What is drawing intelligence software for construction?
Drawing intelligence software reads a construction drawing set and turns it into a structured, searchable record of the project. Folio's Drawing Intelligence splits an uploaded set by sheet, classifies each sheet by discipline and CSI division, extracts the drawing notes into one library, answers questions about the set with a citation to the page where the answer appears, and tracks which sheets were superseded when a new version arrives.
It is the first step in Folio's workflow. The indexed set is what Scope Breakdown, Estimate, Bid Leveling and Risk Review work from.
THE OLD WAY
A 400 page set, read by one person, by hand.
A drawing set arrives as one PDF or a folder of them. Someone opens it, scrolls to find the sheet index, and starts reading. General notes live on one sheet, keynotes on another, and the detail that changes the scope is on sheet A-512.
When a question comes up, the answer is somewhere in the set. Finding it means paging through again. When a revised set arrives, the team compares file names and dates and hopes nothing was missed.
Folio reads the set once and keeps it organized, so the people pricing the work spend their time on judgment instead of searching.
WHAT FOLIO DOES
One upload. A set you can search, question and track.
Split and index by sheet, discipline and CSI division
Folio separates the upload into individual sheets and classifies each one by discipline and CSI division, so the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical sheets are grouped and findable.
Why it matters: The team can go straight to the sheets that matter for a trade instead of scrolling the whole set.
Drawing notes library
General notes, keynotes and sheet notes are extracted into one library, each tied back to the sheet it came from.
Why it matters: Notes are where scope hides. Having them in one place makes them readable, and later searchable from Scope Breakdown and Risk Review.
Questions answered with page level citations
Ask a question about the set in plain language. Folio answers from the documents and cites the page, so you can open the sheet and verify it. Superseded sheets are tracked when a new version of the set is uploaded.
Why it matters: An answer you can check is one you can act on. A citation is what makes the answer trustworthy.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Built for the people who do this work.
The Senior Estimator
Owns the number and needs the full set understood before pricing starts. Uses the indexed set and notes library to see the whole project before opening Scope Breakdown.
The Precon Manager
Runs several pursuits at once. Uses questions with citations to resolve the detail a sub or a PM is asking about without rereading the set.
The Developer or Owner's Representative
Receives design sets from the architect and proposals from contractors. Uses Drawing Intelligence to review the set and keep track of which version is current.
of GC capacity spent on bids they will not win
FMI Research
lower productivity growth in construction than other industries since 1964
McKinsey Global Institute
lost annually to poor preconstruction productivity
FMI 2023
FAQ
Common questions
Stop hunting through the set.
Upload a drawing set and ask it a question. We will show you the answer, with the page it came from.
Or email us at connect@joinfolio.ai