Linux cad software 2017

Editor's note: This article was originally published in May , and has been updated to include a few additional options.

CAD—computer-aided design or computer-aided drafting, depending on who you ask—is technology created to make it easier to create specifications for real-world objects. Whether the object you're building is a house, car, bridge, or spaceship, chances are it got its start in a CAD program of one type or another.

Among the best-known CAD programs is AutoDesk's AutoCAD, but there are many others, proprietary and open source, out there. So how do the open source alternatives to AutoCAD stack up? The answer depends on how you plan to use them.

Let's start by being honest and upfront about something: If you're looking for a drop-in replacement for your existing CAD program that will provide identical functionality and workflow without making any changes to your processes, you're going to be disappointed. But I would argue that the reason for your disappointment has nothing to do with the licensing of the product—drop-in replacements for complex programs with long-time users who have specific needs and expectations for their software are hard.

The trick for deciding whether a replacement piece of software, whether open or closed, is a good choice for you is to tease out exactly what your needs are. The situation is no different than discovering that the person who insists that they "need" Photoshop is just using it to draw a few geometric shapes and remove red-eye from photos; what they really need is a graphics editing tool that can replace those specific functions. Whether it has all of the bells and whistles of the original is irrelevant if those features sit paid for but unused.

My personal journey through open source CAD programs was no different. I worked with AutoCAD briefly in grad school, so when I wanted to play with drawing three-dimensional plans for something, it was pretty much all I knew. But that alone didn't make AutoCAD the best choice.

As I've strived to replace more and more software in my life with open source options, Blender turned out to be just as good for my 3D modeling needs, whether I was playing with models created for a 3D printer or looking at landscapes exported from other programs. And for the relatively simple task of planning out my home landscaping projects, Sweet Home 3D has been an excellent open source alternative.

If your needs are a little more specific and you really need a dedicated CAD program, here are great open source choices to consider:

SALOME

The SALOME platform is an application and framework suitable for industrial design and simulation. It's a side-project of the 3D powerhouse, OpenCascade, and has some serious industrial users. SALOME integrates a CAD and CAE modeling tool with industrial meshing algorithms and advanced 3D visualization. Its geometry editor can import STEP, BREP, IGES, STL, and XAO files, and its mesh editor can import UNIV, MED, GGNS, SAUV, and more. It has integrated Python support.

As with all other CAD applications on this list, it's open source, so if you have in-house developers creating plugins for it, there's no need to deal with a clunky API. You have direct access to the code base.

BRL-CAD

BRL-CAD is a cross-platform CAD tool that dates back to , although it would take 25 years for the source code to be released under an open source license. In fact, BRL-CAD is so old that it has been credited with being the oldest source code repository of an application currently in active development.

Originally developed by Mike Muuss at the Army Research Laboratory, BRL-CAD is been used for decades by the United States military for modeling weapon systems, but it also has been used for much more everyday design tasks, from academic to industrial design to health applications.

So what does more than 35 years of development bring you? BRL-CAD is made up of more than different constituent tools and applications spread across more than a million lines of source code. Not all parts are under the same license, with licenses ranging from BSD to LGPL to simple public domain; the COPYING file within the project's source code on SourceForge has more details.

FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a parametric open source CAD program that was created to be able to design "real-life objects of any size," and although it's clear that many of the showcased examples created by users are smaller objects, there's no specific reason it couldn't be used for architectural applications as well. FreeCAD is written primarily in C++, and if you're a Python coder you'll want to take advantage of the ability to extend and automate FreeCAD using its Python interface.

FreeCAD can import and export from a variety of common formats for 3D objects, and its modular architecture makes it easy to extend the basic functionality with various plugins. The program has many built-in interface options, from a sketcher to renderer to even a robot simulation ability. Currently in beta, FreeCAD is being actively developed with regular releases, but the developers warn that it may not yet be suitable for production use.

FreeCAD's source code is hosted on GitHub and is made available as open source under an LGPL license.

LibreCAD

LibreCAD is another CAD program that is designed to work across Windows, Mac, and Linux alike. A fork of QCAD (mentioned below), LibreCAD has an interface that will look familiar to AutoCAD users, and by default it uses the AutoCAD DXF format for importing and saving, though it can use other formats as well. LibreCAD is 2D only, though, so it makes more sense if your intended use is a site plan or something similarly, err, flat.

LibreCAD is licensed under the GPL and you can find its complete source code on GitHub.

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These aren't the only options. Other good choices that are worth your time to check out include:

• OpenSCAD, which is billed as "the programmer's solid 3D CAD modeller," owing to the fact that it is not an interactive modeler, but one where modeling is done with a script file.
• QCAD, which is cross-platform but limited to two-dimensional applications.
• SolveSpace, which is a parametric two- and three-dimensional CAD program.
• OpenJSCAD.org, which is an updated frontend for OpenJsCad. Both are JavaScript-based 2D and 3D modeling tools that run in the browser and are made available under the MIT license.

Since we can't include all of the options here, if you have a favorite, let us know in the comments below.

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Hello Techies, If you are using Linux Desktop operating system like Ubuntu and Linux Mint and looking for similar tools of AutoCAD then we can consider there are couple of tools like FreeCAD, LibreCAD, KediCAD, BRL-CAD and DraftSight that can be  used as AuotCAD alternative in Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

In this post we will demonstrate how to install these tools in Ubuntu / and Linux Mint

FreeCAD

FreeCAD is a free and open source 3D( Three Dimensions) modeler and CAD (Computer aided Design) software. It is used for product design and also used in mechanical engineering. Freecad debian packages are available in the Ubuntu and Linux Mint 18 default repositories.

Run the following command from the terminal to Install FreeCAD

[email&#;protected]:~$ sudo apt update [email&#;protected]:~$ sudo apt install freecad

Once you are done with installation type freecad command from the terminal to start FreeCAD.

[email&#;protected]:~$ freecad

LibreCAD

LibreCAD is another free and open source CAD Software in 2 two dimensions. LibreCAD is used for creating technical drawings like plans for building, interiors and mechanical parts.

LibbreCAD can be installed and used in Linux, Apple and Windows platform. Run the below apt command from the terminal to install librecad on Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

[email&#;protected]:~$ sudo apt install librecad

Once installation is completed, Access LibreCAD.

Select the GUI and Command Language as per your setup and click on OK.

KediCAD

KediCAD is a two dimension ( 2D) CAD software for linux like operating system. KediCAD has simulation feature and it can make the anticapted changes to the general drawings. KediCAD can be used in for creating drawing from moment of inertia calculations, buckling power calculations and lot more…

KediCAD package is not available in the Ubuntu and Linux Mint repositories, so download the kedicad Debian package from its official web site using below wget command.

[email&#;protected]:~$ wget http://kedicad.com/indir/kedicad2b__all.deb

Install the downloaded KediCAD Debian package.

[email&#;protected]:~$ sudo dpkg -i kedicad2b__all.deb [email&#;protected]:~$ sudo apt install -f

BRL-CAD

BRL-CAD is a free and open source CAD (Computer Aided Design) software. It provides the features of graphics rendering and geometric analysis.  Refer the below steps to install BRL-CAD on Ubuntu / and Linux Mint

Download the latest and stable version of BRL-CAD from source forge site :

https://sourceforge.net/projects/brlcad/files/

Or use the below wget command to BRL-CAD from the console

[email&#;protected]:~$ wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/brlcad/files/BRL-CAD%20for%20Linux//brlcad__amddeb

Install the downloaded package using dpkg command

[email&#;protected]:~$ sudo dpkg -i brlcad__amddeb

Run the below command to run brlcad

[email&#;protected]:~$ sudo /usr/brlcad/bin/benchmark run [email&#;protected]:~$ /usr/brlcad/bin/mged

DraftSight

DraftSight is free CAD software which can be used in Ubuntu and Linux Mint. DraftSight can be considered as the alternative of AutoCAD tool on Linux like operating system. It permits the users to edit and save DWF and DXF files and allows users to export files as .pdf, .jpg, .png, and .svg.

Let’s First download the DraftSight package for Ubuntu and Linux Mint 18 using below URL :

Download DraftSight Debian Package

Install the Downloaded draftsight debian package using below dpkg command :

[email&#;protected]:~$ sudo dpkg -i draftSight.deb

Click on Aceept

Once the Installation is completed and try to access Draftsight using below commands

[email&#;protected]:~$ cd /opt/dassault-systemes/DraftSight/Linux/ [email&#;protected]:/opt/dassault-systemes/DraftSight/Linux$ ./DraftSight

We can use DraftSight for 30 days without activation. For Activation we need to enter email address and other required fields only and an email will be delivered to the mailbox for activation.

That’s all,  Kindly share your feedback and comments. Please don’t hesitate to share the name of the tools that can be used as AutoCAD alternative in Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

Title and developer 2D/3D or specialty fields Platform Latest release License Academic version? User Interface language/s Support for Building Information Modelling? Support for Industry Foundation Classes (version & MVD)? Support for AutoCAD DXF? Imports Exports Price
(USD)Version Date ABViewer by CADSoftTools 2D/3D Linux with WineVersion ProprietaryYes en, fr, de, ru and others No No Yes DWG, DXF, DWF, DXT, 3DS, ACIS SAT, STL, IGES (.igs), STEP (.stp), OBJ, X_T, X_B, SLDPRT, 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 Windows Advance Design by GRAITEC3D, CAE, FEAWindows Version ProprietaryYes en, fr, ro, pl, csYes v2x3 import/export Yes CIS/2, SDNF, PSS, DXF, GTC CIS/2, SDNF, PSS, DXF, GTC ? Advance Steel by Autodesk3D, CAE, CAM, steel detailingWindows Version ProprietaryYes en, de, ja, fr, zh-Hant, hu, pl, cs, es, du, ro, ru, itYes 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 Autodesk3D, CAE, CAM, concrete detailing Windows Version ProprietaryYes en, de, fr, pl, cs, roYes v2.x3 import and export Yes IFC, DXF, DWG IFC, DXF, DWG ? Alibre Design by Alibre, LLC 2D/3D Windows Version ProprietaryYes en, de, ja, fr, zh-Hant, pl, cs, es, da, pt-BR, svNo (version?) 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, - $2, ArchiCAD by Graphisoft2D/3D Architecture, BIMMac OS X^[1]Version 21 ProprietaryYes
No costen, de, es, fr, it, pt, ru, ja, pl, cs, hu, nl, fi, sv, no, da, tr, el, zh-Hans, ko, zh-Hant^[2]Yes v2x3 CV & v4 Import and 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, WMF3D 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, Windows AutoCAD by Autodesk2D/3D, Architecture, Drafting Mac OS X, No for discipline-specific vertical products, e.g. AutoCAD Architecture^[4][5]Release 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, per year; $4, per 3 years Windows AndroidiOSAutodesk Inventor by Autodesk3D Windows ProprietaryYes en and others Yes version? Yes ACIS SAT, DXF, DWG, IGES, Pro/Engineer, STEP, .dwf, .wire, .catpart, .catproduct, .jt, .x b, .x t, .prt (NX), .asm, .g, .neu, Solidworks, ProE, Catia, .stlACIS SAT, DXF, DWG, IGES, STEP, .dwf, .catpart, .catproduct, .bmp, .gif, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .iges, .jt, .pdf, .x b, .x t, .g, .neu, STL (file format), .xgl, .zgl$ per year; $ per 3 years BricsCAD
by Bricsys2D/3D AEC,
Parametric direct modeling,
BIM,
Mechanical,
Sheet metal,
Rendering Mac OS XV21 ( English)
(bit, bit) ProprietaryYes
No costen, cs, de, es, fr, hu, it, ja, ko, lt, pl, pt-BR, ru, vi, zh-Hans, zh-HantYes version? Yes DWG to ,
DXF, ACIS SAT, DAE&#;(COLLADA), BMP, JPEG, PCX, PNG, GIF, TGA, TIF, JP2, J2K, ECW, SID

With extra Communicator license:
STE, STP, STEP, IGS, IGES, CATIA&#;V4/V5, VDA, IAM, IPT, PARASOLID, PAR, PSM, PRT, ASM, PRT, SLDASM, SLDPRTDWG to ,
DXF, DWF, ACIS SAT, DAE&#;(COLLADA), SLT&#;(3D Printing), PDF, BMP, WMF, EMF

With extra Communicator license:
STE, STP, STEP, IGS, IGES, CATIA&#;V4/V5, VDA, 3D PDF $ Platinum,
$ Pro,
$ Classic,

$ Communicator FedoraOpenSuseUbuntuWindows
10, 8, 7, Vista BRL-CAD by United States Army Research Laboratory3D design and simulation for military vehicles All POSIX (BSD/Linux/Unix like OS), Packages for FreeBSD, IRIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris^[9][10][11]&#;&#;()LGPLonly^[12]Yes
No costen^[9]Un&#;known No Yes DXF, Elysium Neutral Facetted, EUCLID, FASTGEN, IGES, Jack, NASTRAN, Pro/E,^[13]STL, TANKILL, Unigraphics, Viewpoint Datalabs Format^[14]DXF, EUCLID, IGES, Jack, STL, TANKILL, VRML, OBJ, X3D^[14]No cost Windows Others Caddie Professional by Advanced Computer Solutions 2D/3D CAE, Rendering Windows 7 & 8 20 Proprietary70GBP, USD, 97EUR enUn&#;known Un&#;known Yes DWG, DXF, DRW, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, GIF, ECW, JPEG, ASCII, XLSDWG, DXF, DRW, DWF, WMF, PDF, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, GIF$ - $ Cadwork by Cadwork informatik AG2D/3D/4D/5D/6D CAE, Rendering, CAM, BIMHP-UX26 ProprietaryYes en, cs, fr, de, it, ja, pl, pt, ru, zh-Hans, esYes version? Yes DWG, DXF, PDF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, SAT, IFCDWG, DXF, PDF, JPEG, TIFF, SAT, IFC$ to $ Windows CATIA by Dassault Systèmes2D/3D CAEIBM AIXRx Proprietary99EUR, 99US$, GBP en, fr, de, ja (at release date) Yes version? Yes some formats require extra license some formats require extra license $ to $ (depends on modules) HP-UXSolarisWindows V4 runs on mainframe Cobalt by Ashlar-Vellum 2D/3D Rendering
CAE
CAMMac OS X, +, fully hyper-threaded ray tracing v9 ProprietaryYes en, bre, fr, de, it, pt, ru, sl, svNo 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, XPMACIS 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, buy, or $/year rent, or $/month rent Windows
7, , 10+ (x32 or ×64) Creo by Parametric Technology Corporation2D/3D hybrid POSIX (some)^[15]Creo (M) ProprietaryYes en, fr, de, es, it, ja, ko, zh-Hant, zh-Hans (at release date)^[16]Un&#;known Un&#;known Yes STEP, IGES, DXF, DWG, Parasolid, STL, SAT, more STEP, IGES, DXF, DWG, Parasolid, STL, SAT, more $4,, $1, maintenance Windows DataCAD by DATACAD LLC 2D/3D AEC Windows 19 Proprietary49US$ 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, First, $ Additional, $ Upgrade DesignSpark Mechanical by RS Components2D/3D hybrid Windows ProprietaryYes en, cz, de, es, fr, it, jp, kr, pl, pt, zh-cn, zh-twNo 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, PNGNo cost base package Digital Project by Gehry Technologies2D/3D/4D AEC Windows
32bit and 64bit Version R5 ProprietaryUn&#;known enYes v2x3^[17]Yes(2D + 3D) SDNF, DWG, DXF, IFC, IGES, HSF, 3DXML^[17]SDNF, DWG, DXF, IFC, IGES, HSF, 3DXML^[17]? Drawing Express by Trial Systems Ltd 2D/3D CADWindows , XP, Vista & Windows 7 (bit and bit) Version ProprietaryYes enNo Un&#;known Yes DWG, DXF, JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, GIFDWG, DXF, PDF, JPEG, BMP? FINE MEP by 4M 2D/3D, BIM, MEP Design Windows v. 14 ProprietaryYes en, fr, tr, gr, bgYes v2x3) Yes DXF, DWG, IFC, ACIS, BMP, JPG, TGA, GIF DXF, DWG, IFC, ACIS, Collada, 3DS, PDF, BLD, JPG, BMP, TGA, PNG, TIFF $1,, $ FreeCAD3D All Unix-like OSes; Packages for FreeBSD, Linux^[18]&#;&#;()LGPLor-laterYes
No costen, af, cn, hr, nl, fi, fr, de, it, no, pt, ru, es, se, uaYes version? Yes IFC, IGES, STEP, BRep, OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3DIFC, IGES, STEP, BRep,^[19] OBJ, DXF, SVG, U3DNo cost Windows Others with OpenGL as a prerequisite^[20]form•Z by AutoDesSys, Inc 2D/3D AEC Rendering Mac OS X ProprietaryUn&#;known en, fr, de, el, it, ja, ko, esYes Un&#;known 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, ZPRACIS 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$1, Windows
XP, Vista
32bit and 64bit HiCAD by ISD Group 2D/3D Windows ProprietaryYes en, de, it, fr, pl, jp (at release date) Yes version? Yes IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, SolidWorks, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, UniGraphics, Inventor, IFC, PC-Draft, Technovision, Procad, Proren, Babcad, ME10, JT, STL, DSTV, SDNF IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, ACIS, ProE, CATIA (V4/V5), Parasolid, IFC, VRML, STL, JT, Gamma-Ray, STL, DSTV, Tops Geo, SDNF ? IntelliCAD by IntelliCAD Technology Consortium2D/3D AEC BIM Windows V a ProprietaryVaries by vendor en (more options vary by vendor) Yes version? Yes DXF, DWF, SAT, DXB, DWT, DGN, DAE, IGES, STEP, OBJ, STL, IFC, RVT/RFADWF, DGN, SVG, PDF, SAT, BMP, EMF/WMF, STL, DAEVaries by vendor IRONCAD by IronCAD LLC 2D/3D hybrid Windows ProprietaryFrom US$ 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,, $1,/yr for optional support KeyCreator by Kubotek 3D direct modeling, mechanical, drafting Windows SP1^[21] ProprietaryYes en, jp, it, de (at release date) Yes Yes Yes STEP, IGES, SAT, Parasolid, DXF, DWG, Catia, Creo/ProE, NX, Solid Edge, JT, SolidWorks, Inventor, CADKEY, IFC, STL, U3D, OBJ^[22]STEP, IGES, SAT, Parasolid, DXF, DWG, STL, U3D, OBJ, VRML, WMF, HPGL, PDF^[22]$3, - $5, permanent license w/1st year maintenance, $1, - $2,/yr lease (USD) LibreCAD2D POSIX ^[23]&#;&#;()GPLonlyYes
No costen, fr, it, de, es, ja, zh, fi, cs, pt, lv^[24]No No Yes DWG, DXFDXF, JPEG, PNG, SVG, BMP^[25]No cost^[26]Windows Others MicroStation by Bentley Systems2D/3D AEC Windows CONNECT Edition (Update 9)^[27] ProprietaryYes en, fr, it, de, es, ja, zh, ru, tu, pl, pt, ko, fi, cs^[28]Yes v2x3 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 DGN, DXF, DWG, U3D, PDF, .dae|Collada, FBX, JT, .kml|Google Earth, LXO, SVG, VRML, VOB, ACIS, OBJ, STL, gbXML, IGES, STEP, SKP^[29]$5, Other systems dropped (last was V of /) NX by Siemens PLM Software2D/3D, Parametric Mac OS X^[30] ProprietaryUn&#;known en, fr, it, de, es, ja, zh, fi, csUn&#;known Un&#;known Yes JT, Parasolid, STEP, DWG, DXF, ProE, SolidWorks, I-deas, CATIA (V4/V5), STL, IGESJT, Parasolid, STEP, DWG, DXF, ProE, SolidWorks, I-deas, CATIA (V4/V5), STL, IGES$12k - $40k RedHat Linux SUSE Linux^[31]Windows Onshape by PTCMechanical CAD (MCAD), 3D printing All systems with compatible Web Browser ^[32] Proprietary, some parts MITYes
No costen, de, ko, zh-Hant, zh-Hans, fr, ja, it, esUn&#;known Un&#;known Yes DWG, DXF, Parasolid mesh (.xmm_txt or .xmm_bin), ACIS (.sat), STEP (.stpor .step), IGES (.igs or .iges), CATIA, SolidWorks (.sldprt), Inventor, Pro/E, JT (.jt), Rhino (.3dm), STL (.stl), OBJ (.obj), NXSolid Edge (.par and .psm)^[33]DWG, DXF, DWT, SVG, PNG, JPEG, Parasolid mesh (.xmm_txt or .xmm_bin), ACIS (.sat), STEP (.stpor .step), IGES (.igs or .iges), SolidWorks (.sldprt), JT (.jt), Rhino (.3dm), STL (.stl), OBJ (.obj), GlTF (.gltf), COLLADA, PDF, PVZ (.pvz)^[33]No cost for Education^[34] and Hobbyists/Open Source,^[35] $ - $ for Commercial Use, Contact for Enterprise Version^[36]Android iOS OpenSCAD2D/3D All POSIX (BSD/Linux/Unix like OS), Packages for Linux^[37]&#;&#;()GPLor-laterYes
No costenNo No Partial^[38][39][40]DXF, STL, OFFPNG, DXF, STL, OFFNo cost Mac OS X Windows OrthoGraph2D/3D Android ProprietaryNo en, fr, de, hu, it, ja, nl, ru, esYes version? Yes PNG, DXF, JPG, IFC$ per month iOSPowerCADD by Engineered Software 2D Mac OS Xv9 ProprietaryNo 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, $(PRO)-$(expert incl WildTools) QCAD by Ribbon Soft 2D POSIX ^[41]&#;&#;()GPLor-laterYes enYes v2.x3 import and export Yes IFC, DXF, DWG IFC, DXF, DWG No cost,^[42] $42 for Commercial Mac OS X Windows Autodesk Revit2D/3D BIM AEC Windows ProprietaryYes^[43]pt-BR, en, cs, fr, de, hu, it, ja, ko, ru, zh-Hans, esYes version? Import and export certified^[3]Yes DXF, DWG, SAT, SKP, DGN, JPEG, PNG, TIFFDWG, DXF, SAT, FBX, IFC, DGN, DWF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, AVI, PDFVaries Rhinoceros 3D by Robert McNeel and Associates 2D/3D CAD Mac OS XRhino 7 SR Service Release ProprietaryYes en, fr, de, it, es, pl, cs, zh, ja, krUn&#;known Un&#;known Yes DXF, DWG, .3ds, SAT, SketchUp, IGES, STEP, STL, DGN, FBX, OBJ, sldprt DXF, DWG, .3ds, SAT, SketchUp, IGES, STEP, STL, COLLADA, Parasolid$^[44]Windows SALOMECAELinux^[45]&#;&#;()LGPLor-laterYes
No costEN, FR, JAUn&#;known Un&#;known No^[46]BREP, IGES, STEP, XAO^[47]IGES, STEP, BREP, STL,^[48] MED, UNV, DAT,^[49] XAO^[50]No cost FreeBSD^[51]Windows SketchUp by Trimble3D Mac OS X ProprietaryYes EN, FR, IT, DE, ES, PT(BR), JA, KO, ZH(CN), ZH(TW) Yes import and export, version? Yes DWG, DXF, DEM, DDF, 3DS, DAE, KMZ, IFC, JPG, PNG, PSD, TIF, TGA, BMPDAE, KMZ, 3DS, DWG, DXF, FBX, OBJ, WRL, XSI, PDF, EPS, BMP, JPG, TIF, PNG, EPX, SketchUp Make: No cost
SketchUp Pro: $ Windows Solid Edge by Siemens PLM Software3D/2D Windows ST9 ProprietaryYes
No costen, es, ru, fr, ko (at release date) Un&#;known 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,, $1, Maintenance SolidWorks by Dassault Systèmes2D/3D hybrid Windows SP4 ProprietaryFrom ,95US$ en, es, de, fr (at release date) Yes import: ifc2x3, export: ifc 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, IFCDXF, DWG, Parasolid, IGES, STEP, ACIS (SAT), STL, u3d, VRML, 3dxml, Catia, PDF, IFC, $3,, $1,/yr for optional support SolveSpace by Jonathan Westhues 2D/3D parametric Linux^[52]&#;&#;()GPLor-laterYes
No costenNo No Export only 2D as DXF, EPS, PDF, SVG, HPGL, STEP; 3D wireframe as DXF, STEP; triangle mesh as STL, Wavefront OBJ, HTML (Three.js); NURBS surfaces as STEP No cost Mac OS XWindows SpaceClaim Engineer by SpaceClaim Corp.2D/3D hybrid Windows ProprietaryUn&#;known enUn&#;known Un&#;known 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 Tekla3D/4D/5D CAE, CAM, steel detailing, concrete detailing Windows Version SP2 ProprietaryYes en, cs, zh-Hans, zh-Hant, du, fr, de, hu, it, ja, ko, pl, pt, pt-BR, ru, esYes Import and export. Version? 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^[53]IFC, IFCXML, IFCZIP, DWG, DXF, DGN, CIS/2, ISM, FabTrol KISS, DSTV, Steel Detailing Neutral Format, Eliplan ELI, Primavera P6, Trimble LM80, HMS^[53]? Tinkercad by Autodesk3D modeling, constructive solid geometryPOSIX ProprietaryNo Browser default No No Un&#;known SVG, STL, OBJSTL, OBJNo cost Windows Others T-FLEX CAD by Top Systems Ltd.^[54]2D/3D Parametric Windows Version ProprietaryYes en, ru, de, pl, cs, it, koYes Version? Yes DWG, DXF, DXB, Parasolid, STEP, IGES, ACIS, SolidWork, Autodesk Inventor, Siemens NX (Unigraphics), CATIA (V4/V5), Creo (ProE), Solid Edge, Rhino, VDA-FS, JT, PRC, 3dxml, CGR, U3D, IFC, TF3D, Open Inventor, VRML, X3D, 3DS, PLY, OBJ, STL. 2D documents: PDF, DXF, DXB, DWG, EMF, WMF, BMF

3D documents: Parasolid, STEP, IGES, ACIS, JT, PRC

3D documents with mesh (polygonal) geometry: DXF 3D, STL, OBJ, PLY, VRML , 3D PDF, U3D, X3D, 3DM, POV, Open Inventor, IFC, 3MF

Raster images: BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF

- TransMagicFile translator Windows
XP/Vista/7 R11 ProprietaryNo en, deNo 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 supportCATIA&#;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 2D/3D Mac OS X Mac V10 ProprietaryUp to 85% off standard pricing en, cs, de, es, ja, fr, pl, zh-HantYes Version? Yes [2][3]$1, Pro, $1, Pro Platinum^[55]Windows V VariCAD by VariCAD 2D/3D parametric Linux ProprietaryYes en, de, cs, pt, jaUn&#;known Un&#;known Yes STEP (3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D),^[56] DWB STEP (3D), STL (3D), IGES (3D), BMP (from 3D), DWG (2D), DXF (2D),^[56] DWB $ Windows VisualARQ by Asuni CAD S.A. 2D/3D Windows Proprietary$95 en, fr, es, de, it, csYes Version? Yes 3DM, 3DS, AI, DGN, DWG, DXF, EPS, FBX, GDF, IGS/IGES, LWO, OBJ, PDF, PLY, SDLPTR/SDLASM, SKP, STL, STP/STEP, VDA, VRML/VRL, X, ZPR3DM, 3DS, ACIS, AI, DGN, X, DWG, DXF, EPS, FBX, GDF, IGS/IGES, IFC, LWO, OBJ, PDF, PLY, POV, RIB, SKP, SDLPTR/SDLASM, STL, STP/STEP, VDA, VRML/VRL, WMF, X_T, XGL, ZPR$ Title and developer 2D/3D or specialty fields Platform Latest release License Academic version? User Interface language/s Support for Building Information Modelling? Support for Industry Foundation Classes (version & MVD)? Support for AutoCAD DXF? Imports Exports Price
(USD)Version Date