Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software
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Onshape is a cloud-native product development platform with integrated CAD, data management and analytics. Onshape aims to accelerate time to market and improve innovation by:1) Access: Unlike file-based CAD which is on-premise only, Onshape enables remote access for designers and…
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ActCAD is a 2D & 3D CAD software with two product options: - ActCAD Standard for 2D Drafting Power Users- ActCAD Professional for 2D Drafting & 3D ACIS Modeling Users- ActCAD Prime for 2D Drafting, 3D Modeling, and AEC Objects (walls, doors, windows, staircases, roofs, floors,…
Tacton Design Automation provides constraint-based and parametric engineer-to-order automation inside SolidWorks, PTC CREO and Autodesk Inventor. With needs-driven design, CAD engineers can configure designs of complex products – including feedback on incompatible choices - and…
CorelCAD is CAD software providing 2D drafting and 3D design tools, industry-standard file compatibility with .DWG, .STL, .PDF, and .CDR, as well as project collaboration and sharing with optional automation and customization. CorelCAD is compatible with all major CAD programs and…
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NanoCAD is a free to use design software including both 2D and 3D design features. NanoCAD also includes premium features that users can upgrade to as needed.
DriveWorks Design Automation & Product Configurator software, from the company of the same name in Thelwal, is for companies where designs or orders are the ‘Same but Different’. DriveWorks software is used to automate repetitive tasks in the design process and to streamline the…
Altair Inspire, developed by SolidThinking which was acquired by Altair, is software for Generative Design/Topology Optimization, and rapid simulation solution for design engineers. It is designed to enhance the concept development process by enabling simulation-driven design to…
Vectorworks headquartered in Columbia offers Fundamentals, a computer-aided design (CAD) application supporting 2D and 3D design and drafting.
Rockwell Automation offers the Studio 5000 suite of design and engineering applications, including Studio 5000 Architect engineering environment, Studio 5000 Logix Designer for management of Allen-Bradley Logix controllers, Studio 500 View Designer for graphic terminals and alarms,…
Siemens' Valor is a software tool in manufacturing and process engineering editions. Its manufacturing solutions enable utilizing data generated across production operations. The solutions provides a platform for gathering, analyzing and leveraging data from all machines and processes…
Altium 365 is an agile electronics development platform that brings together all aspects of electronics development. Altium 365 is designed to remove silos and inefficiencies in the hardware development process. Engineers can connect to the platform directly from their familiar design…
3D Systems headquartered in Rock Hill offers the Geomagic product design suite, supporting 3D modeling and prototyping of manufactured products for a variety of industries.
Dynamo is an open-source software platform for computational design and building information modeling (BIM). Through a visual interface, construct logic routines to smooth and automate workflows, find optimum solutions, and sift through design options. The commercial product Dynamo…
GeoHECRAS is an engineering software package from CivilGEO headquartered in Middleton, designed to significantly speed up HEC‐RAS model creation and review, producing better and more accurate results. Compute water surface profiles for steady and unsteady flow models, bridge and…
BricsCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) toolkit, supporting 2D drawing, 3D modeling and visualizations, and is customizable as well as compatible with many 3rd party applications, developed by Belgian company Bricsys, a Hexagon company since late 2018.
Vectorworks, headquartered in Columbia, offers the Landmark BIM design application. The solution helps users produce 2D and 3D design concepts and analyze existing building sites.
CADWorx Plant Design Suite from Hexagon PPM is a 3D plant design software toolset that allows for the option to run on the AutoCAD or BricsCAD platform and design piping, structural steel, equipment, process and instrument diagrams, and design review, plus automatic isometrics and…
Codeware, headquartered in Sarasota, offers COMPRESS, a pressure vessel design application.
FreeCAD is an open-source CAD software that specialized in 3D design. New features are added to FreeCAD by an active community of developers.
3Design is advanced CAD jewelry design software used for designing and manufacturing, from Gravotech - TYPE3 Software headquartered in Rilleux-la-Pape, France.
MeshMixer is a 3D design and modeling tool for 3D printing or scanning, supported by Autodesk (acquired 2011). While not discontinued, the product will not receive updates and Autodesk states they intend to include all functionality in updates of Fusion 360.
Wikifactory unifies teams in real-time to enable efficient communication, streamlined workflows, and accelerated time-to-market. Wikifactory is a browser-first design-to-production platform that accelerates the product development lifecycle, connects team and clients, improves CAD…
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Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software TrustMap
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Learn More About Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software
Wh is Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software?
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is the use of an application to help create or optimize a design. Therefore, CAD software allows engineers, architects, designers, and others to create precision drawings or technical illustrations in 2D or 3D. This category of software can increase productivity, improve quality, and maximize organization by creating a documentation database for manufacturing.
CAD software has a host of applications, including the design of manufacturing parts, electronic circuit boards, prototypes for 3D printers, and buildings. Typically, this software uses either traditional vector-based graphics or raster graphics which show how finished objects would actually look.
CAD software can also facilitate the flow from the design process to the manufacturing process. This software can simulate the movement of a part through the manufacturing process in three dimensions. As this software becomes ever better at simulating the manufacturing process, specialized software for designing the manufacturing process and controlling machine tools called Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has become integrated with CAD as a single platform.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Features & Capabilities
Professional-level software packages usually have the following features:
- 2D/3D Design
- Electrical design
- CAM integration
- Simulation and analysis, such as simulating real world use of an item to identify areas with a propensity for thermal stress and buckling
- Augmented reality
- Data management
- Additive manufacturing
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software Comparison
To compare different CAD programs, consider these factors for each product offering:
2D vs. 3D specialty: Leading CAD software will support both 2D and 3D design, however, some do specialize in one mode of design over the other. Fully investigate reviews of the software you’re considering for what type of design it may excel and/or falter at.
Industry-focus: Some CAD programs are specially designed for specific industries, or have add-on sets to make your CAD experienced tailored to your application. For example, Autodesk tools are really popular within the animation and art industries, whereas SketchUp sees a lot of popularity amongst architects given its tools for building design.
Usage and team size: CAD software can get increasingly expensive the more employees you need to use it simultaneously. Most tools have caps on how many users can use one license, and how many workstations the software can be installed upon. Identifying the number of users and workstations should be one of the first steps of your CAD software buying process.
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Pricing Information
There is a lot of variance for CAD software pricing. Given that its one of the oldest software categories on the market, there are a sizable amount of viable options available for free, including open-sourced programs. Students and educators in this space also receive discounts on pricing, and in some cases free licenses.
For small business professional use, pricing can be as low as $99/year, but enterprises can expect to pay at least a $1,000/yr to support CAD software usage across teams. Product comparison pages may have more information about specific pricing and how products stack up against one another in terms of budgeting.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Computer-Aided Design (CAD) used for?
What are examples of Computer-Aided Design (CAD)?
There are a few ways Computer-Aided Design (CAD) can be categorized:
- 2-D design (traditional animation, architectural site maps)
- 3-D design (figures, product design)
- Common roles: engineers, drafters, product designers, etc.
- Common industries: consumer products, architecture, aerospace & aviation, healthcare, etc.
Who uses Computer-Aided Design (CAD)?
While CAD software has a wide variety of use cases ranging from animation to architectural design, it is most commonly used by, and thus associated with, engineers.
A wide variety of engineers utilize CAD programs such as electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, industrial, and product development engineers. Other common roles are "designers" or "drafters".
CAD software is an incredibly useful tool for anyone who has to create either 2D or 3D designs as a major component of their role.