Sharing an active CAD file

Yes—during a Teams class, share the CAD application window or your desktop so students can watch the drawing update live from project creation through completion.

Present the CAD workflow

1. Open the CAD application and the project you will demonstrate.
2. Join or start the Teams meeting.
3. On the meeting toolbar, select Share content.
4. Choose:
   • Window to show only the CAD application. This is the safer option because other applications and notifications remain hidden.
   • Desktop if the lesson requires switching between CAD, File Explorer, reference material, or other applications. Everything visible on that monitor can be seen by students.
5. Work normally in the CAD application. Students will see the active window or desktop as it changes.
6. Select Stop presenting when the demonstration is finished.

These are the documented Teams for Education options for educators.^1^ Teams supports presenting an entire screen or an individual window from the desktop and web clients.^2^

Before sharing the desktop, close confidential files, email, and unrelated applications, and disable system notifications. If only the CAD program is needed, share its Window instead.

Viewing versus operating the CAD application

Ordinary screen sharing lets students view the live CAD session; it does not give each student an editable copy of the CAD file.

If a student needs to operate your CAD application temporarily:

• Use the Teams desktop client.
• While presenting, open the sharing toolbar and select Give control.
• Select the student.
• Revoke control when that part of the exercise is complete.

Both parties must use the Teams desktop client for control; control is not supported if either person is using Teams in a browser.^3^ Giving control allows the participant to interact with the shared computer, so use it only with trusted students and close anything they should not access.

This is different from simultaneous CAD-file collaboration: Teams screen sharing does not itself add multiuser editing capabilities to the CAD product. Whether several students can edit the same model depends on the CAD application and its collaboration or licensing features.

If Share or Give control is unavailable

Ask the school’s Teams administrator to check:

• Teams admin center → Meetings → Meeting policies → Content sharing
• Screen sharing mode must permit either Entire screen or Single application. If set to Not enabled, screen and application sharing are disabled.^4^
• Participants can give or request control must be enabled for remote control to appear. External students may also require External participants can give or request control; for external-access users, both organizations must allow it.^5^

A short test meeting with one student is advisable before class, particularly if the CAD model is visually complex or the lesson depends on remote control.

References

1. [Students](https://support.microsoft.com/teams/education/quick-start/present-and-share-content#present-files-and-share-apps)
2. Present content in Microsoft Teams meetings | Microsoft Support
3. Limits and specifications for Microsoft Teams
4. Manage meeting policies for content sharing
5. Manage who can present and request control in Teams meetings and events