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Learning to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software may seem like a daunting task but it is a worthwhile investment of your time that will speed your progress on future maker projects you undertake.
== Selecting a CAD Package==
Learning to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is a worthwhile investment of your time that will speed your progress on future maker projects you undertake. While you can get quite far making parts on a laser cutter using illustration & design software such as [Adobe Illustrator], Corel Draw, or Inkscape, these soon fall short when designing more complex 2D and 2.5D designs and are of course, completely useless when designing 3D parts.  


There are many options when choosing a CAD package, so many that making a choice can be overwhelming. The software you would choose to do professional product design work would be very different than what you would select if you were a bicycle frame fabricator or cabinetmaker.


*Autodesk Fusion 360
For non-professional makers or even for professionals with small start-up businesses it's hard to beat Autodesk's Fusion 360. This is a full-featured parametric 3D CAD package with integrated CAM. Autodesk has a maker-friendly license agreement that effectively makes the software free for most people. Some makers were disappointed when Autodesk modified the Fusion 360 licensing terms in 2020, removing several high-end features. For now, educational users have full access to Fusion 360 features at no cost.
*Vectric Vcarve Pro
*DesignSpark
*SolveSpace


==Suggested CAD Packages==
===Best Bets===
*'''Autodesk Fusion 360''' - Currently the best bet for students and non-profesional makers. Autodesk offers favorable licensing terms for makers and is continuously improving the product. Fusion 360 includes powerful a CAM module giving an all-in-one package. Free-ish


*[https://www.vectric.com/products/vcarve-pro '''Vectric Vcarve Pro'''] - If you're only interested in designing 2D or 2.5D work, VCarve is worth a look. It combines CAD and CAM in a single easy-to-use package and is ideal for creating decorative signs with engraved lettering and other artistic features. It's expensive to buy outright but we have a makerspace license that allows you to install the software on your computer for free if you only cut parts using machines in our makerspace. Not Free.
**[https://carbide3d.com/carbidecreate/ Carbide Create] - If you like the user experience of Vcarve Pro but not the price tag you may want to take a look at Carbide Create which is free software that looks a bit like VCarve but with fewer features and at no cost.
*[http://solvespace.com/index.pl '''SolveSpace'''] - a free (GPLv3) parametric 3d CAD tool that runs on multiple platforms. Useful for modeling 3d & 2D parts to output to 3D Printers, Laser Cutters, or to other CAM software for use on a CNC router or mill. Mechanism design with constraint solver to simulate planar or spatial linkages, with pin, ball, or slide joints. Free.
*[https://www.tinkercad.com/ '''TinkerCAD'''] - Autodesk's easy-to-use CAD software targeted at kids but useful for many makers. Has several unique features including circuit design and simulation and scripting that allows you to automate drawings. Runs in browser. Free.
=== Other Options===
*[https://www.3dslash.net/index.php '''3D Slash '''] A completely different approach to 3D modeling. 3D Slash lets you carve your design like a stonecutter.
*[https://www.openscad.org/ '''OpenSCAD'''] - OpenSCAD is free software for creating solid 3D CAD models. It is available for Linux/UNIX, Windows and Mac OS X. OpenSCAD is not an interactive modeller. Instead it is something like a 3D-compiler that reads in a script file that describes the object and renders the 3D model from this script file. This gives you (the designer) full control over the modelling process and enables you to easily change any step in the modelling process or make designs that are defined by configurable parameters.
*[http://www.implicitcad.org '''ImplicitCAD'''] - Inspired by OpenSCAD, ImplicitCAD should appeal to CS students. Implemented in Haskell, ImplicitCAD extends OpenSCAD's scripting language to be a more genral purpose programming environment.
*[https://terpware.umd.edu/Windows/Title/3013 '''Other Autodesk Programs'''] AutoCAD, Inventor, Maya and other software products by Autodesk are available for free to UMD students and faculty so are well worth a look.
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DesignSpark_Mechanical '''DesignSpark Mechanical''' ] - Free 3D design software that simplifies creation of solid models. Windows only.
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeCAD '''FreeCAD'''] A free and open-source (under the LGPLv2+ license) general-purpose parametric 3D CAD modeler and a building information modeling (BIM) software with finite-element-method (FEM) support.[1] FreeCAD is intended for mechanical engineering product design but also expands to a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or electrical engineering.
==3D CAD Software==
Below is a listing of 3D Design Software Packages from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_3D_modeling_software)
Below is a listing of 3D Design Software Packages from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_3D_modeling_software)


{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Title || License || 3D rendering support
! Title || License || 3D rendering support
|-
|-
|3D-Coat || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D-Coat 3D-Coat] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|3D Slash || Freemium || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Slash 3D Slash] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium Freemium] || Yes
|-
|-
|3dvia|3DVIA Shape || Commercial software  || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3dvia#3DVIA_Shape 3DVIA Shape] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|AC3D || Nonfree|Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC3D AC3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Adobe Dimension || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Dimension Adobe Dimension] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Alibre Design || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibre_Design Alibre Design] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Amapi || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amapi Amapi] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Anim8or || Freeware || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anim8or Anim8or] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || Yes
|-
|-
|Animation:Master || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation:Master Animation:Master] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|ArchiCAD ||  Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArchiCAD ArchiCAD] ||  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Art of Illusion || free|GNU General Public License + || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_of_Illusion Art of Illusion] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License GNU General Public License] || Yes
|-
|-
|AutoCAD || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoCAD AutoCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|AutoQ3D Community || free|GNU General Public License#Version 2|GNU GPLv2 + || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoQ3D_Community AutoQ3D Community] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License#Version 2 GNU General Public License#Version 2] || Yes
|-
|-
|AutoQ3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoQ3D AutoQ3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Autodesk 3ds Max || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_3ds_Max Autodesk 3ds Max] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Autodesk Inventor || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Inventor Autodesk Inventor] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Autodesk Maya || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Maya Autodesk Maya] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Autodesk Mudbox || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Mudbox Autodesk Mudbox] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Autodesk Revit || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Revit Autodesk Revit] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Autodesk Softimage || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Softimage Autodesk Softimage] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Blender (software)|Blender || free|GNU General Public License#Version 2|GNU GPLv2+ || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blender (software) Blender] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License#Version 2 GNU General Public License#Version 2] || Yes
|-
|-
|BricsCAD || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BricsCAD BricsCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|BRL-CAD || GNU Lesser General Public License|GNU LGPL and BSD License|BSD || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRL-CAD BRL-CAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License GNU Lesser General Public License] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSD_License BSD License] || Yes
|-
|-
|Bryce (software)|Bryce || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryce#(software) Bryce] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|CATIA || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CATIA CATIA] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Carrara (software)|Carrara || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrara_(software) Carrara] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Cheetah3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah3D Cheetah3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Cinema 4D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_4D Cinema 4D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|CityEngine || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityEngine CityEngine] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Clara.io || Freemium || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara.io Clara.io] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium Freemium] || Yes
|-
|-
|DAZ Studio || Freeware || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAZ_Studio DAZ Studio] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || Yes
|-
|-
|DesignSpark Mechanical || Freemium || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DesignSpark_Mechanical DesignSpark Mechanical] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium Freemium] || No
|-
|-
|Electric Image Animation System || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Image_Animation_System Electric Image Animation System] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Exa Corporation || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exa_Corporation Exa Corporation] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Flux (software)|Flux || Freeware || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flux_(software) Flux] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || No
|-
|-
|Form-Z || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form-Z Form-Z] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|FreeCAD || GNU Lesser General Public License|GNU LGPL || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeCAD FreeCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License GNU Lesser General Public License] || Yes
|-
|-
|Geomodeller3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomodeller3D Geomodeller3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Hexagon (software)|Hexagon || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexagon_(software) Hexagon] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Houdini (software)|Houdini || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houdini_(software) Houdini] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Ironcad|IRONCAD || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironcad|IRONCAD IRONCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|KeyCreator || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KeyCreator KeyCreator] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|LightWave 3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LightWave_3D LightWave 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Makers Empire 3D || Freemium || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makers_Empire_3D Makers Empire 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium Freemium] || Yes
|-
|-
|MASSIVE (software)|MASSIVE || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MASSIVE_(software) MASSIVE] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Metasequoia (software)|Metasequoia || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasequoia_(software) Metasequoia] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|MikuMikuDance || Freeware || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MikuMikuDance MikuMikuDance] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || Yes
|-
|-
|Milkshape 3D || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkshape_3D Milkshape 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Modo (software)|Modo || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modo_(software) Modo] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Siemens NX|NX || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_NX  Siemens NX] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Onshape || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onshape Onshape] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Open CASCADE || GNU Lesser General Public License|GNU LGPL || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_CASCADE Open CASCADE] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License GNU Lesser General Public License] || Yes
|-
|-
|OpenSCAD || GNU General Public License|GNU GPL || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSCAD OpenSCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License GNU General Public License] || Yes
|-
|-
|Oculus Medium || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Medium Oculus Medium] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Poser || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poser Poser] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|PowerAnimator || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerAnimator PowerAnimator] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Promine|| Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promine Promine]|| [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Pro/ENGINEER || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro/ENGINEER Pro/ENGINEER] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Quake Army Knife || GNU General Public License|GNU GPL || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quake_Army_Knife Quake Army Knife] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License GNU General Public License] || Yes
|-
|-
|Realsoft 3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realsoft_3D Realsoft 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Remo 3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remo_3D Remo 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|RFEM || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFEM RFEM] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Rhinoceros 3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_3D Rhinoceros 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|ScanIP || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScanIP ScanIP] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Sculptris || Freeware || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculptris Sculptris] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || No
|-
|-
|Seamless3d || MIT || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamless3d Seamless3d] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT MIT] || No
|-
|-
|SelfCAD|SelfCad || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SelfCAD SelfCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Shade 3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shade_3D Shade 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|PunchCAD|SharkCAD || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PunchCAD SharkCAD PunchCAD SharkCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Silo (software)|Silo || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_(software) Silo] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Sketchup || Freemium || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sketchup Sketchup] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium Freemium] || Yes
|-
|-
|Solid Edge || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_Edge Solid Edge] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|solidThinking || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/solidThinking solidThinking] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|SolidWorks || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolidWorks SolidWorks] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|SpaceClaim || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceClaim SpaceClaim] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Strata 3D || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strata_3D Strata 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Sweet Home 3D || Freeware || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Home_3D Sweet Home 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || Yes
|-
|-
|Swift 3D || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift_3D Swift 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|Tekla Structures || Commercial software || No
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekla_Structures Tekla Structures] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || No
|-
|-
|TrueSpace || Freeware || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrueSpace TrueSpace] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || Yes
|-
|-
|Wings 3D || BSD License|BSD || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_3D Wings 3D] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSD_License BSD License] || Yes
|-
|-
|Wolfram Mathematica || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfram_Mathematica Wolfram Mathematica] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|PunchCAD|ViaCAD || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PunchCAD#ViaCAD PunchCAD ViaCAD] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|ZBrush || Commercial software || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZBrush ZBrush] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_software Commercial software] || Yes
|-
|-
|Zmodeler || Freeware || Yes
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zmodeler Zmodeler] || [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware Freeware] || Yes
|}
|}




 
==CAD Software Comparison==


A more comprehensive but also more confusing list of all Computer Aided Design Software from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_computer-aided_design_software)
A more comprehensive but also more confusing list of all Computer Aided Design Software from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_computer-aided_design_software)
Line 202: Line 219:
| Advance Concrete by Autodesk || April 29, 2016 / Version 2017 || 3D, CAE, CAM, concrete detailing || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, fr, pl, cs, ro || Yes || v2.x3 import and export || Yes || IFC, DXF, DWG || IFC, DXF, DWG || ? ||  
| Advance Concrete by Autodesk || April 29, 2016 / Version 2017 || 3D, CAE, CAM, concrete detailing || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, fr, pl, cs, ro || Yes || v2.x3 import and export || Yes || IFC, DXF, DWG || IFC, DXF, DWG || ? ||  
|-
|-
| Alibre Design by Alibre ||  LLC || 2017, Version 2017.1.2 || 2D/3D || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, ja, fr, zh-Hant, pl, cs, es, da, pt-BR, sv || No || Yes || Yes || DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, SAT, 3DM, STL, OBJ, PLY, 3DS, WRL, Inventor, ProE, SolidEdge, CATIA, Parasolid, Solidworks || DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, SAT, BIP, EMF, PDF, STL, Solidworks, Parasolid || $1,000 - $2,000
| Alibre Design by Alibre, LLC || 2017, Version 2017.1.2 || 2D/3D || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, ja, fr, zh-Hant, pl, cs, es, da, pt-BR, sv || No || Yes || Yes || DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, SAT, 3DM, STL, OBJ, PLY, 3DS, WRL, Inventor, ProE, SolidEdge, CATIA, Parasolid, Solidworks || DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, SAT, BIP, EMF, PDF, STL, Solidworks, Parasolid || $1,000 - $2,000
|-
|-
| AllyCAD by Knowledge Base || 2016, Version 8.0 || 2D/3D || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || No || en || No || Land XML || Yes || DXF, DWG || DXF, DWG || ? ||  
| AllyCAD by Knowledge Base || 2016, Version 8.0 || 2D/3D || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || No || en || No || Land XML || Yes || DXF, DWG || DXF, DWG || ? ||  
Line 238: Line 255:
| FreeCAD || March 12, 2019 / 0.18 || 3D || All Unix-like OSes); Packages for FreeBSD, Linux || Yes || With OpenGL as a prerequisite[16] || LGPL || Free || en, af, cn, hr, nl, fi, fr, de, it, no, pt, ru, es, se, ua || Yes || Yes || Yes || IFC, IGES, STEP, BRep, OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3D || IFC, IGES, STEP, BRep,[17] OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3D || Free ||  
| FreeCAD || March 12, 2019 / 0.18 || 3D || All Unix-like OSes); Packages for FreeBSD, Linux || Yes || With OpenGL as a prerequisite[16] || LGPL || Free || en, af, cn, hr, nl, fi, fr, de, it, no, pt, ru, es, se, ua || Yes || Yes || Yes || IFC, IGES, STEP, BRep, OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3D || IFC, IGES, STEP, BRep,[17] OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3D || Free ||  
|-
|-
| form•Z by AutoDesSys || Inc || June 23, 2008, 6.6 || 2D/3D AEC Rendering || Mac OS X || XP, Vista 32bit and 64bit || Unknown || Proprietary || Unknown || en, fr, de, el, it, ja, ko, es || Yes || Unknown || Yes || ACIS SAT, Art·Lantis, BMP, DAE, DEM Data, DWG, DXF, EPS, FACT, GIF, HPGL, IGES, Illustrator, JPEG, Keyhole Markup Language, Lightwave, Lightscape, OBJ, PDF, PICT, Piranesi, PNG, QTVR, RIB, SGI, SketchUp, STEP, STL, TGA, TIFF, ZPR || ACIS SAT, Artlantis, BMP, DAE, DEM Data, DWG, DXF, EPS, FACT, GIF, HPGL, IGES, Illustrator, JPEG, Keyhole Markup Language, Lightwave, Lightscape, OBJ, PDF, PICT, Piranesi, PNG, QTVR, RIB, SGI, STEP, STL, TGA, TIFF, ZPR || $1,995  
| form•Z by AutoDesSys, Inc || June 23, 2008, 6.6 || 2D/3D AEC Rendering || Mac OS X || XP, Vista 32bit and 64bit || Unknown || Proprietary || Unknown || en, fr, de, el, it, ja, ko, es || Yes || Unknown || Yes || ACIS SAT, Art·Lantis, BMP, DAE, DEM Data, DWG, DXF, EPS, FACT, GIF, HPGL, IGES, Illustrator, JPEG, Keyhole Markup Language, Lightwave, Lightscape, OBJ, PDF, PICT, Piranesi, PNG, QTVR, RIB, SGI, SketchUp, STEP, STL, TGA, TIFF, ZPR || ACIS SAT, Artlantis, BMP, DAE, DEM Data, DWG, DXF, EPS, FACT, GIF, HPGL, IGES, Illustrator, JPEG, Keyhole Markup Language, Lightwave, Lightscape, OBJ, PDF, PICT, Piranesi, PNG, QTVR, RIB, SGI, STEP, STL, TGA, TIFF, ZPR || $1,995  
|-
|-
| HiCAD by ISD Group || February 13, 2017 / 2017 || 2D/3D || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, it, fr, pl, jp (at release date) || Yes || Yes || Yes || IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, SolidWorks, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, UniGraphics, Inventor, IFC, PC-Draft, Technovision, Procad, Proren, Babcad, ME10, JT, STL, DSTV, SDNF || IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, IFC, VRML, STL, JT, Gamma-Ray, STL, DSTV, Tops Geo, SDNF || ? ||  
| HiCAD by ISD Group || February 13, 2017 / 2017 || 2D/3D || No || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, it, fr, pl, jp (at release date) || Yes || Yes || Yes || IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, SolidWorks, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, UniGraphics, Inventor, IFC, PC-Draft, Technovision, Procad, Proren, Babcad, ME10, JT, STL, DSTV, SDNF || IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, IFC, VRML, STL, JT, Gamma-Ray, STL, DSTV, Tops Geo, SDNF || ? ||  
Line 282: Line 299:
| TransMagic || 2014 R11 || File translator || No || XP/Vista/7 || No || Proprietary || No || en, de || No || No || Yes || CATIA V4, CATIA V5, Autodesk Inventor, Pro/E, SolidWorks, Unigraphics, ACIS (.sat, .sab, .asf, .asat, .asab), JT, Parasolid, IGES, STEP (.stp), HOOPS Meta File, HOOPS Streaming File (.hsf), PLY, STL, OBJ, Large file support || CATIA V4, CATIA V5, ACIS (.sat, .sab, .asf, .asat, .asab), JT, Parasolid (.x_t, .x_b, .xmt_txt, .xmb_txt), IGES, STEP (.stp), HOOPS Meta File, HOOPS Streaming File (.hsf), NGRAIN, PLY, STL, HTML, OBJ, Enhanced Metafile, PDF, PostScript, TIFF, BMP, Large file support || ? ||  
| TransMagic || 2014 R11 || File translator || No || XP/Vista/7 || No || Proprietary || No || en, de || No || No || Yes || CATIA V4, CATIA V5, Autodesk Inventor, Pro/E, SolidWorks, Unigraphics, ACIS (.sat, .sab, .asf, .asat, .asab), JT, Parasolid, IGES, STEP (.stp), HOOPS Meta File, HOOPS Streaming File (.hsf), PLY, STL, OBJ, Large file support || CATIA V4, CATIA V5, ACIS (.sat, .sab, .asf, .asat, .asab), JT, Parasolid (.x_t, .x_b, .xmt_txt, .xmb_txt), IGES, STEP (.stp), HOOPS Meta File, HOOPS Streaming File (.hsf), NGRAIN, PLY, STL, HTML, OBJ, Enhanced Metafile, PDF, PostScript, TIFF, BMP, Large file support || ? ||  
|-
|-
| TurboCAD by IMSI/Design ||  LLC || April 30, 2018 / V2018 (Windows), 2017 Mac V10 (Mac) || 2D/3D || Mac OS X || Yes || No || Proprietary || Up to 85% off standard pricing || en, cs, de, es, ja, fr, pl, zh-Hant || Yes || Yes || Yes || [2] || [3] || $1,495 Pro, $1,695 Pro Platinum[39]
| TurboCAD by IMSI/Design, LLC || April 30, 2018 / V2018 (Windows), 2017 Mac V10 (Mac) || 2D/3D || Mac OS X || Yes || No || Proprietary || Up to 85% off standard pricing || en, cs, de, es, ja, fr, pl, zh-Hant || Yes || Yes || Yes || [2] || [3] || $1,495 Pro, $1,695 Pro Platinum[39]
|-
|-
| VariCAD by VariCAD || June 27, 2019 / 2019-3.0 || 2D/3D parametric || Linux || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, cs, pt, ja || Unknown || Unknown || Yes || STEP (3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D)[40], DWB || STEP (3D), STL (3D), IGES (3D), BMP (from 3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D)[40], DWB || $780  ||  
| VariCAD by VariCAD || June 27, 2019 / 2019-3.0 || 2D/3D parametric || Linux || Yes || No || Proprietary || Yes || en, de, cs, pt, ja || Unknown || Unknown || Yes || STEP (3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D)[40], DWB || STEP (3D), STL (3D), IGES (3D), BMP (from 3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D)[40], DWB || $780  ||  

Latest revision as of 03:48, 4 February 2021

Selecting a CAD Package

Learning to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is a worthwhile investment of your time that will speed your progress on future maker projects you undertake. While you can get quite far making parts on a laser cutter using illustration & design software such as [Adobe Illustrator], Corel Draw, or Inkscape, these soon fall short when designing more complex 2D and 2.5D designs and are of course, completely useless when designing 3D parts.

There are many options when choosing a CAD package, so many that making a choice can be overwhelming. The software you would choose to do professional product design work would be very different than what you would select if you were a bicycle frame fabricator or cabinetmaker.

For non-professional makers or even for professionals with small start-up businesses it's hard to beat Autodesk's Fusion 360. This is a full-featured parametric 3D CAD package with integrated CAM. Autodesk has a maker-friendly license agreement that effectively makes the software free for most people. Some makers were disappointed when Autodesk modified the Fusion 360 licensing terms in 2020, removing several high-end features. For now, educational users have full access to Fusion 360 features at no cost.

Suggested CAD Packages

Best Bets

  • Autodesk Fusion 360 - Currently the best bet for students and non-profesional makers. Autodesk offers favorable licensing terms for makers and is continuously improving the product. Fusion 360 includes powerful a CAM module giving an all-in-one package. Free-ish
  • Vectric Vcarve Pro - If you're only interested in designing 2D or 2.5D work, VCarve is worth a look. It combines CAD and CAM in a single easy-to-use package and is ideal for creating decorative signs with engraved lettering and other artistic features. It's expensive to buy outright but we have a makerspace license that allows you to install the software on your computer for free if you only cut parts using machines in our makerspace. Not Free.
    • Carbide Create - If you like the user experience of Vcarve Pro but not the price tag you may want to take a look at Carbide Create which is free software that looks a bit like VCarve but with fewer features and at no cost.
  • SolveSpace - a free (GPLv3) parametric 3d CAD tool that runs on multiple platforms. Useful for modeling 3d & 2D parts to output to 3D Printers, Laser Cutters, or to other CAM software for use on a CNC router or mill. Mechanism design with constraint solver to simulate planar or spatial linkages, with pin, ball, or slide joints. Free.
  • TinkerCAD - Autodesk's easy-to-use CAD software targeted at kids but useful for many makers. Has several unique features including circuit design and simulation and scripting that allows you to automate drawings. Runs in browser. Free.

Other Options

  • 3D Slash A completely different approach to 3D modeling. 3D Slash lets you carve your design like a stonecutter.
  • OpenSCAD - OpenSCAD is free software for creating solid 3D CAD models. It is available for Linux/UNIX, Windows and Mac OS X. OpenSCAD is not an interactive modeller. Instead it is something like a 3D-compiler that reads in a script file that describes the object and renders the 3D model from this script file. This gives you (the designer) full control over the modelling process and enables you to easily change any step in the modelling process or make designs that are defined by configurable parameters.
  • ImplicitCAD - Inspired by OpenSCAD, ImplicitCAD should appeal to CS students. Implemented in Haskell, ImplicitCAD extends OpenSCAD's scripting language to be a more genral purpose programming environment.
  • Other Autodesk Programs AutoCAD, Inventor, Maya and other software products by Autodesk are available for free to UMD students and faculty so are well worth a look.
  • DesignSpark Mechanical - Free 3D design software that simplifies creation of solid models. Windows only.
  • FreeCAD A free and open-source (under the LGPLv2+ license) general-purpose parametric 3D CAD modeler and a building information modeling (BIM) software with finite-element-method (FEM) support.[1] FreeCAD is intended for mechanical engineering product design but also expands to a wider range of uses around engineering, such as architecture or electrical engineering.

3D CAD Software

Below is a listing of 3D Design Software Packages from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_3D_modeling_software)

Title License 3D rendering support
3D-Coat Commercial software Yes
3D Slash Freemium Yes
3DVIA Shape Commercial software No
AC3D Commercial software No
Adobe Dimension Commercial software Yes
Alibre Design Commercial software Yes
Amapi Commercial software Yes
Anim8or Freeware Yes
Animation:Master Commercial software Yes
ArchiCAD Commercial software Yes
Art of Illusion GNU General Public License Yes
AutoCAD Commercial software Yes
AutoQ3D Community 2 GNU General Public License#Version 2 Yes
AutoQ3D Commercial software Yes
Autodesk 3ds Max Commercial software Yes
Autodesk Inventor Commercial software Yes
Autodesk Maya Commercial software Yes
Autodesk Mudbox Commercial software Yes
Autodesk Revit Commercial software Yes
Autodesk Softimage Commercial software Yes
(software) Blender 2 GNU General Public License#Version 2 Yes
BricsCAD Commercial software Yes
BRL-CAD GNU Lesser General Public License and BSD License Yes
Bryce Commercial software Yes
CATIA Commercial software Yes
Carrara Commercial software Yes
Cheetah3D Commercial software Yes
Cinema 4D Commercial software Yes
CityEngine Commercial software No
Clara.io Freemium Yes
DAZ Studio Freeware Yes
DesignSpark Mechanical Freemium No
Electric Image Animation System Commercial software Yes
Exa Corporation Commercial software Yes
Flux Freeware No
Form-Z Commercial software Yes
FreeCAD GNU Lesser General Public License Yes
Geomodeller3D Commercial software Yes
Hexagon Commercial software No
Houdini Commercial software Yes
IRONCAD IRONCAD] Commercial software Yes
KeyCreator Commercial software Yes
LightWave 3D Commercial software Yes
Makers Empire 3D Freemium Yes
MASSIVE Commercial software Yes
Metasequoia Commercial software Yes
MikuMikuDance Freeware Yes
Milkshape 3D Commercial software No
Modo Commercial software Yes
Siemens NX Commercial software No
Onshape Commercial software Yes
Open CASCADE GNU Lesser General Public License Yes
OpenSCAD GNU General Public License Yes
Oculus Medium Commercial software Yes
Poser Commercial software Yes
PowerAnimator Commercial software Yes
Promine Commercial software Yes
Pro/ENGINEER Commercial software Yes
Quake Army Knife GNU General Public License Yes
Realsoft 3D Commercial software Yes
Remo 3D Commercial software Yes
RFEM Commercial software Yes
Rhinoceros 3D Commercial software Yes
ScanIP Commercial software Yes
Sculptris Freeware No
Seamless3d MIT No
SelfCAD Commercial software No
Shade 3D Commercial software Yes
SharkCAD PunchCAD SharkCAD Commercial software Yes
Silo Commercial software No
Sketchup Freemium Yes
Solid Edge Commercial software Yes
solidThinking Commercial software Yes
SolidWorks Commercial software Yes
SpaceClaim Commercial software Yes
Strata 3D Commercial software Yes
Sweet Home 3D Freeware Yes
Swift 3D Commercial software No
Tekla Structures Commercial software No
TrueSpace Freeware Yes
Wings 3D BSD License Yes
Wolfram Mathematica Commercial software Yes
PunchCAD ViaCAD Commercial software Yes
ZBrush Commercial software Yes
Zmodeler Freeware Yes


CAD Software Comparison

A more comprehensive but also more confusing list of all Computer Aided Design Software from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_computer-aided_design_software)


Title and developer Latest release date and version 2D/3D or specialty fields Runs on Unix-like systems? Runs on Windows? Other platforms? License Academic version? User Interface language/s Support for Building Information Modelling? Support for Industry Foundation Classes? Support for AutoCAD DXF? Imports Exports Price(USD)
ABViewer by CADSoftTools June 5, 2017 / Version 12 2D Linux with Wine Yes No Proprietary No en, fr, de, ru and others No No Yes ACIS SAT]], STL, IGES (.igs), STEP (.stp), OBJ, GTS, TIN, ASE, B3D, GLM, GLX, GLA, LMTS, LWO, NURBS, NMF, OCT, PLY, VRML, MDC, MD2, MD3, MD5, SMD, BSP, WMF, EMF, PDF, CGM, SVG, SVGZ, EPS, PS, Hewlett-Packard HPGL (PLT, HGL, HG, HPG, PLO, HP, HP1, HP2, HP3, HPGL, HPGL2, HPP, GL, GL2, PRN, SPL, RTL, PCL), GED, RLA, RPF, CEL, PIC, CAL, CG4, GP4, GIF, CUT, PAL, DDS, FAX, HDR, IFF, ICO, EXR, IMB, JPG, JPEG, J2K, J2C, JNG, JP2, KOA, PCT, PICT, MNG, PSP, PCD, PSD, PDD, PNG, PPM, PGM, PBM, RAW, G3, BW, RGB, RGBA, SGI, RAS, TIF, TIFF, TGA, VST, ICB, VDA, WIN, BMP, RLE, DIB, WAP, WBMP, WBM, XBM, XPM, PCX PDF, DWG, DXF, SWF, CGM, DXT, SVG, PLT, STL, OBJ, OBJF, NMF, LMTS, NC, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, TIF, TIFF, WMF, EMF, SWF Varies depending on the license type
Advance Design by GRAITEC June 2017 / Version 2018 3D, CAE, FEA No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, fr, ro, pl, cs Yes v2.x3 import and export Yes CIS/2, SDNF, PSS, DXF, GTC CIS/2, SDNF, PSS, DXF, GTC ?
Advance Steel by Autodesk April 1, 2017 / Version 2018 3D, CAE, CAM, steel detailing No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, de, ja, fr, zh-Hant, hu, pl, cs, es, du, ro, ru, it Yes v2.x3 import and export Yes IFC, CIS/2, PSS, SDNF, KISS, DSTV, DXF, DWG IFC, CIS/2, PSS, SDNF, KISS, DSTV, DXF, DWG ?
Advance Concrete by Autodesk April 29, 2016 / Version 2017 3D, CAE, CAM, concrete detailing No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, de, fr, pl, cs, ro Yes v2.x3 import and export Yes IFC, DXF, DWG IFC, DXF, DWG ?
Alibre Design by Alibre, LLC 2017, Version 2017.1.2 2D/3D No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, de, ja, fr, zh-Hant, pl, cs, es, da, pt-BR, sv No Yes Yes DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, SAT, 3DM, STL, OBJ, PLY, 3DS, WRL, Inventor, ProE, SolidEdge, CATIA, Parasolid, Solidworks DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, SAT, BIP, EMF, PDF, STL, Solidworks, Parasolid $1,000 - $2,000
AllyCAD by Knowledge Base 2016, Version 8.0 2D/3D No Yes No Proprietary No en No Land XML Yes DXF, DWG DXF, DWG ?
ArchiCAD by Graphisoft June 14, 2017 / Version 21 2D/3D Architecture, BIM Mac OS X[1] Yes No Proprietary Free en, de, es, fr, it, pt, ru, ja, pl, cs, hu, nl, fi, sv, no, da, tr, el, zh-Hans, ko, zh-Hant[2] Yes Import and export. Import certified. Export certified.[3] Yes 3D Studio, ACIS SAT, BMP, DGN, DWF, DWG, DXF, EMF, EPS, GIF, HPGL/PLT, IFC/IFCXML, JP2, JPEG, PDF, PICT, PNG, PSD, QTIF, SketchUp, TGA/Targa, TIF/TIFF, WMF 3D Studio, Artlantis/ATL, AVI, BMP, DGN, DWF, DWG, DXF, EMF, EPS, EPX - Piranesi, FACT - ElectricImage, GIF, HPGL/PLT, IFC/IFCXML, JP2, JPEG, MOV, LP - Lightscape, OBJ, PDF, PICT, PNG, PSD, QTIF, SGI, SketchUp, TGA/Targa, TIF/TIFF, U3D, WRL, WMF $4,250
AutoCAD by Autodesk March 21, 2017 / Release 2018 2D/3D, Architecture, Drafting Only AutoCAD for Mac OS X, No for discipline-specific vertical products, e.g. AutoCAD Architecture[4][5] Yes iOS, Android Proprietary[6] Yes pt-BR, en, cs, fr, de, hu, it, ja, ko, pl, ru, zh-Hans, es, zh-Hant[citation needed] limited for some verticals for some verticals Yes DXF, DWG, DWS, DWT, WMF, SAT, 3DS, FBX, DGN[7] 3DS (requires 3dsout), DXF, DWG, PDF, DWF, FBX, BMP, DGN[8] $1,470 per year; $4,410 per 3 years
Inventor by Autodesk March 21, 2017 / 2018 3D No Yes No Proprietary Yes en and others Yes Yes Yes ACIS SAT, DXF, DWG, IGES, Pro/Engineer, STEP, .dwf, .wire, .catpart, .catproduct, .jt, .x b, .x t, .prt (NX), .asm, .g, .neu, Solidworks, ProE, Catia, .stl ACIS SAT, DXF, DWG, IGES, STEP, .dwf, .catpart, .catproduct, .bmp, .gif, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .iges, .jt, .pdf, .x b, .x t, .g, .neu, STL (file format), .xgl, .zgl $1935 per year; $5805 per 3 years
BricsCAD by Bricsys January 16, 2017V17 (17.1.18)(64-bit, 32-bit) 2D/3D AEC,Parametric direct modeling,BIM,Mechanical,Sheet metal,Rendering Mac OS X,Fedora,OpenSuse,Ubuntu Windows10, 8, 7, Vista Linux, Mac Proprietary Forstudent,faculty,school.Free en, cs, de, es, fr, hu, it, ja, ko, lt, pl, pt-BR, ru, vi, zh-Hans, zh-Hant Yes Yes Yes DWG 2.5 to 2013, DXF, ACIS SAT, DAE (COLLADA), BMP, JPEG, PCX, PNG, GIF, TGA, TIF, JP2, J2K, ECW, SIDWith extra Communicator license:STE, STP, STEP, IGS, IGES, CATIA V4/V5, VDA, IAM, IPT, PARASOLID, PAR, PSM, PRT, ASM, PRT, SLDASM, SLDPRT DWG 2.5 to 2013, DXF, DWF, ACIS SAT, DAE (COLLADA), SLT (3D Printing), PDF, BMP, WMF, EMFWith extra Communicator license:STE, STP, STEP, IGS, IGES, CATIA V4/V5, VDA, 3D PDF $1020 Platinum,$680 Pro,$550 Classic,$610 Communicator
BRL-CAD by United States Army Research Laboratory August 16, 2016 / 7.26.0 3D design and simulation for military vehicles All POSIX (BSD/Linux/Unix like OS), Packages for FreeBSD, IRIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris[9][10] Yes Yes BSD licence, LGPL[9] Free en[9] Unknown No Yes DXF, Elysium Neutral Facetted, EUCLID, FASTGEN, IGES, Jack, NASTRAN, Pro/E,[11] STL, TANKILL, Unigraphics, Viewpoint Datalabs Format[12] DXF, EUCLID, IGES, Jack, STL, TANKILL, VRML, OBJ, X3D[12] Free
Caddie Professional by Advanced Computer Solutions 2014, 20 2D/3D CAE, Rendering No Windows 7 & 8 Unknown Proprietary 70GBP, 106USD, 97EUR en Unknown Unknown Yes DWG, DXF, DRW, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, GIF, ECW, JPEG2000, ASCII, XLS DWG, DXF, DRW, DWF, WMF, PDF, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, GIF $106 - $3022
Cadwork by Cadwork informatik AG 2019 / 26 2D/3D/4D/5D/6D CAE, Rendering, CAM, BIM HP-UX Yes No Proprietary Yes en, cs, fr, de, it, ja, pl, pt, ru, zh-Hans, es Yes Yes Yes DWG, DXF, PDF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, SAT, IFC DWG, DXF, PDF, JPEG, TIFF, SAT, IFC $1000 to $20000
CATIA by Dassault Systèmes 2018, R2018x 2D/3D CAE IBM AIX, HP-UX, and Solaris Yes V4 runs on mainframe Proprietary 99EUR, 99US$, 89.7GBP en, fr, de, ja (at release date) Yes Yes Yes some formats require extra license some formats require extra license $9000 to $65000 (depends on modules)
Cobalt by Ashlar-Vellum March 16, 2016 / v9 2D/3D RenderingCAECAM Mac OS X, 10.6+, fully hyper-threaded ray tracing 7, 8.1, 10+ (x32 or ×64) No Proprietary Yes en, bre, fr, de, it, pt, ru, sl, sv No No Yes 3DS, ACIS SAT, AI, ASCII Text, BMP, CATIA v4, CGM, CCAD, CO (native), Drawing board, DWG/DXF, Facet, GIF, Grid Surface, IGS (IGES), JPEG, Parasolid XT, PICT, 2D PDF, PNG, PPM, Pro/E, Rhino 3DM, Spline, STP (STEP), VRML, XBM, XPM ACIS SAT, AI, ASCII Text, BMP, CATIA v4, CGM, CO (native), Drawing board, DWG/DXF, EPS, Facet, GIF, Grid Surface, IGS (IGES), JPEG, Parasolid XT, 2D & 3D PDF, PICT, PNG, PPM, Pro/E, RAW Triangle, Shockwave 3D, STP (STEP), STL, VRML, XBM, XPM $2,495 buy, or $995/year rent, or $94.95/month rent
Creo by Parametric Technology Corporation March 29, 2017 / Creo 4.0 (M010) 2D/3D hybrid Some[13] Yes Unknown Proprietary Yes en, fr, de, es, it, ja, ko, zh-Hant, zh-Hans (at release date)[14] Unknown Unknown Yes STEP, IGES, DXF, DWG, Parasolid, STL, SAT, more STEP, IGES, DXF, DWG, Parasolid, STL, SAT, more $4,995, $1,500 maintenance
DataCAD by DATACAD LLC October 2016 / 19 2D/3D AEC No Yes No Proprietary 49US$ en, pt, cs, et, fi, fr, de, hu, he, it, ru, es, and others No No Yes DWG, DXF, SketchUp, TXT, WMF, EMF, o2c, ACO, 3DS, STL, BMP, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, Targa, PNG, PCX, PCD, and others DWG, DXF, DWF, SketchUp, TXT, WMF, EMF, o2c, ACO, 3DS, STL, BMP, JPEG, TIFF, Targa, PNG, PCX, EPS, PCD, PRN, PDF, VRML, RAY, and others $1,295 First, $495 Additional, $395 Upgrade
DesignSpark Mechanical by RS Components November 18, 2015, 2.0.1 2D/3D hybrid No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, cz, de, es, fr, it, jp, kr, pl, pt, zh-cn, zh-tw No No Yes ECAD (IDF, IDB, EMN), OBJ, Point curve text files (TXT), SKP, STL, STEP (read-only) AMF, DXF, OBJ, 3D PDF, SKP, STL, XAML, JPEG, PNG FREE base package
Digital Project by Gehry Technologies 2013, Version R5 2D/3D/4D AEC No 32bit and 64bit No Proprietary Unknown en Yes Yes(2X3)[15] Yes(2D + 3D) SDNF, DWG, DXF, IFC, IGES, HSF, 3DXML[15] SDNF, DWG, DXF, IFC, IGES, HSF, 3DXML[15] ?
Drawing Express by Trial Systems Ltd April 26, 2013, Version 2019 2D/3D CAD No 2000, XP, Vista & Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) No Proprietary Yes en No Unknown Yes DWG, DXF, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, GIF DWG, DXF, PDF, JPEG, BMP ?
FINE MEP by 4M 2014, v. 14 2D/3D, BIM, MEP Design No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, fr, tr, gr, bg Yes Yes(2x3) Yes DXF, DWG, IFC, ACIS, BMP, JPG, TGA, GIF DXF, DWG, IFC, ACIS, Collada, 3DS, PDF, BLD, JPG, BMP, TGA, PNG, TIFF $1,220, $720
FreeCAD March 12, 2019 / 0.18 3D All Unix-like OSes); Packages for FreeBSD, Linux Yes With OpenGL as a prerequisite[16] LGPL Free en, af, cn, hr, nl, fi, fr, de, it, no, pt, ru, es, se, ua Yes Yes Yes IFC, IGES, STEP, BRep, OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3D IFC, IGES, STEP, BRep,[17] OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3D Free
form•Z by AutoDesSys, Inc June 23, 2008, 6.6 2D/3D AEC Rendering Mac OS X XP, Vista 32bit and 64bit Unknown Proprietary Unknown en, fr, de, el, it, ja, ko, es Yes Unknown Yes ACIS SAT, Art·Lantis, BMP, DAE, DEM Data, DWG, DXF, EPS, FACT, GIF, HPGL, IGES, Illustrator, JPEG, Keyhole Markup Language, Lightwave, Lightscape, OBJ, PDF, PICT, Piranesi, PNG, QTVR, RIB, SGI, SketchUp, STEP, STL, TGA, TIFF, ZPR ACIS SAT, Artlantis, BMP, DAE, DEM Data, DWG, DXF, EPS, FACT, GIF, HPGL, IGES, Illustrator, JPEG, Keyhole Markup Language, Lightwave, Lightscape, OBJ, PDF, PICT, Piranesi, PNG, QTVR, RIB, SGI, STEP, STL, TGA, TIFF, ZPR $1,995
HiCAD by ISD Group February 13, 2017 / 2017 2D/3D No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, de, it, fr, pl, jp (at release date) Yes Yes Yes IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, SolidWorks, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, UniGraphics, Inventor, IFC, PC-Draft, Technovision, Procad, Proren, Babcad, ME10, JT, STL, DSTV, SDNF IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, IFC, VRML, STL, JT, Gamma-Ray, STL, DSTV, Tops Geo, SDNF ?
IntelliCAD by IntelliCAD Technology Consortium June 15, 2014, V 8.0 2D/3D AEC Unknown Yes Unknown Proprietary Unknown en Yes Unknown Yes DWG, DXF, DWF, SAT DWG, DXF, DWF, SVG, PDF, SAT ?
IRONCAD by IronCAD LLC November 30, 2016 / 2017 2D/3D hybrid No Yes No Proprietary From 124US$ en, jp, ko, de (at release date) No No Yes DXF, DWG, Parasolid, IGES, STEP, SAT, STL, ProE, Solid Edge, Inventor, Rhino (3dm), Catia DXF, DWG, Parasolid, IGES, STEP, SAT, STL, u3d, VRML, 3dxml, Catia, PDF $3,970, $1,295/yr for optional support
LibreCAD September 23, 2016 / Version 2.1.3 2D Yes Yes Yes GNU GPL Free en, fr, it, de, es, ja, zh, fi, cs, pt, lv[18] No No Yes DWG, DXF DXF, JPEG, PNG, SVG, BMP[19] Free,[20]
MicroStation by Bentley Systems January 17, 2017 / CONNECT Edition (Update 9)[21] 2D/3D AEC Dropped(last was V 5.7 of 1997/1998) Yes Dropped(last was V 5.7 of 1997/1998) Proprietary Yes en, fr, it, de, es, ja, zh, ru, tu, pl, pt, ko, fi, cs[22] Yes Yes(2x3) Yes DGN, DGNlib, RDL, DXF, DWG, FBX, OBJ, 3DS, SKP, 3DM, JT, Mapinfo MIF/MID, imodel, RFA, IFC, SHP, TAB, IGES, Parasolid, CGM, STEP, STL, Terrain Land XML, ACIS .SAT, 3DM, STL Collada, FBX, JT, .kml|Google Earth, LXO, SVG, VRML, VOB, ACIS, OBJ, STL, gbXML, IGES, STEP, SKP[23] $5,050
NX by Siemens PLM Software June 29, 2016, 11.0 2D/3D, Parametric Mac OS X,[24] and RedHat Linux / SUSE Linux.[25] Yes Unknown Proprietary Unknown en, fr, it, de, es, ja, zh, fi, cs Unknown Unknown Yes JT, Parasolid, STEP, DWG, DXF, ProE, SolidWorks, I-deas, CATIA (V4/V5), STL, IGES JT, Parasolid, STEP, DWG, DXF, ProE, SolidWorks, I-deas, CATIA (V4/V5), STL, IGES Unknown
OpenSCAD March 10, 2015 / 2015.03-3 2D/3D All POSIX (BSD/Linux/Unix like OS), Packages for Linux, Mac OS X Yes Unknown GNU GPL Free en No No Partial[26][27][28] DXF, STL, OFF PNG, DXF, STL, OFF Free
PowerCADD by Engineered Software August 2010 / v9 2D Mac OS X No No Proprietary No en, fr, it, es, ... No No Yes DWG, DXF, PDF, EPSF, PS, Bitmap, VectorPict, JPG, PNG, TIF, SGI, TGA, Adobe Photoshop, *SHP, *GPX, ASCII Topo Survey (*with WildTools) DXF, DWG, PDF, EPSF, PS, Bitmap, VectorPict, JPG, PNG, TIF, SGI, TGA, Adobe Photoshop, $995(PRO)-$1250(expert incl WildTools)
progeCAD by ProgeCAD May 17, 2017 / 2018 11.0.6.5 2D/3D Rendering Linux Requires Wine; MAC OS Requires Parallels Desktop for Mac Yes No Proprietary Yes Free en, de, ru, it, cs, zh-Hans, zh-Hant, fr, pl, es, sr, hu No No Yes DWG, DXF, PDF, DWT, DWF, SAT DWG, DXF, DWT, PDF, SAT, 3DS, POV, LWO, BMP, EMF, WMF, JPEG, KMZ, SVG, PDF $690, $399
QCad by Ribbon Soft March 12, 2018 / 3.20 2D Includes Mac OS X Yes No GNU GPL Yes en Yes v2.x3 import and export Yes IFC, DXF, DWG IFC, DXF, DWG Free,[29] $42 for Commercial
Autodesk Revit January 27, 2017 / 2017.2 2D/3D BIM AEC No Yes No Proprietary Yes[30] pt-BR, en, cs, fr, de, hu, it, ja, ko, ru, zh-Hans, es Yes Import and export. Import certified. Export certified.[3] Yes DXF, DWG, SAT, SKP, DGN, JPEG, PNG, TIFF DWG, DXF, SAT, FBX, IFC, DGN, DWF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, AVI, PDF Varies
Rhinoceros 3D by Robert McNeel and Associates May 22, 2017 / Rhino 5 SR Service Release 2D/3D CAD Mac OS X Yes No Proprietary Yes en, fr, de, it, es, pl, cs, zh, ja, kr Unknown Unknown Yes DXF, DWG, .3ds, SAT, SketchUp, IGES, STEP, STL, DGN, FBX, OBJ, sldprt DXF, DWG, .3ds, SAT, SketchUp, IGES, STEP, STL, COLLADA, Parasolid $995[31]
SALOME May 22, 2019 / 9.3.0 CAE FreeBSD,[32] Linux Yes No LGPL Free EN, FR, JA Unknown Unknown No[33] BREP, IGES, STEP, XAO[34] IGES, STEP, BREP, STL,[35] MED, UNV, DAT[36], XAO[37] Free
SketchUp by Trimble November 14, 2017 / 2018, 18.0.16975 (Windows), 18.0.16976 (Mac) 3D Mac OS X Yes No Proprietary Yes EN, FR, IT, DE, ES, PT(BR), JA, KO, ZH(CN), ZH(TW) Yes Template:Yes, import and export Yes DWG, DXF, DEM, DDF, 3DS, DAE, KMZ, IFC, JPG, PNG, PSD, TIF, TGA, BMP DAE, KMZ, 3DS, DWG, DXF, FBX, OBJ, WRL, XSI, PDF, EPS, BMP, JPG, TIF, PNG, EPX, SketchUp Make: FreeSketchUp Pro: $700
Solid Edge by Siemens PLM Software June 15, 2016 / ST9 3D/2D No Yes No Proprietary Free en, es, ru, fr, ko (at release date) Unknown No Yes IGES, STEP, DXF, JT, ACIS (SAT), ProE, SolidWorks, NX, SDRC, Microstation, Inventor, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, Autocad, STL, XML, MDS IGES, STEP, STL, PDF, EMS, JT, XGL, XML, DXF, Parasolid, CATIA (V4/V5), ACIS (SAT), Microstation, Autocad $5,300, $1,200 Maintenance
SolidWorks by SolidWorks Corp. August 13, 2018 / 2018 SP4 2D/3D hybrid No Yes No Proprietary From 129,95US$ en, es, de, fr (at release date) Yes import: ifc2x3, export: ifc4.0 Yes DXF, DWG, DXF, Parasolid, IGES, STEP, ACIS (SAT), STL, ProE, Creo, Solid Edge, Siemens NX, Autodesk Inventor, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Rhino (3dm), IDF (emn, brd, bdf, idb, idx), VDA, WRL, Meshfiles (stl,obj,off,ply,ply2), 3MF, CGR, catpart/catproduct, Rhino (3dm), JT, sldxml, IFC DXF, DWG, Parasolid, IGES, STEP, ACIS (SAT), STL, u3d, VRML, 3dxml, Catia, PDF, IFC, $3,995, $1,295/yr for optional support
SolveSpace by Jonathan Westhues December 23, 2016 / v.2.3 2D/3D parametric Mac OS X, Linux Yes No GNU GPL Free en No No Export only 2D as DXF, EPS, PDF, SVG, HPGL, STEP; 3D wireframe as DXF, STEP; triangle mesh as STL, Wavefront OBJ; NURBS surfaces as STEP Free
SpaceClaim Engineer by SpaceClaim Corp. May 9, 2017 / 2017.1 2D/3D hybrid No Yes No Proprietary Unknown en Unknown Unknown Yes DXF, DWG, Parasolid, IGES, STEP, ACIS, STL, ProE, Solid Edge, VRML, OBJ, STL, NX, CATIA, Solidworks, Rhinoceros [ACIS], Acrobat PDF 3D, Acrobat - PDF 2D, AutoCAD - DWG and DXF, CATIA V5, [IGES], JT Open, Keyshot, Parasolid, POV-Ray, PowerPoint, Rhino, SketchUp, [STEP], STL, VDA-VS, VRML, OBJ, XAML, XPS ?
Tekla Structures by Tekla May 23, 2017 / Version 2017 SP2 3D/4D/5D CAE, CAM, steel detailing, concrete detailing No Yes No Proprietary Yes en, cs, zh-Hans, zh-Hant, du, fr, de, hu, it, ja, ko, pl, pt, pt-BR, ru, es Yes Import and export. Export certified.[3] Yes IFC, IFCXML, IFCZIP, DWG, DXF, DGN, PDF, STEP, IGES, CIS/2, ISM, FabTrol KISS, DSTV, Steel Detailing Neutral Format, Eliplan ELI, Primavera P6, Trimble LM80[38] IFC, IFCXML, IFCZIP, DWG, DXF, DGN, CIS/2, ISM, FabTrol KISS, DSTV, Steel Detailing Neutral Format, Eliplan ELI, Primavera P6, Trimble LM80, HMS[38] ?
Autodesk Tinkercad 2019 3D modeling, constructive solid geometry Yes Yes Yes Proprietary No Browser default No No Unknown SVG, STL, OBJ STL, OBJ Free
TransMagic 2014 R11 File translator No XP/Vista/7 No Proprietary No en, de No No Yes CATIA V4, CATIA V5, Autodesk Inventor, Pro/E, SolidWorks, Unigraphics, ACIS (.sat, .sab, .asf, .asat, .asab), JT, Parasolid, IGES, STEP (.stp), HOOPS Meta File, HOOPS Streaming File (.hsf), PLY, STL, OBJ, Large file support CATIA V4, CATIA V5, ACIS (.sat, .sab, .asf, .asat, .asab), JT, Parasolid (.x_t, .x_b, .xmt_txt, .xmb_txt), IGES, STEP (.stp), HOOPS Meta File, HOOPS Streaming File (.hsf), NGRAIN, PLY, STL, HTML, OBJ, Enhanced Metafile, PDF, PostScript, TIFF, BMP, Large file support ?
TurboCAD by IMSI/Design, LLC April 30, 2018 / V2018 (Windows), 2017 Mac V10 (Mac) 2D/3D Mac OS X Yes No Proprietary Up to 85% off standard pricing en, cs, de, es, ja, fr, pl, zh-Hant Yes Yes Yes [2] [3] $1,495 Pro, $1,695 Pro Platinum[39]
VariCAD by VariCAD June 27, 2019 / 2019-3.0 2D/3D parametric Linux Yes No Proprietary Yes en, de, cs, pt, ja Unknown Unknown Yes STEP (3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D)[40], DWB STEP (3D), STL (3D), IGES (3D), BMP (from 3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D)[40], DWB $780
VisualARQ by Asuni CAD S.A. May 3, 2017 / 1.9.7 2D/3D No Yes No Proprietary $95 en, fr, es, de, it, cs Yes Yes Yes 3DM, 3DS, AI, DGN, DWG, DXF, EPS, FBX, GDF, IGS/IGES, LWO, OBJ, PDF, PLY, SDLPTR/SDLASM, SKP, STL, STP/STEP, VDA, VRML/VRL, X, ZPR 3DM, 3DS, ACIS, AI, DGN, X, DWG, DXF, EPS, FBX, GDF, IGS/IGES, IFC, LWO, OBJ, PDF, PLY, POV, RIB, SKP, SDLPTR/SDLASM, STL, STP/STEP, VDA, VRML/VRL, WMF, X_T, XGL, ZPR $495
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