Best Software and Apps for Engineers

Usually, work related applications come in help even to those that are not obligated to use software in their daily tasks. In other words, a basic application can optimize the completion time of any simple task. The same as it happens in most other fields, technology made our work easier without stealing our jobs, as expected. Many things have been simplified, though, and our day-to-day work takes much less time and effort.
A computational science lecturer working for Harvard, David Knezevic talked about the importance of applications, as they “liberate engineers to do analysis on site”. The same guy also developed one of the best apps for performing simulations on smartphones.
All in all, there are many tools and plenty of software out there that one could use. However, to make our work even easier, we made a list including the most impressive 8 applications for engineers that we found on the app stores across platforms.

Evernote

Not surprising at all, the application is useful for students, business consultants, architects, journalists and many others, and particularly engineers. This is a great tool for you to capture any good idea that you might have at a certain time.
No matter where you are during the day, you can use your smartphone or tablet to write your thoughts down – in the same of a drawing, by taking a picture, shooting a video or even writing it down. By reviewing these ones at a later time, you will get your work done a lot faster.
You can also share ideas with your colleagues in the office. Get this app for free if you have an iOS or Android device, but don’t forget to take advantage of it on your Mac or PC, as well. This way, you can sink the data from the mobile device to the computer. Read about our comprehensive guide on Evernote to get the best out of it.

AutoCAD 360

Part of the apps released by Autodesk, this one allows engineers to see, edit and share their drawings using a mobile device. It is suitable for those having an iPhone or iPad, as well as those owning an Android device, and it only requires iOS 6.0 or Android 2.3.
The tool doesn’t only come in English, but also Russian, French, Japanese, Portuguese and plenty of other languages. Currently having been installed by over 5 million people from all over the world, this tool is probably the most often downloaded one from the CAD series.

GrabCAD

Continuing the list of CAD apps with another impressive free tool, you should take the time to explore GrabCAD. This one gives you access to the public library from GrabCAD, but it also lets users see and edit their private projects, as long as they have been saved onto the Workbench.
Its latest version can be downloaded from Google Play or the iTunes Store, and the only condition is to either have Android v2.3.3 or iOS 6.0. Being compatible with both iPhones and iPads, this is a great tool to work on while you are on the go. Find out more about it here!

SketchBook Mobile

Part of the “save your good ideas” category, SketchBook Mobile is an amazing app that has been specifically designed for architects and engineers. What you can do with it is limitless, but to put it shortly, the tool allows you to draw anything that you wish, make sketches and capture ideas to work on a little later.
As you can see in the video above, the interface is very easy to use, and it definitely doesn’t take long for anyone to get used to the way it works. It is a little cheaper than the Sketchbook Pro version while it is a little better than the free option (the Express one).
No need to worry, though, as the price is not as high as you may have expected. All you need to do is pay $1.99, and you can get this one on your iOS 6.0 or Android 2.2 device in just a few clicks. Apart from that, it also comes in many languages that include German, French, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese.

Engineering Unit Converter

When you work as an engineer, an important part of your job is calculating and converting from one unit to the other. If you are currently still doing this using a typical calculator, it is time to switch to the Engineering Unit Converter, as this one is especially adapter to the needs of engineers.
Although using the exact same name, there are two different aps available on the internet. One of them is made for Android 1.6/newer devices, and the other one is suited for iOS 7.0 tablets and phones. Both of them are free and include a lot of complex features that you can discover here. The only disadvantage is that the latter app can get a little annoying because of the many ads.

ForceEffect

If you like simulation, ForceEffect is one of the best applications that you could get on both iOS and Android platforms. It also comes with a Motion version – the first one lets you sketch or import a statistic model idea while the second one will also let you play with pistons, motors and many others.
Also launched by the famous Autodesk developers, both tools are free to download from the iTunes Store or from Google Play. The requirements are quite typical to many other apps for engineers – iOS 5.0 or Android version 2.2.

Mechanics Basics

Whether you are a student, a beginner in the field or an experienced professional who always wants to perfect him or herself, this app should always be part of your installed applications. Mechanics Basics costs $1.99, and is almost like a mechanics manual.
Including equations, laws and tablets, as well as plenty of other references that you will find useful in your day-to-day work, this tool can be installed on most Android devices, iPhones and iPads. You will need to have a device powered by version 1.5 in the case of Android or iOS 3.0, and you can take advantage of the data even when you are offline.

Bridge Basher

To end the list of impressive apps, Bridge Basher is not your typical tool that you can use for work purposes. However, it is certainly great for those engineers out there who are really passionate about their field of work.
If you simply cannot get away from engineering even when you are outside of the office, you could see this one as some sort of game. It allows you to build bridges and see their costs depending on the type of material you used, and then see what it takes to demolish it.
The tool makes things look pretty close to reality, and it is also available for Android and iOS devices, as well. All you will need in the first case is version 4.3 of this OS and $0.99 to download it while in the second situation, you can get it if you have version 2.2 of the operating system.