From the file on your screen to the hours on your timesheet
CADHours sees which file you are working on in Inventor or AutoCAD, finds its job from the folder it is saved in, and adds the time to that job.
The job comes from the folder
Save your work in a project folder named like TS487 - Test Station and its time goes to TS487 - however deep the file sits. Inventor models and AutoCAD drawings work the same way.
Folders organised differently? Set them up once in Settings, with a button that tests it on the file you have open.
This can be the trickiest part, because it depends on how your company numbers jobs and organises its folders. If you are struggling to work out the right setup,email us and we will help where we can.
What counts, and what does not
Only the file you are working in counts. Files left open in the background add no time.
| When | The time goes to |
|---|---|
| You work on a file in Inventor or AutoCAD | That file's job |
| A meeting or call is being timed | The meeting |
| A meeting was left running, then corrected to end earlier | The CAD time after the real stop counts again |
| Lunch | Not counted |
| The PC is asleep, or no CAD program is open | Nothing |
Meetings win over CAD time
While a meeting is timed, CAD time is not counted - nothing counts twice.
Lunch is not work
Files left open while you eat are not counted. Worked through? One click.
Your recording is kept
Tidy up the day summary as you like, and add a short comment on what changed. What was recorded is always there to go back to - and Backup and restore keeps a copy.
Want the details?
The videos show each step on screen, and the Help guide covers every setting. Or try it on your own jobs - the beta is free until 1 December 2026.