Today we are joined by Henry Santos, CAD Designer of Bright Event Rentals, to explore the importance of visual representation.

Here at Bright, Vectorworks is our primary graphic production software and falls under the software category of C.A.D. (Computer Aided Design). As an industry standard platform for many specialties in the event industry, Vectorworks provides powerful tools to create event diagrams and visualization, along with other forms of graphic documentation.

The vast majority of the industry relies on basic line drawings of event layouts. At Bright, we pride ourselves in adding color, shading and materiality to our graphics. The most important characteristic of our diagrams, though, is accuracy. Clients and designers can know the exact quantities and placement of furniture and other items. The PDF becomes a valuable tool for event design.

CAD is not a requirement for all events, but we try to provide this service when a specific event lacks a usable diagram from the client or if it is a complex/complicated installation. Bright typically includes CAD in our overall services, so we can use Vectorworks on any event. We also create 3D rendered images of our furniture. 

If a new venue does not have an existing CAD template from which to start, the Event Director (ED) or Event Coordinator (EC) will request a site visit from a CAD Designer. We then measure and document the actual venue and draft out a 2D representation in plan view. If a site visit is not required, we will use accurate drawings from clients or scaled satellite imagery as a backdrop. With a blank CAD template, the ED, EC or client will sketch and notate the proposed layout. This is then taken by CAD Designer and drawn to a specific CAD Event Diagram in Vectorworks and exported as a PDF file. The resultant PDF is then sent back to the originator for review which may return to the CAD department for revision until a final version is completed.

The most rewarding outcome of using CAD in our graphic production process is the level of professionalism we can provide our clients, industry partners & Bright team members. Our increased speed and accuracy in visual representation helps streamline the entire process from conceptualization to installation.