HiCAD / ISD Group Software & Support USA
Steel and facade projects fall apart in the gaps – between design and detailing, between detailing and the shop floor. That’s usually where the extra software licenses live too. ISD Group closes those gaps with one connected platform, and for firms running HiCAD software USA-wide, that means fewer exports, fewer re-checks, and one less thing to babysit before a deadline.
Why HiCAD Is Different From “Just Another CAD Tool”
Most CAD programs are general-purpose. HiCAD isn’t – it was built around the way steel and facade engineers actually work. Sketch in 2D, build in 3D, and switch back without losing anything along the way. Production documents and bills of materials pull straight from the model itself, so there’s no separate spreadsheet to maintain and no risk of the drawing saying one thing while the BOM says another.
It also plays well with what you’re already running. IFC, STEP, DXF, DWG – HiCAD reads and writes the formats your BIM and manufacturing teams expect, so nobody’s stuck converting files by hand at 6pm on a Friday.
A quick rundown of what’s under the hood:
- Full 2D/3D continuity – no re-modeling every time a drawing changes
- Automatic BOM and production document generation straight from the design file
- NC data and laser-cutting output ready to send to the floor
- FARO scanner integration for measurement work that needs to be exact, not approximate
Clients who’ve made the switch and who lean on ISD Group support early in the process – tend to say the same thing: fewer planning errors, and a lot less friction handing a job from design over to production.
The Support Side – Where Most Software Falls Short
Here’s the honest truth about enterprise software: the tool is only as good as the people behind it. A license with no one answering the phone isn’t much of a deal. Working with ISD Group directly means you’re not filing a ticket and waiting – you’re talking to someone who actually knows the product.
What that looks like in practice:
- Hands-on onboarding, not a PDF and a login
- Real technical support when something’s not rendering or exporting right
- Help wiring HiCAD into whatever PDM or BIM setup you’re already running
- Release notes and updates that don’t blindside your team mid-project
That’s the piece a lot of clients bring up unprompted – that ISD Group support actually responds, and doesn’t treat a mid-project bug like a low-priority ticket. Based in Cornelius, North Carolina, the team works with construction and manufacturing firms nationwide, and for a lot of them, it’s the responsiveness – not just the software – that keeps them from shopping around.
If your current process still means bouncing a file between three programs before it’s production-ready, it’s worth a look. A short consultation is usually enough to tell whether HiCAD software is the right fit for a USA-based team like yours, and the ISD Group team can walk through onboarding before you sign anything.
FAQs
Does HiCAD work for both steel and facade projects, or is it built for one or the other?
Both. It has dedicated tooling for structural steel detailing and for facade work – glass, metal, rear-ventilated systems – inside the same platform.
Do I still need separate software to produce shop drawings and BOMs?
No. They generate directly from the HiCAD model, so there’s nothing to duplicate or reconcile by hand.
What’s actually included once we’re set up?
Onboarding, training, and ongoing technical support are standard. You can also book a free consultation to see the software and the support process before committing to anything.
