designs
“Fit first time, every time” isn’t a marketing line — it’s a hard requirement in modern engineering, fabrication, and construction.
Across industrial, construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects, the cost of getting it wrong is high. A fabricated frame that misses anchor bolts by 10 mm, a pipe spool that won’t align with an existing flange, or a platform that clashes with services can quickly turn a planned installation into reactive site work, re-fabrication, and schedule overruns.
For SolidWorks designers, most of these failures don’t come from poor CAD modelling. They come from poor inputs: outdated drawings, undocumented modifications, inconsistent datums, and site measurements taken under time or access constraints.
That’s why more design teams are leaning on LiDAR scanners and engineering-grade 3D scanning. Not for visualisation alone, but to capture measurable, reliable site truth that can be trusted during design, detailing, fabrication, and installation.
Hamilton By Design’s Melbourne scanning workflows demonstrate this clearly — scanning is treated as an engineering input, not a surveying afterthought, enabling SolidWorks models that install as intended the first time.
Melbourne supports some of Australia’s most complex engineering environments:
large-scale construction and commercial developments
advanced manufacturing and precision fabrication
industrial plant upgrades and brownfield retrofits
transport, infrastructure, and services coordination
tight access sites with dense service corridors
In these environments, assumptions compound quickly. Services are layered, structures evolve over time, and legacy assets rarely match original drawings. A SolidWorks model built on uncertain geometry may look correct on screen — but fail the moment steel hits site.
Hamilton By Design’s Melbourne scanning pages highlight a simple reality: design certainty starts with measurement certainty.
Most engineers and fabricators have lived this scenario:
the drawing says a beam is square — it’s not
the pipe route has shifted over years of modifications
cable trays and services were added without updates
anchor bolts are not where the plan shows them
In brownfield and retrofit work, drawings often represent design intent, not installed reality.
LiDAR-based 3D scanning replaces assumption with fact. A point cloud captures the real geometry — not just key dimensions, but the spatial relationship between everything on site. When that data is collected and processed with engineering intent, it becomes a powerful foundation for SolidWorks-based design.
What “engineering-grade” 3D scanning actually means
Not all scanning is suitable for design.
A visually impressive scan can still be dangerous if:
registration accuracy isn’t controlled
datums aren’t defined
critical interfaces aren’t captured with enough density
deliverables aren’t suited to CAD and fabrication workflows
Engineering-grade scanning focuses on what must be correct for the design to fit:
tie-in points
mounting faces
clearances and envelopes
access and maintenance zones
Hamilton By Design positions its Melbourne scanning services around this principle — scanning planned around design outcomes, not just data capture.
How SolidWorks designers use scan data in practice
1. Design-in-context (the biggest value driver)
With a point cloud loaded into the design environment, SolidWorks designers can model new components directly against the as-built site. This is particularly valuable for:
platforms and walkways
structural steel additions
equipment skids and frames
guards and safety structures
supports and brackets
Instead of designing to an abstract drawing, designers work against real geometry — reducing clashes and misalignment.
2. Clash avoidance before fabrication
Clashes rarely appear in isolation. A handrail that clashes with a cable tray may force changes to adjacent steel, services, and access paths. Each late discovery multiplies rework.
Scanning allows designers to:
identify clashes early
adjust layouts while changes are cheap
coordinate across disciplines before steel is cut
Hamilton By Design’s Melbourne content consistently frames scanning as a coordination and risk-reduction tool — especially for complex construction and industrial sites.
3. Reverse engineering worn or undocumented assets
Many Melbourne projects involve assets that have been operating for decades. Wear, corrosion, and undocumented modifications mean original drawings are unreliable.
Scan-driven reverse engineering allows designers to:
Structural drafting plays a critical role in the success of construction, industrial, and infrastructure projects across the Central Coast. From steel platforms and frames to building upgrades and plant modifications, the quality of structural drafting directly impacts fabrication accuracy, installation efficiency, and on-site safety.
On the Central Coast, many projects are delivered in brownfield or retrofit environments, where existing structures have evolved over decades and documentation is often incomplete. This is where engineering-led 3D scanning has become a powerful tool — providing reliable as-built data that structural drafting can be confidently based on.
At Hamilton By Design, structural drafting on the Central Coast is underpinned by accurate 3D laser scanning, ensuring steel and structural elements fit first time, every time.
Why Structural Drafting on the Central Coast Is Different
Central Coast projects frequently involve:
upgrades to existing industrial facilities
building extensions and refurbishments
tight access constraints
interaction between new steel and existing structures
Relying on outdated drawings or manual measurements in these environments introduces unnecessary risk. Even small dimensional errors can lead to:
misaligned steelwork
clashes with services or equipment
site rework and delays
Structural drafting supported by 3D scanning removes this uncertainty by capturing what actually exists on site — not what drawings suggest exists.
Engineering-Led 3D Scanning for Structural Drafting
Hamilton By Design approaches 3D scanning as part of the engineering and drafting workflow, not as a standalone surveying exercise.
High-accuracy laser scanning is used to:
capture existing steel, concrete, and building geometry
verify column positions, levels, and plumb
locate penetrations, embeds, and interfaces
provide reliable reference geometry for drafting
This data becomes the foundation for structural drafting that reflects real site conditions.
Once site data is captured, the point cloud is interpreted by engineers and drafters who understand structural behaviour, constructability, and fabrication constraints.
Structural drafting is developed using:
verified as-built geometry
coordinated structural models
clear interfaces between new and existing steel
This process ensures drawings are fabrication-ready, reducing RFIs and preventing clashes before steel reaches the workshop.
Supporting Structural Steel Drafting with Accurate Site Data
One of the most common causes of steel rework is inaccurate assumptions about site conditions. On Central Coast projects, Hamilton By Design mitigates this risk by integrating 3D laser scanning directly into the drafting workflow.
This approach supports:
steel frames and platforms
mezzanines and access structures
building strengthening works
retrofit and brownfield upgrades
Drafting decisions are informed by real geometry, not estimates — improving both constructability and safety.
Hamilton By Design regularly supports Central Coast clients across industrial, commercial, and infrastructure sectors. Structural drafting services are tailored to local project conditions and often combine:
site scanning
structural modelling
coordination with mechanical and services layouts
fabrication-ready drawings
This integrated approach is particularly valuable where new steel must tie into existing buildings or plant structures.
Linking Structural Drafting with Mechanical & Building Services
Structural steel rarely stands alone. It supports mechanical equipment, pipework, conveyors, access platforms, and building services. By combining structural drafting, mechanical engineering, and scanning, Hamilton By Design ensures coordination across disciplines.
This reduces:
clashes between steel and services
late design changes
installation conflicts on site
Structural drafting becomes part of a coordinated engineering solution — not an isolated deliverable.
Structural drafting is only as good as the information it’s based on. On the Central Coast, where many projects involve existing buildings and infrastructure, engineering-led 3D scanning provides the clarity needed to draft with confidence.
By combining accurate site capture with practical engineering judgement, Hamilton By Design delivers structural drafting that works in the real world — reducing risk, improving buildability, and supporting successful project outcomes.
The history of Cad Software for the drawing board to where we are today
Computer-aided design CAD is the use of computers or workstations
to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD
software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the
quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to create
a database for manufacturing. CAD output is often in the form of electronic
files for print, machining, or other manufacturing operations. The term CADD for
Computer Aided Design and Drafting is also used.
Its use in designing electronic systems is known as electronic
design automation EDA. In mechanical design it is known as mechanical design
automation MDA or computer-aided drafting CAD, which includes the process of
creating a technical drawing with the use of computer software.
1.) Use the Large Assembly and Lightweight Modes for Assemblies/Drawings
Large assembly mode will automatically trigger some set of performance improving options based on a user defined component threshold. Lightweight components have improved opening, rebuild, and closing times. Primarily the graphical information and reference geometry are loaded into memory, but the features that define the part are not loaded into memory. These cannot be edited or shown in the feature manager design tree.
Resolved – Parts, Assemblies and Drawings: In resolved mode, all components are fully loaded in memory.
Quick view – Parts: It opens the part only for viewing. You can able to select the configuration, but not the display state. You can move, scale, or rotate the model, but you cannot make changes. If any changes needed means switch to edit mode by the right-click in the graphics area and select the Edit command.
Quick view – Drawings: It opens only a simplified representation of the drawing. For multi-sheet drawings, you can open one or more sheets in Quick view.
Lightweight – Assemblies, Drawings: Loads only a subset of model data into memory. The remaining model data loads on need basis. Opening in light weight mode improves the performance of assemblies and drawings.
Large Assembly Mode – Assemblies: It contains a collection of settings that improves the performance of large assemblies.
Large Design Review – Assemblies: It opens very large assemblies quickly, So whenever we need to open the entire assembly with all the components and measurements you do not need to open up the entire assembly through fully resolved mode.
Use SpeedPak - Available with assemblies in Resolved, Lightweight, or Large Assembly Mode While working with large, complex assemblies open a model using SpeedPak configurations to improve performance.
References - It shows a list of files which is referenced by the selected assembly or drawing. You can also edit the locations of the listed files.
2.) Creating Sub-Assemblies
Splitting our top- level assemblies into multiple sub-assemblies and encourages design teams to divide and conquer. Sub-assemblies are smaller and less compare to work with the top-level assemblies. This will also minimize top level mates and features which leads to faster solving. Wherever possible, minimize the use of flexible assemblies unless necessary.
3.) In Context Features
This is one of the great way for creating a part within our assembly. An assembly with many in context features is going to experience slower performance.
4.) Use SpeedPak Configurations
Only the mating faces or bodies that are required are loaded into memory. In this example, there is only three surfaces. The other features will just show graphical information and that is not selectable. This kind of practice helps us to improve our large assembly performance.
5.) Make Simple Configurations of Parts and Assemblies
Performance evaluation helps and suggests some possibilities to work faster with assemblies.Small details of parts such as fillets and chamfers should be suppressed for a simplified model. Just be sure that we maintain our important features that are used for mating and boundary surfaces. When only the appearance will be affected, we can use display states instead of configurations. This can work great when we want to hide all our hardware components.
6.) Use Patterns
The pattern allows repeating the selected features in a particular direction or shape based on your component placement with pattern driven commands. You can save your time five times fast. Instead of mates, we can use patterns for rebuilding number of instances.
7.) Limit the use of Helical Sweeps and Threads
In our simple bolt example, Thread feature will consume 87% of our rebuild time. Revolve thread feature will also consume 75% of our rebuild time.
8.) Save Files to the Latest Version
When working with files from an earlier version of SOLIDWORKS, they often take longer time to open and rebuild. So, while working with these files, it is recommended to save to the latest version. Use Task Scheduler for converting to latest versions.
9) System Options and Document Properties
SOLIDWORKS contains various performance options to handle large assemblies even faster. There is an option called verification on rebuild, with this option SOLIDWORKS checks every new or modified feature against all existing faces. When this is turned off, new and modified features will be checked against adjacent surfaces.
While handling Large Assemblies, ensure you have enabled the below options.
In Assembly settings, Points to Remember
Checkmark your system option > Assemblies > Do not rebuild when switching to assembly window.
Checkmark your system option > Performances > Level of detail (Less)
Checkmark your system option > Performances > automatically load components light weight.
Checkmark your system option > Performances > No preview during open (faster)
Set your system option > Performances >Rebuild assembly on load to “Prompt”.
Checkmark your system option > External References > Allow multiple context for part when editing in assembly.
Set your system option > External References documents to “Prompt”.
Set your Document Properties > Image quality > Shaded and draft quality (Low) & Wireframe High quality HLR/HLV Resolution (Low) for faster performances.
The performance options, under Document Properties image quality can have a large effect on our models. Higher quality images are going to take more time to process. When working with assemblies, the image quality can be set to a common resolution for each part by selecting “apply to all referenced part documents”.
10) Hardware and Software
Ensure our system specifications meet SOLIDWORKS minimum requirements. Always keep system updated with suitable graphics card and system drivers.
If you have any questions feel free to contact Hamilton By Design
Structural Detailing is the art of producing detailed drawings for steel fabricators / steel erectors so that fabrications go together first every time.
