Easily Share Large CAD Files with...

Designers, engineers, architects, and manufacturers need to share CAD files to get their jobs done — whether internally across teams, or externally with clients and supply chain partners. When it comes to proprietary designs, it’s vital to ensure those files are handled securely. With projects becoming increasingly complex and teams more distributed, finding the best way to share CAD files can make the difference between meeting deadlines and facing costly delays or IP data breaches. This post breaks down how Virtru Secure Share is revolutionizing the way professionals exchange large CAD files while maintaining the highest security standards.

The Challenge of Large CAD Files

Anyone who works with Computer-Aided Design knows the struggle: CAD files can be massive. Whether you’re working with AutoCAD, SOLIDWORKS, Revit, or other 3D modeling software, these detailed files can quickly reach sizes that make traditional file sharing methods impractical. When you need to share CAD files quickly with clients, contractors, or colleagues, email attachments and consumer-grade file sharing solutions simply don’t cut it.

The challenges multiply when you consider:

  • File size limitations on most platforms

  • Security concerns when sharing proprietary designs

  • Compliance requirements in regulated industries (such as ITAR and CMMC)

  • Version control issues

  • Access management for multiple stakeholders across organizations and domains

Introducing Virtru Secure Share: Easy CAD File Share for Professionals

Virtru Secure Share addresses these pain points by offering a secure, efficient platform specifically designed to handle large files up to 15GB. This capacity makes it ideal for even the most complex 3D CAD files, allowing design professionals to share CAD files without compression or quality loss — and, importantly, without sacrificing security or control over the information in that file.

Here’s a quick overview of how Virtru Secure Share works. It’s also worth noting that you can use it in any browser, or use one of our Secure Share integrations directly within Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft SharePoint, or Zendesk. 

Why Professionals Choose Virtru for CAD File Sharing

1. Architectural Firms: Sharing Building Information Models with Clients and Contractors

Architects regularly need to share CAD files with contractors, engineers, and clients. These detailed building information models (BIM) can reach sizes of 10GB or more, especially when they include detailed textures and mechanical systems. Virtru Secure Share allows architects to securely transmit complete models without the need to split files or reduce quality.

2. Manufacturing and Engineering: Quickly Relaying Product Details Across the Supply Chain

When designing complex parts and systems, engineers need to share CAD files quickly with suppliers and manufacturing partners. Secure Share enables them to transmit precise specifications while protecting intellectual property with powerful encryption and granular access controls.

3. Product Design Collaboration: Keeping Product Information and Intellectual Property Confidential

Product designers working with external clients need a secure way to share iterations of designs that may contain proprietary information. With Virtru, they can securely facilitate AutoCAD shared files and other formats while maintaining control over who can access the designs and for how long. This is especially valuable for short-term projects where access is not necessary for more than a few weeks. 

4. Construction Projects: Keeping Builds On Schedule

Construction managers juggling multiple subcontractors need to distribute updated blueprints and models quickly. Virtru’s platform makes it simple to ensure everyone has access to the most current versions while preventing unauthorized access.

Real-World Success: 3 Examples of How Companies Use Virtru for CAD Sharing

Virtru Secure Share is used by our customers in many different ways, but here are a few recent examples: 

CMMC Compliant CAD File Sharing as a Microsoft GCC High Alternative

One customer in the defense industrial base (DIB) recently approached Virtru, as they were looking for a Microsoft GCC High alternative, which was prohibitively expensive. “One of the use cases we have is big assembly part files that are built in SOLIDWORKS, so they can get fairly big,” their IT manager noted. With Virtru Secure Share, they can facilitate encrypted CUI file exchange in a browser or via Secure Share for Microsoft OneDrive without blowing their budget as they pursue CMMC compliance.

Automatically Reminding Employees to Encrypt File Attachments

If you have team members who are frequent collaborators with external partners or contractors,  you can leverage Virtru Secure Share in conjunction with Virtru for Email (Google Gmail or Microsoft Outlook) for secure collaboration across business workflows.

One simple way that customers use is setting a rule to warn the user any time they are about to send an email with an attachment or a particular keyword (like “proprietary” or “CUI”). This way, the user gives a second thought to the files they’re sharing, and can either share securely via email (if within the file size limits) or via Secure Share for large files. Both experiences create the same recipient workflow and provide the same security controls. 

Virtru Email Warning Feature

Replace Legacy or Home-Grown SFTP Solutions with Easy-to-Use Large File Transfer

Many IT teams have either inherited clunky, legacy SFTP solutions or built their own in house to solve the problem of sharing large files, which can be cumbersome for everyone involved: IT teams then need to maintain and support that environment, and users and recipients may be required to create new accounts and passwords to exchange files. IT then may need to support things like password resets and sharing issues. With Virtru Secure Share, you can retire legacy SFTP solutions in favor of a simple solution that requires minimal support from IT. 

How to Share CAD Files Using Virtru Secure Share

Sharing your large CAD files with Virtru Secure Share is remarkably simple, and it can be done in any browser. 

  1. Upload your CAD file: Simply drag and drop your CAD file into Virtru Secure Share’s intuitive interface. The platform supports files up to 15GB, accommodating even the most detailed 3D models.

  2. Set security controls, if desired: Virtru Secure Share encrypts your file upon upload, but you also have the option to select additional controls. Determine which individuals can access your file, set expiration dates, and add watermarks or disable downloads for sensitive designs.

  3. Share quickly and securely: Virtru Secure Share will instantly send a secure link to your recipients via email. They can access the files through a secure browser-based viewer without needing to create any new accounts. They simply authenticate using their existing credentials.

  4. Monitor access: Track who has viewed your files and revoke access at any time if needed.

Why Virtru is the Best Way to Share CAD Files

When evaluating how to share CAD files securely, professionals choose Virtru Secure Share for several key reasons:

  • Enterprise-grade security and regulatory compliance: Military-grade encryption protects your intellectual property and proprietary designs. Use Virtru Secure Share in conjunction with the Virtru Private Keystore for full control over your private encryption keys to support compliance with advanced requirements like ITAR (or other data residency requirements) and CMMC (for DoD contractors).

  • Large file sharing: Share files up to 15GB without loss of quality.

  • No software or new accounts required for recipients: Users can view files directly in their browser, using the accounts they already have. There is no need to create any new passwords or logins with Virtru.

  • Granular access controls: Don’t let your CAD files sit in a recipient’s email inbox or a shared drive forever. With Virtru Secure Share, you can decide how long the file needs to be accessed by the recipient. Set expiration dates, revoke access, and restrict whether files can be downloaded locally.

  • Version control: Ensure everyone is working from the most current files by restricting access of outdated versions. 

Start Sharing Your CAD Files Quickly and Securely

If you’re looking for the best way to share CAD files that combines security, ease of use, and support for large file sizes, Virtru Secure Share may be the solution you’ve been waiting for. Whether you’re sharing AutoCAD drawings, SOLIDWORKS assemblies, or complex 3D renderings, our platform ensures your valuable intellectual property remains protected while enabling seamless collaboration.

Ready to transform how you collaborate on CAD projects? Contact us today to learn more about how Virtru Secure Share can address your specific needs for secure, efficient file sharing.