“What’s neXt for 2D/3D CAD in DWG?” Graebert neXt is a free online event that explores this question every year, giving the CAD community insight into the technologies affecting the fast-changing software landscape.
This year, Graebert hosted its neXt event on June 3, showcasing the newest developments in CAD through feature demonstrations, executive commentary, and analysis from industry experts. Attendees — including CAD managers and users, engineers and developers, CAD newbies and CAD veterans — learned about the digital transformation of CAD through AI-driven tools, BIM automation, and cloud collaboration. Users of Graebert’s own ARES software products and of other CAD platforms, such as AutoCAD, saw how these technology trends are reshaping day-to-day workflows for CAD in DWG.
If you didn’t experience neXt 2026 on the event date, you missed out on a real-life customer story, detailed demonstrations of new product enhancements and workflows, and presentations by the founders of aec+tech and Architosh. But you’re in luck — you can still take advantage of the replay option to watch the entire two-hour event.
And if you’re short on time, you can pick and choose from our video gallery of individual feature demonstrations, keynote sessions, and more. You can even watch videos from last year’s event!
Access Graebert neXt 2026 content in the way that suits you best:
Use the links above to start watching now, or read on for an overview of what you can expect to see.
Graebert neXt 2026 Agenda
The event opens with a welcome from company founder and CEO Wilfried Graebert and CTO Robert Graebert. “Today, the CAD industry is evolving faster than ever,” said Robert Graebert. “AI, cloud, automation: the digital transformation is happening right now, and CAD is no exception. New technologies are creating major opportunities to improve productivity, collaboration, and creativity for CAD professionals around the world.”
Next, a customer success story introduces viewers to Takenaka Corporation, one of Japan’s largest construction companies, and its implementation of ARES software. Takenaka migrated nearly 10,000 users from AutoCAD to ARES.
A Top New Features session hosted by Chief Growth Officer Cedric Desbordes provides a look at exciting enhancements for:
- CAD on Windows, Mac, and Linux;
- Online CAD;
- AI and Automation;
- BIM-specific features; and
- Cloud-based collaboration.
With the overview format, viewers can quickly learn about the key new features in each area, and the value they have for streamlining workflows and improving collaboration.
Following this overview are four Deep Dive sessions, which examine particular areas of advancement in greater detail.
Deep Dive #1: ARES vs. AutoCAD. This session takes a closer look at CAD features in ARES software, including ARES Commander (CAD on Desktop) and ARES Kudo (Online CAD). This overview of capabilities, performance, and compatibility is designed to help viewers compare and evaluate modern alternatives. (For more about these new CAD features in ARES 2027, plus many more, visit the New Features page on the Graebert website.)
Deep Dive #2: AI for CAD in DWG & Online Automation. This session focuses on the ways that AI and automation are transforming design workflows and enabling new efficiencies in DWG-based environments. It features a five-minute expert review by architect Anthony Frausto-Robledo, the founder and editor-in-chief of Architosh. He outlines primary pain points in the CAD and BIM industries, then examines how Graebert is addressing each one with new functionalities.
(For more insights from Frausto-Robledo, visit the Architosh site to read his in-depth product review article, “ARES 2027 Deep Dive: AI, Automation and BIM-to-DWG Workflows.”)
Deep Dive #3: BIM-to-DWG Drawings Automation. Niknaz Aftahi, architect and CEO of aec+tech, kicks off this session, which explains a faster way to produce DWG drawings from Revit or IFC data and streamline collaboration between BIM and CAD workflows, including integration with Autodesk Forma.
Aftahi starts with a widespread problem with creating documentation from BIM models: it’s still very manual, making it very time-consuming. ARES software, however, can read the intelligence in BIM models, and as Aftahi explains, use it to create DWG plans, sections, and elevations, and add even the appropriate labels and dimensions — automatically. (Don’t miss Aftahi’s aec+tech article on this subject, “BIM Has the Intelligence. Why Is Revit Documentation Still Manual?”) She also touches on the exciting upcoming product ARES Neo, which automatically corrects documentation problems (such as missing labels) inside the Revit workflow.
Deep Dive #4: Modern CAD in DWG with Cloud-based Collaboration. Last but not least, the fourth Deep Dive session explores Digital Transformation for DWG-based CAD workflows. The ARES Trinity of CAD software comprises three solutions — ARES Commander, ARES Kudo, and ARES Touch — that are interconnected with each other, enabling unique collaboration features. Viewers can explore how the convergence of desktop, cloud, and mobile solutions enables real-time collaboration and secure access to CAD data anywhere.
Try the New Features for Yourself
Visit the New Features page on the Graebert website to learn more about these features, plus many more. To try the new features showcased in neXt 2026 for yourself, simply create your free Graebert account and start your free 30-day trial today.