Supported Formats
Design IQ supports common document formats used in engineering and design work.Primary Formats
Portable Document Format - recommended for best results
Excel
Spreadsheets for calculations and data
Word
Specifications and text documents
PDF Documents
PDFs are the preferred format for Design IQ. They work well for:- Design drawings
- Specifications
- Reports
- Reference standards
- Building codes
PDF Best Practices
Text-searchable PDFs - Ensure PDFs contain selectable text, not just images
Native PDFs - Export PDFs directly from design software when possible (not scanned)
OCR for scans - If you must use scanned documents, apply OCR (Optical Character Recognition) first
Reasonable file sizes - Compress large PDFs while maintaining quality
Excel Documents
Excel files are useful for:- Calculation sheets
- Data tables
- Load schedules
- Equipment lists
Word Documents
Word files work well for:- Specification sections
- Technical narratives
- Design reports
- Meeting notes
Image Files
While PDFs are preferred, some image formats may be supported:- PNG
- JPG/JPEG
Image files should be high resolution and clear for best AI analysis. PDFs containing images are generally preferred over standalone image files.
Unsupported Formats
The following formats are typically not supported:- CAD files (.dwg, .dxf, .rvt) - Export to PDF instead
- 3D models - Export sections or views to PDF
- Proprietary formats specific to certain software
- Compressed archives (.zip, .rar) - Extract and upload files individually
File Naming Conventions
Good file naming helps with organization and retrieval:Recommended Naming
Examples
BLDGA_STRUCT_Drawings_R2.pdfCAMPUS_MEP_Specifications_Final.pdfBRIDGE_CALC_LoadAnalysis_v3.xlsx
Avoid
- Generic names like
Document1.pdf - Special characters that might cause issues (`, *, :, etc.)
- Extremely long filenames
File Size Considerations
Optimal Sizes
- Individual files: Under 50 MB for best performance
- Very large files may take longer to process
Large File Handling
If you have large files:- Consider splitting into logical sections
- Compress PDFs while maintaining quality
- Remove unnecessary embedded content
- Contact support for guidance on very large uploads
Format Recommendations by Document Type
| Document Type | Recommended Format | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Drawings | PDF (from CAD) | - |
| Specifications | PDF or Word | - |
| Calculations | Excel or PDF | - |
| Reports | Word | |
| Standards | - | |
| Photos/Images | PDF with images | PNG/JPG |
Next Steps
Upload Documents
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